Looking unto Jesus: The Christ-Centered Piety of Seventeenth-Century Baptists

by J. Stephen Yuille, Thomas J. Nettles (Foreword)

Christ declares, "Abide in me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me" (John 15:4). A branch derives life from the vine by virtue of its union with the vine. Similarly, Christ is the vine, and we are the branches. There is a vital, organic union between us. We draw on Christ's life through the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us. We must, therefore, abide in Christ by cultivating close and constant communion with him. That is to say, we must continually look "unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith" (Hebrews 12:2). The present work seeks to explain what this looking implies. It does so by turning to the writings of two largely forgotten Puritans and Baptists from the seventeenth century-Thomas Wilcox and Vavasor Powell. Together, they teach us that to abide in Christ is to behold him in his manifold roles and relations. As we do, Christ becomes our all in all.

120 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2013

About the author

J. Stephen Yuille is preaching-teaching pastor of Grace Community Church in Glen Rose, Texas. He is also the director of Baptist studies at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas, and the author of Living Blessedly Forever: The Sermon on the Mount and the Puritan Piety of William Perkins.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yuille introduces, presents, and comments on two obscure little works by two little known seventeenth-century baptists. Their works are both profoundly evangelistic and an encouraging presentation of historic Baptist piety and conviction.