Truth We Can Touch: How Baptism and Communion Shape Our Lives

By Tim Chester, Foreword by Sinclair B. Ferguson

... Show All

Truth We Can Touch: How Baptism and Communion Shape Our Lives

By Tim Chester, Foreword by Sinclair B. Ferguson

... Show All

Many Christians often feel confused about the sacraments of baptism and Communion. What is happening when someone goes down into the water in baptism? What’s the significance of eating bread and wine together as a church on Sunday mornings? In this book, Tim Chester makes a compelling case that God has given us truth we can touch for a reason: the sacraments embody the promises, grace, and presence of Christ. He looks throughout the Bible to explain how the sacraments are intended to actually shape Christians’ lives by giving us physical bread, wine, and water we can point to as an expression of our union with Christ. The aim is to help readers treasure baptism and Communion and approach them rightly so churches can receive the full benefit God intends them to physically bring us.

Read Chapter 1


Author:

Tim Chester

Tim Chester (PhD, University of Wales) is a faculty member of Crosslands and a pastor with Grace Church, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. He is an author or coauthor of over forty books, including A Meal with JesusReforming Joy; and, with Michael Reeves, Why the Reformation Still Matters.

Product Details

Title: Truth We Can Touch
Subtitle: How Baptism and Communion Shape Our Lives
Published: January 21, 2020
ISBN-10: 1-4335-6657-5
ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-6657-8
Category: Theology
Retail Price: $17.99
Binding: Paperback
Trim: 5.25 in x 8.0 in
Page Count: 176

Table of Contents

Foreword by Sinclair B. Ferguson
Introduction: Why Water, Bread, and Wine?

  1. Enacted Promise
  2. Enacted Grace
  3. Enacted Presence
  4. Enacted Memory
  5. A Baptized Life
  6. A Baptized People

Conclusion: Re-enchanting the World
General Index
Scripture Index

Endorsements

“In Truth We Can Touch, Tim Chester makes a compelling case for evangelicals to recover an understanding of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as God’s promise that comes to us in physical form. Deeply biblical and yet eminently practical, this book provides an alternative to a theology of the word limited to our heads. God’s word in Christ comes to us not only in preaching but also in baptism and at the table. As embodied creatures, we embrace God’s promises in touch and taste, with delight and praise. This accessible and winsome book is a joy!”
J. Todd Billings, Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology, Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan

“This is hands down the best book on the sacraments I’ve read—warm, compelling, eye-opening, and saturated in gospel encouragement. I hadn’t realized how much I needed it.”
Sam Allberry, Associate Pastor, Immanuel Nashville; author; speaker

“In this delightful book, Chester reminds us that baptism and Communion are God’s gifts to us that convey the gospel and grace in powerful ways. As a Baptist I would put some things differently, but I celebrate and rejoice in the main thesis set forth by Chester. Baptism and Communion are central in the New Testament, and something is wrong if they are neglected or ignored by us. Take up and read and be instructed, challenged, and—most of all—encouraged by the gospel, which is displayed so beautifully in baptism and the Eucharist.”
Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“After reading Tim Chester’s Truth We Can Touch, I sent our pastoral staff a message: ‘Add this book to our reading list for our interns, and add it to our book nook.’ Chester is one of our favorite writers, and his books have blessed our local church. Once again, he combines theological clarity with gospel warmth, conveying the beauty of Christ to the reader. By reading this accessible book, you will value baptism and Communion more, and you will be moved to worship the Savior as you consider Chester’s explanation of baptism as the embodiment of our union with Christ and the Lord’s Supper as the embodiment of our communion with Christ.”
Tony Merida, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Imago Dei Church, Raleigh, North Carolina; author, The Christ-Centered Expositor 

“At last, here is a great evangelical book on the sacraments. I have longed for such a book for years, one that is deep yet accessible, theologically robust and biblically grounded, and—perhaps most of all—one that touches the heart with wise pastoral application. This is a valuable resource for all ministers and a treasure for all God’s people. I cannot commend it highly enough—a delight from beginning to end.”
Melvin Tinker, Senior Minister, St. John Newland, Hull, United Kingdom; author, Language, Symbols, and Sacraments

“The sacraments are integral to the history of redemption, yet the evangelical church has tragically neglected them as secondary and nonessential. Tim Chester sets baptism and the Lord’s Supper vividly in their biblical and historical contexts. Superbly written, easily accessible to a wide readership, rooted in Scripture and the theology of the Reformation, this book can be a catalyst for widespread recovery of the supreme blessing God gives through his appointed signs.”
Robert Letham, Senior Research Fellow, Union School of Theology

"[This book] will help you to understand how your baptism can be a lifelong help to living for Christ. And it will show you that the Lord's Supper isn't so much something we do but the way Christ enables us to enjoy his presence."

Sinclair B. Ferguson

from the foreword