Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet, even so, most people are hard-pressed to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people today don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. He paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christian to become holy just as God is holy. Once you encounter the holiness of God, your life will never be the same.
Christians often misunderstand God’s nature, leading to confusion about salvation and the question, "Saved from what?" Dr. R.C. Sproul addresses this by explaining the necessity of atonement and that salvation is fundamentally from a holy God. The book aims to help evangelicals grasp the gospel by first understanding God's character. Salvation is both of and from God: it originates with Him and is necessary due to His righteous nature opposing all unrighteousness.
In part one, Sproul clarifies the meaning of "salvation" in Scripture, emphasizing that God's character demands perfect righteousness, a daunting reality for humanity since all our works fall short of His glory. Our sins taint even our best efforts.
Part two delves into the significance of the cross, defining sin as a "debt," "enmity," and "crime" against God. The cross addresses our sin from multiple perspectives, with Christ as our ransom and an exploration of propitiation and expiation within covenant theology, culminating in a study on justification.
In part three, Sproul concludes by discussing the purpose of salvation. All Christians are called to live for Christ and are adopted into Him, assuring us that God is transforming us to be like Him, ultimately leading to purity when we behold Him in the beatific vision.
