A World Upside Down

"We are theological hobbits, but we can stand on the shoulders of giants like Martin Luther to get a better view of the glory of Christ and his gospel. Charles Fry has helped us climb onto Luther's shoulders with this little book. It's a wonderful introduction and survey of Luther's life and theology-a book well worth the read." -J.V. Fesko, Academic Dean, Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, Westminster Seminary California "Today, the doctrine of justification (that is, being counted as righteous by God through faith in Christ alone), is widely accepted, and at the same time vigorously denied. So we constantly need a reaffirmation and clarification of the gospel as it is taught to us by the apostle Paul and rediscovered by Martin Luther. And Chuck Fry has done an excellent job of summarizing and clarifying for us Luther's understanding of the gospel. "There is much in Chuck's book that I could single out as important to Luther's understanding of the gospel, but there is one truth that I especially resonate with. That is Luther's understanding of 'the reality of sin in the life of a Christian and the subsequent need to live daily by the gospel.' My view of the evangelical church today is that the majority of Christians believe we are saved by grace, but we relate to God on the basis of our works. The truth, however, is that our very best deeds on our very best days are still flawed both in motive and performance. As one of the Puritans so aptly said, 'Even my tears of repentance need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb.' "So I commend Chuck Fry's book to you. If, by God's grace, you see yourself as a still-practicing sinner, this book will encourage you to live by the gospel every day." -Jerry Bridges (from the Foreword), author and speaker "Luther rediscovered the pure gospel, which radically changed his life and changed the world, from that age to the present. Although the Reformation occurred five centuries ago, the need for reformation continues in our personal and corporate lives. ??? Despite having been an evangelical Christian for decades, in the mid-2000's I found myself in desperate need. Weighed down by law-based living, I carried unnecessary burdens of condemnation and fear that plagued my daily existence. Luther's life and message brought about a gospel-awakening that changed everything for me. The resulting joy impacted my walk, my family, and my vocation. "I pray that Chuck Fry's introduction to Luther will help bring the powerful force of the true gospel into the lives of a new generation of believers. The strong, clear articulation of law and gospel in chapter two is by itself worth the price of the book. As Luther said, 'Distinguishing between the Law and the gospel is the highest art in Christendom...' "May this book stir in you a passion to go further up and further in." -Bill Walsh, Director of International Outreach, The Gospel Coalition "As one who has fervently believed in justification by faith for many decades, I was humbled and surprised by how desperately I needed to hear it again, and how delightfully encouraging it is to have it enter more deeply into my heart. The clarity and simplicity of these essays, expounding Martin Luther's universally needed message of grace, has the power to lift the weight of condemnation from the soul of both the elite scholar and the simple plow-boy." -C. FitzSimons Allison, retired Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina, author of The Rise of Moralism and Trust in an Age of Arrogance