The church’s vocation is to treasure the gospel and live it out. The late theologian John Webster believed Christian preachers and theologians should be principally concerned with the proclamation of this news. At the center of that proclamation is our salvation in Christ.
In this compilation of homilies, John Webster explores the various contours of the salvation accomplished for us in Christ and displays for preachers a model of theological exegesis that understands that the gospel is the heart of holy Scripture. Readers of Christ Our Salvation will be presented with a feast of “theological” theology for Christian proclamation.
John Webster’s sermons are a breath of fresh air.
–Hans Boersma, Saint Benedict Servants of Christ Chair in Ascetical Theology, Nashotah House Theological Seminary
Webster's voice here is more direct than allusive, more quotable than cautious, more wise than clever.
–Fred Sanders, Torrey Honors Institute, Biola University
These are truly uplifting sermons.
–Christopher Holmes, Head of the Theology Programme, University of Otago
These expositions are a gift: faithful to Holy Scripture, brief, clear, and edifying.
–Scott R. Swain, President and James Woodrow Hassell Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary
These proclamations hammer against the hardened walls of a too-frequently secularized church, reminding us that Jesus is alive and active and that we, therefore, have great hope.
–Michael Allen, John Dyer Trimble Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary
Wonderfully accessible and delightful sermons by a preacher who knew what it meant to speak the gospel and speak it well.
–Ivor J. Davidson, Honorary Research Professor in Divinity, University of Aberdeen
This treasury of sermons shows John Webster at his best.
–George Hunsinger, professor of Systematic Theology, Princeton Theological Seminaryy
In [Jesus], God is with us, and in these sermons, Webster won't let us forget it.
–Brad East, Assistant Professor of Theology, Abilene Christian University
“To be a Christian believer is to be converted to the praise of God. Christian faith and discipleship aren’t simply a matter of acquiring a new set of beliefs nor a matter of living under a new set of moral imperatives. They certainly involve beliefs and behavior, but more fundamental than doctrine and ethics is praise. This is so because praise is the proper end of human life: it’s that for which we are made.” (Page 98)
“Excessive severity in criticizing others usually goes hand in hand with a basic incapacity to see ourselves as we really are—a basic deficiency in admitting that we, too, are fallible and frail, that if we haven’t sinned, it’s usually only because we haven’t had opportunity.” (Page 137)
“And when our affections are set on God, then our minds follow: we begin to meditate on God and God’s law, and God’s ways with us become the substance of our thoughts.” (Pages 10–11)
“The affections are in a real sense the engines of our attitudes and actions. What we are and what we do cannot be separated from what we love.” (Page 7)
“He has set us free, therefore, to discover glad and cheerful obedience.” (Page 18)
John Webster (1955–2016) was professor of divinity at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. Former chaplain at St. John's, Durham, and canon of Christ Church, Oxford, he preached and lectured internationally. He is the author of many books, including God without Measure, vols. I & II, The Domain of the Word, and Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch.