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Fall 2025 Editorial
By Dave Jenkins
In every generation, the Church faces the temptation to chase after spiritual shortcuts. Today, that temptation often comes in the form of contemplative practices and mystical techniques that promise peace, presence, or intimacy with God apart from His Word. These trends may sound appealing, but they leave God’s people disoriented, confusing subjective experience with true communion with Christ.
That is why recovering a biblical understanding of the means of grace is so urgent. The Lord has not left us to wonder how He draws near to His people. He has given us His appointed means: the preaching of the Word, the sacraments, prayer, and the fellowship of the Church. Through these ordinary means, God does extraordinary work, giving life, sustaining faith, and conforming His people to Christ.
Contemplative mysticism insists there is something “more.” But the truth is that Christ is enough. His Word is sufficient. His Spirit is present and powerful. God’s people don’t need novelty, we need the faithful, steady nourishment He has promised to give in His Word to His people..
This October 2025 issue of Theology for Life is devoted to instructing us in these very truths. As you read, you will be invited to trust in the sufficiency of Christ and to rejoice in the simple, profound, and life-giving ways He meets His people.
In Christ Alone,
Dave Jenkins
Executive Editor, Theology for Life Magazine
This article appears in the Fall 2025 Issue of Theology for Life Magazine, exploring “The Means of Grace.”
