A Letter From The President
First, reformed literature presents the sound, biblical doctrine that has been held by the Church throughout centuries of church history, preserving her from error and providing for her spiritual good.
Our most fundamental standard for sound doctrine is and must be the Word of God alone, or as the reformers stated: Sola Scriptura. No churchman or church counsel can ever replace the authority of God himself speaking in clear terms through his Word.
Historically, every false teacher and false religion from the time of the apostles has made the claim to have no creed or confession but the Bible alone. This fact necessitated the use of creeds and confessions from the time of the early church, some statements of which were even included in the epistles before the closing of the canon of Scripture.
Every confessional and creedal statement of the church was written to correct error in doctrine or practice, articulating clearly the truth of Scripture as each error arose, each confession building on the ones of the past, and finally finding their fullest and clearest expression in the reformed confessions that arose out of the errors of the Medieval Church. New doctrine and novel interpretations of Scripture were carefully examined, analyzed, and shown to fail the test of that doctrine “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). The Word of God simply allows no new doctrine or novel interpretations unknown in any period of church history until today.
Reformers such as Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli wrote monumental and foundational works, expounding the Scriptures as did the church fathers before them. Ignorance of this rich doctrinal and confessional heritage of the church can only be inherently dangerous and potentially destructive to her spiritual life. It is for this reason that the present-day church must build on the foundation of her confessional statements and expository writings, and not detour from them for reasons of modernity.
Thus, the commitment of PFG is to strengthen the Latin American evangelical church by introducing her to the great Christian classics of past eras as well as to modern works in Spanish, which reflect that doctrine “once for delivered to the saints”.
C. H. Spurgeon, who preached each Lord’s Day to 8,000 – 10,000 people (before the days of mass communication) stated:
“The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach today, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox’s gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again.”
Secondly, reformed literature is the means which God has used to produce the greatest revivals, transforming churches, societies, and nations.
Johannes Gutenburg, inventor of the printing press, took the writings of Luther and placed them into the hands of people all over Germany and Europe, sparking the revival flames of the Great Reformation in the 16th century. The preached doctrine and published writings of Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, and the Puritans of England and Europe were powerfully used of God to bring all of Europe out of the ignorance, and superstition of the Middles Ages.
The greatest revivals the church has known have taken place under the preaching of reformed theology, not only during the Great Reformation, but also during the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and the U.S. Men of spiritual power and depth of knowledge in the Scriptures such as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Asahel Nettleton, C. H. Spurgeon were all powerfully used of God through their prolific writings and the propagation of their written sermons, all centered on reformed doctrine.
The regions of Central and South America have yet to know the power of the pure gospel which swept the continents of Europe and North America, bringing tens if not hundreds of thousands into the Kingdom of Christ. We can be assured that the preached and printed exposition of the Word of God, accompanied by his Spirit, will be the same means He will use in present day Latin America to affect true revival. Oh, that God might visit us again with a hunger and thirst for truth, the promised means of bringing true reformation to the church and revival in the world!
Thirdly, reformed literature presents the doctrine through which God has been pleased to effect deep and lasting change in the hearts of men: the gospel of God’s grace.
The dire physical and spiritual condition of many in the Latin world, as well as widespread social problems, require a new application of sound doctrine, committed to the authority and sufficiency of Scripture to meet all of man’s spiritual needs.
The commitment of reformed literature to the gospel of God’s grace directs the needy sinner away from the deceptive and ineffective methods of pop psychology and “self-help” dressed up in religious robes, to discover the power for true, biblical change through the work of the Holy Spirit who accompanies the truth of God’s Word alone. For this reason, reformed books and literature have been rediscovered by every new generation in the English speaking world.
The classic literary works born out of the Reformation and Puritan eras (including modern day works dedicated to the theology of the Reformation) embody the most theologically-solid literature of historical Christianity. Though most members of the present day church in the U.S. recognize that the teachings they contain represent the historic and theological foundation of the Christian Church and its heritage, their relevance is sadly overlooked.
For the relatively young and isolated evangelical church in Latin America however, these works, their rich teachings, and the generations of blessings attendant with their application and practice within the context of the local, visible church have been essentially unknown, resulting in a lack of spiritual depth spanning a broad evangelical landscape.
After fifteen years of laboring for the gospel in Mexico City, both as a church planting missionary/pastor and as a publisher of Spanish literature, I am more passionately convinced than ever that widespread knowledge of biblical truth must precede spiritual blessings from God in Latin America.
On May 31, 1792, in his immortal sermon at a Baptist meeting in Nottingham, England, William Carey provided the challenge and impetus for modern missions with the following statement:
“Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”
Thank you for your consideration of support for the efforts of Publicaciones Faro de Gracia. I hope the content of the following pages will provide sufficient insight into the ministry of PFG to move you to an informed decision to support the work, prayerfully and financially. Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the ministry or to visit us in Mexico City to view the work first hand.