Description
The Puritans have been depicted as killjoys whose teachings on assurance of salvation and self-examination bred anxiety and despair. But is that really the case? In The Foundation of Joy, Jeff Strickland investigates the link between John Flavel’s understanding of assurance and his pursuit of joy. After explaining Flavel’s approach to assurance and how it actually provides a foundation for joy, Strickland demonstrates how Flavel expresses these in the key areas of looking to Christ, discerning the Spirit, obeying the law, keeping the heart, and carrying the cross. Joy is the hallmark of Flavel’s spirituality, a fine example of what it means to cultivate a cheerfulness of heart founded on a sense of one’s interest in Christ.
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Flavel’s Theology of Assurance
Flavel’s Joy in Assurance
Joy in Looking to Christ
Joy in Discerning the Spirit
Joy in Obeying the Lord
Joy in Keeping the Heart
Joy in Carrying the Cross
Conclusion
Bibliography
Endorsements
“The Puritans often remarked that saving faith may bring the soul to heaven, but assurance brings heaven to the soul. In this masterful treatment of the spirituality of John Flavel—one of my favorite Puritans and yet one of the most overlooked—Jeff Strickland shows how believers’ joy often increases in proportion to the depth of their assurance. As Flavel shows, growing in such Spirit-worked assurance glorifies God and produces heavenly joy, deep peace, and evangelical zeal. This book is an edifying read on a much-neglected Puritan.”
—Joel R. Beeke, chancellor and professor of systematic theology and homiletics, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Product Details
Title: The Foundation of Joy: Assurance in the Theology of John Flavel
Author: Strickland, Jeff
ISBN: 9798886861617
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 232
Publication Date: April 21, 2025