Book Reviews

The Reign of the Servant Kings

Joseph C. Dillow
©1992 Schoettle Publishing Co.
649 pages, PB

Out of the hundreds of Christian books I've read since I was born again in March/April 1982, this is arguably one of the most brilliant of all. The author's twenty-five chapters methodically explore the believer's unconditional eternal security and conditional inheritance of the kingdom. Can we lose our salvation, or not? Will all true Christians inevitably grow in holiness to the end, or not? Dillow competently shows us how misunderstandings about these questions originated.

He sheds much light on subjects as:
"The Illegitimate Totality Transfer." We add a concept to a word's literal meaning in a given context, then wrongly transfer that meaning elsewhere. "Salvation," for instance, means deliverance, but making all usages equal "saved from hell" will introduce error in understanding the Scriptures.

Dillow clarifies the believer's inheritance. One portion of our inheritance is of grace and can never be lost. Another part is a reward based on our merits, which can be forfeited.

True believers will fall away. Dillow proves that the carnal Christians will not inevitably go on to holiness. Warning passages are not to keep readers from sliding into hell, but to encourage believers to persevere in holiness for a reward.

He explains the crucified life that makes possible an abundant entrance into the coming kingdom to reign as a servant king.
Very few books deserve more than one read. I read this 649-page book three times! Highly recommended. We MUST have a right understanding of our destiny if we are to enjoy its fullness.