Category: Book Review

Tad Thompson. Intentional parenting: Family Discipleship by Design. Adelphi, MD; Cruciform Press, 2011. 108 pp. $9.99.

 

            Little strikes godly terror in the hearts of believing parents more than when they consider the concept of how to faithfully disciple their children. We all know that we are to raise our children in the fear and instruction of the Lord. We all know that we must be wise and disciplined as we try to carry out this task. Yet, when all is said and done, we still need help, and we know that too.

 

            In Intentional Parenting, Tad Thompson, a second-generation pastor, presents helpful, simple, and logical advice for parents who want to raise their children as disciples. As one of the early offerings from Cruciform Press, this work is a fine demonstration of the new publisher’s plan to put forth short, sweet, and scripturally sound books. The book is easy-to-read, engaging, and simply solid theologically.

 

            Thompson addresses the discipleship of the family by looking at several different metaphorical rooms in our homes. So, for example, he points out that our kitchens (symbolic of our source of spiritual food) must have pantries stocked with sound, biblical doctrine. Thompson then offers parents some very clear yet invaluable categories of theological truth that every parent should have settled, stocking their spiritual shelves so-to-speak. Similarly, Thompson uses the living rooms of our homes to symbolize different spheres of day-to-day life in which we formally and informally teach our children to follow Christ.

 

            I’ve read many parenting books. Very few are as biblically solid throughout as this one. Thompson clearly presents theological concepts in an accurate and readable way. Whether he is writing about God’s sovereignty or the atonement, Thompson speaks with clarity and accuracy. While I am sure that there are things that I would say differently in my own presentation, I cannot recall a point where Thompson made me cringe with his words, and that is saying something.

 

            I also will laud Thompson’s powerful reminders to parents that we have a serious job to do. He calls us to family devotions, but not in any sort of cookie-cutter approach. He calls us to live our faith before our children. Thompson argues that our children will love Jesus like they see us loving Jesus. If our religion is forced, legalistic, and empty, that will be magnified in our kids. If our love for Jesus is genuine and our worship of the Savior vibrant, such will often be the case with our children as well.

 

            I could say much more, but it simply is not necessary. Thompson has written a good book. This would be a very helpful resource for a small group Bible study or just for a few men or women who want to read the book together and grow stronger in how they raise their kids. No, this is not a guide on how to determine a kid’s allowance or an argument on spanking vs. timeout. Instead, this work is a call for parents to live as Christians with their kids to help them to love the Savior too. The questions at the end of each chapter spur thought and discussion. Simply put, I would recommend that you, if you are a parent, take a look at Intentional Parenting to see if it might be helpful to you or someone you know.

 

** Disclosure: Cruciform Press sent me a free PDF copy of this book for review purposes. The publisher asked only for an honest and thoughtful review, and did not influence the content of this review in any way.

John R. W. Stott. The Radical Disciple. IVP Books, 2010. 144 pp. $10.20.

 

                                    John Stott is a name that has been well known in Christian ministry and teaching for many, many years. In The Radical Disciple, Stott addresses eight aspects of our Christian lives that he believes need to be more strongly emphasized in Christian living. These aspects include:

 

1. Non-conformity

2. Christlikeness

3. Maturity

4. Creation-care

5. Simplicity

6. Balance

7. Dependence

8. Death

 

Positives

 

            Stott writes with a clarity and eloquence that are not often present in our more modern, more breezy works. His use of language is solid, making the pages of this book fly by.

 

            Stott’s handling of the Christian’s need for maturity, non-conformity, suffering, and dependence especially resonated with me. Stott, writing in his late eighties, expresses a very mature, very God-honoring understanding of death, suffering, and dependence upon others.

 

Negatives

 

            While I enjoyed this work in general, the middle chapters of this book were not as helpful. Stott’s calls for creation care and simplicity, while important calls in general, were not his best argued points. The author parrots the popular environmental issues of global warming, ozone layer protection, and population growth without seeming to question the findings of secular scientists. Similarly, in the chapter ron simplicity, Stott rightly argues for our need to simplify our lives in order to be able to give more, but does not offer much by way of practical help to accomplish this.

 

Conclusion

 

            The Radical Disciple has some very important lessons for Christians to hear. In some places, Stott brings forth real gems of thought. In others, however, his ideas are not as inspiring.

 

Audio

 

            I received a free download of this book as part of Christian Audio’s reviewers program. The audio version, read by Grover Gardner, is simply excellent, meeting Christian Audio’s clearly high standards.

Stephen Altrogge. The Greener Grass Conspiracy: Finding Contentment on Your Side of the Fence. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011. 144 PP. $12.99.

 

            The apostle Paul told the Philippian church that he had discovered how to be content in all circumstances (Phil 4:11-12). How many of God’s children today lack Paul’s testimony? For so many of us, we want, we grumble, we wine, we complain, we become embittered as we show our lack of being content. Yet, if we were asked, we would all rather be happy than miserable and we would all generally admit that God is good. So, what can we do to battle for the kind of contentment that Paul claimed?

 

            In The Greener Grass Conspiracy, ‘Stephen Altrogge looks with his readers at multiple aspects of living the contented Christian life. Altrogge writes with a winsome yet penetrating style. Paragraphs of this book will bring a laugh to the reader. Other places in the book will bring the sweet encouragement of God’s grace to light. Still other spots will cast a dagger of conviction directly into the soft spots of our idolatrous desires.

 

            As Altrogge opens his look at biblical contentment, he starts with our God. God has created this world for himself, for his glory. All people exist for the person of God, not the other way round. Altrogge rightly shows us that our discontent stems from our failure to see that God, not man, is at the center and high point of the universe.

 

            The author takes his readers through several scenarios to demonstrate the horror of being discontented as Christians. For example, in chapter 6, Altrogge reminds his readers that a proper focus on the gospel of Christ will bring joy. True joy will destroy our complaining. HE writes, “The only way to cut the nerve of complaining is to regularly and actively remember and savor and apply the gospel. Complaining doesn’t fare well in the soil of thankfulness, and the gospel should always propel us to deep gratitude” (Chapter 6 [sorry, I have no page numbers in my electronic file]). Similarly, in chapter 5, Altrogge shows us that a lack of contentment not only denies the joy of the gospel. But also the goodness of God in the gospel. There he writes, “God gave up what was most precious to him so that he could save sinners who hated him. If God was willing to do that, won’t he also give us every good thing that we need?”

 

            Altrogge rightly presents to his readers that the source of our contentment as believers is an attitude of the heart. IF we trust God, grasp the gospel, look forward to heaven, remember the gifts we have been given, and remember the hell we deserve, we will grow more and more content. The truth is, a lack of contentment in our lives is quite often based on idolatry of the heart, a replacing of God with the gifts given by God.

  

            Perhaps my favorite piece in this book was the author’s reminder that heaven is the place where we will find our contentment. Until we are with Christ in a world free from sin, we should not expect our lives to be smooth and easy. Yes, we have far more good than we could ever imagine. Yet, we must recognize that God created us for himself. God created us for eternity. God created us for the joy of worshipping him. We cannot possibly feel our souls totally satisfied until we experience what God created us for. In chapter 12, Altrogge makes this point by saying, “When we see Christ, we’ll realize that all our earthly longings were really longings to see and be with Christ. When we look upon Jesus, the battle for contentment will come to an end, and we’ll finally have all that we ever desired.” The author adds in the same chapter, “Throw away your ideas of a boring heaven with nothing to do. We’re going to be with our Creator, the one who invented gladness and created fun.”

 

            I could go on for page after page pointing out the solid, powerful, joyful, and biblical counsel that Altrogge offers in The Greener Grass Conspiracy, but it would really be better for you if you picked up a copy of the book and read it for yourself. Even better would be for you to pick up a copy of the book, get some others to join you, and work through it together. This twelve chapter piece is so easy-to-read that almost any church member or Bible study friend will be able to read it with you. Each chapter has a useful set of questions at the end that will spur application and discussion. The book is not too long, and it’s never dull.

 

            Maybe it is because I needed a good solid reminder of God’s grace and my need to be content, maybe it is because I needed to hear again how ugly toward God is the complaining spirit, or maybe it is simply because this book is just a good book, but I very much enjoyed reading The Greener Grass Conspiracy. I would recommend it to believers with struggles and believers with plenty. I would recommend it to hurting pastors and happy mothers. Give this book a read, and see if perhaps God will convict you of complaining or help you to find joy in contentment.

 

Disclaimer: Crossway has offered a free copy of this book to me in exchange for reviewing the work. The publisher has exercised no influence over this review, simply asking that the review be honest and substantive. 

R.C. Sproul. The Priest with Dirty Clothes 2^nd Ed. Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust, 2011. 45 pp. $12.24.

 

            It is always a joy to come across a book that helps to explain the gospel in a way that children can grasp. This is especially nice when the telling of the story brings to light important and often-neglected aspects of the good news. The Prince with Dirty Clothes is one such book.

 

            This little book by R.C. Sproul presents the picture of Christ’s imputed righteousness for the believer. Paralleling the scene in Zechariah 3, Sproul tells the story of a priest whose clothes were too filthy for him to stand in the presence of the king. The prince, the son of the king, gives the priest his perfect clothes in exchange for the priest’s ruined ones. In this picture, children and grown-ups are reminded of how Jesus not only took  the punishment for the sin of Gods’ children, but how he also granted to believers his perfect righteousness by his grace through faith alone.

 

            My family enjoyed the book. The story is short and sweet, which allowed my seven-year-old to be able to read the book herself. She grasped the concept very well, and we had a helpful discussion about the story. Also, while I am not one to have an opinion about art, my wife tells me that she is fond of the illustrations in this work.

 

            At the end of the book, Sproul includes a set of helpful questions for discussion. Parents and teachers will be able to not only read this story to their little ones, but also use the story as a teaching tool. 

 

            So, with the approval of my wife and my daughter, I am happy to recommend The Priest with Dirty Clothes to parents, Sunday School teachers, Children’s Church workers, and any who want to share the gospel with young ones. I Would recommend that this story be told alongside The Prince’s Poison Cup in order to give a more full-orbed presentation of the gospel. Putting these two books together will help to display the imputation of Christ’s perfect righteousness (The Priest with Dirty Clothes as well as his penal substitutionary atonement The Prince’s Poison cup).

Russell D. Moore. Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011. 208 pp. $10.00.

 

            Is it normal for Christians to face temptation? Of course it is. Jesus went through the trials in the wilderness. We, if we follow in his footsteps, will also face similar battles. Russell Moore opens the Bible with his readers and helps us to understand the trials we face in Tempted and Tried, his latest book.

 

Positives

 

            Early in the book, readers will discover that the author is a very real person who has experienced very real, very down-to-earth temptations. Unlike the many authors who remain aloof from the reader, Moore gets right into his reader’s living rooms. He shares our experiences. He does not pretend to be better than us. Moore simply tells the truth with the Scripture, with his own life stories, and with extremely well-chosen illustrations.

 

            As Moore looks at the episodes of Christ’s desert temptations, he sees a pattern of how the devil attacks Christians today. Whether we are tempted to doubt God’s love for us, his provision for us, his understanding of our desires, his plan for our future, or whatever doubts might enter our minds in myriad forms, those temptations were all present in the tactics of the enemy that Christ faced. Moore does well to bring Jesus’ first century temptations into our twenty-first century lives.

 

            The focus of this book, regardless of the temptation faced, is the gospel of Christ. Moore does not make this little book a how-to or accountability-group manual. Instead, the author takes his readers to the cross. It is when we understand what Jesus accomplished on our behalf and what the gospel is all about that we will better face down our temptations.

 

            A final positive I will mention about this book, though there are many, is that this is a Crossway book. I love the fact that, when I got this book, I also had a free PDF copy available to me for use on my computer or another electronic reading device. Simply put, I love what Crossway is doing.

 

Negatives

 

            The biggest negative that I have toward this book has to do with its structure. Call me particular, but I just do not like reading thirty-page chapters. I would rather have seen this book broken down into shorter chapters that kept the flow of thought more simple.

 

            I will also add that this book is very real in speaking of sin. Moore never crosses any line into impropriety, but he is honest about the ways in which temptations can manifest themselves in the lives of real people living in a real, fallen world. Readers need to be aware that Moore is not going to pull punches or pretend that the worst temptation we face is to have a second slice of pie at the church social.

 

Conclusion

 

            Russell Moore has given us a sweet little book in Tempted and Tried. We all have temptations. Moore has helped to show us what those temptations are like and how Christ, who has identified himself with us through his suffering, is familiar with the kinds of struggles we face. Pastors, small groups, Sunday School classes, and individuals will benefit by reading this work.

R. C. Sproul. The Prayer of the Lord. Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust, 2009. 130 pp. $9.99.

Prayer is one of those topics that Christians simply cannot ignore. We need to pray. We need to know how to pray in such a way that God will be honored. We need a model for prayer that will help us to cover important categories well. Jesus knows this, which is why he gave his disciples a model prayer to pray. R. C. Sproul also sees the importance of the model prayer, and chose to write a nice little book on the topic.

Positives

The Prayer of the Lord is short, helpful, and readable. Unlike some works out there, this book is not so scholarly as to be indecipherable. Nor does Sproul dive off into the mystical. He does not flood the reader with tons of “I prayed this and God did that” stories. There is no hyped-up emotionalism in this book. Sproul has given us a simple and solid look at Jesus’ model for our prayer lives, and readers should be grateful.

Sproul’s work looks at the model prayer, rightfully, as a model. He demonstrates for the reader that repeated use of this model will make thorough prayer second-nature for the believer. Sproul writes, “That’s the benefit of praying a prayer like the Lord’s Prayer over and over again. It becomes part of the fabric of our thinking. It begins to become a part of our souls, so that we fall back on it when we’re at a loss as to how we ought to pray. We can always pray the Lord’s Prayer” (12).

In Sproul’s addressing of the petition, “Hallowed be your name,” he points out the absolute necessity that God’s name be seen as holy. For many, the concept that this phrase of the prayer is a petition instead of a praise will be fascinating enough. However, Sproul’s grasping of the centrality of this request is what is so beautiful. Sproul tells us, “I’m convinced that although we pray for the manifestation and the victory of the kingdom of God, it is futile to hope for the victory of God’s kingdom on this planet until or unless the name of God is regarded as sacred, because God’s kingdom does not come to people who have no respect for Him” (33). He adds, “A lack of regard for His name reveals more clearly than anything else a lack of regard for Him” (36).

At risk of belaboring too many of Sproul’s specific points, his expression of gratitude for God’s forgiveness from the “forgive us our debts” petition is lovely to read. The author tells his readers that forgiveness is something for which we should all be overwhelmingly grateful. He writes, “There is no greater state than to get up from your knees knowing that in God’s sight you are clean, that He has forgiven every sin you’ve ever committed. Without that grace, without that forgiveness, I don’t think I could live in this world for another sixty seconds. This is something we all desperately need, and we have but to ask for it” (85).

Perhaps praying this petition will help us to see exactly how wonderful is the grace of our God.

Negatives

While Sproul’s work is very helpful, a few negatives may catch one’s attention. In his discussion of the petition “deliver us from the evil one,” the author uses Job as an example. In this example, Sproul speaks of Job as having “aced” his test. Yet, in this description of Job, Sproul does not point out the grumbling of Job or Job’s need for repentance. Later in the Q and A chapter, Sproul does say, referring to Job, “He was severely rebuked for the attitude that he expressed to God” (108). This does not sound like a man who aced his test. While this point is not major, and certainly is not germane to the topic of prayer in general, it comes off a little sloppy.

It also might have been more helpful for Sproul to do a little more thorough handling of the final line of the prayer from a text-critical standpoint. Sproul criticized commentators for basically ignoring this line. He even pointed out that there is a text-critical problem. However, Sproul did not make a very thorough argument as to why he believes this text to be original to the prayer. Obviously, this book is short and not intended to address such deep issues, but the slight treatment that this line gets is unsatisfactory. Perhaps putting the text-critical work in a second appendix would have been helpful.

Conclusion and Recommendation

My problems with this work are tiny, and the helpful points of this book are many. Christians need to know how to use the model prayer in their daily lives. Too many evangelicals have ignored the Lord’s prayer as a source of great guidance for daily prayer. Sproul’s book is a very helpful call for Christians to use this model for their own growth. I happily recommend it.

The brevity and ease of reading that one finds in this book would make it very useful for a small group or one-on-one discipleship study. People will be able to read this work. The short chapters will appeal to those who do not want to spend too much time reading. The learning of the model will help any believer to further his or her prayer life.

** Disclaimer: Reformation Trust gave me a free PDF copy of this book for review purposes and will give me a free copy of the work when this review is published. The publisher in no way influenced my review of this work, only asking that the review be thoughtful and substantive. **

David Powlison. Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare. Grand Rapids, MI: Hourglass Books (a division of Baker Books), 1995. 160 pp. $40 (out-of-print).

David Powlison’s Power Encounters is without a doubt the best book on spiritual warfare that I have ever read. When I say “spiritual warfare,” I am specifically pointing to our understanding of the activity of the devil and the demonic as it affects our Christian lives. Powlison, with scholarship and charity points out that many who have embraced a model of deliverance from demons have missed the Scripture’s solution to problems that many chalk up to spiritual battles. As a popular speaker and biblical counselor, it makes sense that Powlison would address this topic, and he does so extremely well.

Positives

Powlison demonstrates by a thorough walk through Scripture that many of the issues that people blame on demons are actually issues of basic human sin. The author argues that Scripture never blames demons for human attitudes and behaviors. When demons are addressed, the Scripture most often depicts evil spirits as causes of evil on the same level of sicknesses or natural disasters; however, the Scriptures never say that a demon causes a man’s lust, greed, or pride. Thus, in problems of human hearts or behaviors, a more classic type of spiritual warfare, repentance and discipline, is what the Bible calls for.

Powlison, as he makes this sound case, is very much charitable toward those with whom he disagrees. Powlison does not caricature. He is not writing the book as a way to score easy points against his debate opponents. Instead, with love, Powlison both points out the positive things that those who disagree with him bring to the table while showing the dangers and weaknesses in their view. It is refreshing to see a book that is both polemical and gracious.

Negatives

The two weaknesses that I see in this book are not Powlison’s fault. First, this book is too short. Powlison’s argument is so excellent that the reader is left wanting to see more. The influence of the charismatic view of angels and demons is so wide-spread that more questions abound than could be answered. This book could easily have been another hundred pages longer without at all being a problem.

Secondly, this book is not in print. This fact is the greatest weakness the book has. Why this book is not in print is not something I have been able to find easily, though my understanding is that this work was to be a part of a larger series that the publisher never got together. Sadly, to get your hands on a copy of this excellent resource will cost you probably triple the cost of the average trade paperback (I generally see it in the $40 range on Amazon). Thus, you cannot get a handful of copies of this work to use in a small group study.

Conclusion

I said it in the introduction, and I will say it again, this book is the best work on spiritual warfare that I have ever read. Powlison relies on Scripture, not experience. He argues wisely, strongly, and graciously. His conclusions are practical and greatly useful for a counseling setting. If you have questions about what we ought think about the demonic today, Powlison’s work is worth the effort to get hold of and read.

John Piper. The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007. 240 pp. $12.23.

 

            In The Future of Justification, John Piper takes on N. T. Wright’s championing of what is commonly called the “New Perspective on Paul.”  Piper, who often writes in a very pastoral, if also deep, style, is fully engaged in Bible-scholar mode for this work.  Piper takes Wright’s challenge to the historic understanding of justification in the writings of Paul very seriously, and the book that Piper has written shows that seriousness.

 

Positives

 

            The primary positive that I will mention about this work is that Piper has Paul right and Wright has Paul wrong.  John Piper portrays in this book a very clear, very historic, very biblical understanding of what the apostle meant when he wrote of justification.  Piper’s defense of justification and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness is spot-on, and thus his book is necessarily strong.

 

            Piper is also extremely respectful and loving in his tone.  In polemic works, it is not uncommon to find authors caricaturing one another, taking cheap shots at straw men.  Piper is nothing but kind to Wright.  He points to Wright’s brilliance and winsomeness quite regularly.  Where Piper fears, or hopes,  he could have misunderstood Wright, he is quick to point this out. 

 

Negatives

 

            This book is not an easy read.  Piper, writing as Bible scholar, is not the most riveting author on the market.  Piper’s thoroughness in dealing with the discussion can sometimes make his writing tedious.  The scholarly slant in this work can certainly make it inaccessible for some laypersons who might pick it up because they have heard friends recommend, “Read anything by John Piper.”

 

            I also found myself wanting Piper to go into greater depth regarding the Jewish understanding of salvation.  Wright, and Sanders before him, argue that second-temple Judaism was not marred by legalism as is often understood.  Piper disagrees with the assessment of these men, and does a fine job of pointing out reasons why.  Piper does not, however, give us a few pages to explain how Jews of this period understood their salvation or how they were actually saved.  I think such an excurses would have been quite helpful.

 

Conclusion and Recommendation

 

            Because I agree with Piper’s assessment, I am happy to recommend The Future of Justification to anyone dealing with New Perspective on Paul issues.  A person who has been convinced by N. T. Wright that the church has, for sixteen hundred years or more, misunderstood Paul, can be aided by Piper’s scholarship.  If these issues are before you, you certainly should give Piper’s book a hearing. 

 

            However, not every Christian needs to read this book.  Many have never heard of the New Perspective.  Many have a right understanding of justification and do not need to take up their reading time with an argument against a position that they are not being challenged to refute.  This book is neither an easy nor a fun read.  If you are looking for something to feed the soul, look to others among Piper’s writings. 

R. C. Sproul. The Prince’s Poison Cup. Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust, 2008. 35pp. $12.24.

 

            As a parent, I often try to come up with ways to present the truths of the gospel in a way that my children can understand.  Often, I find myself frustrated in the task.  It is highly difficult to allegorize the gospel without completely missing major, important truths.  Thankfully, R. C. Sproul has made this task much easier by bringing us The Prince’s Poison Cup. 

 

            The story we find in the pages of this well-illustrated children’s book is mainly the allegory of the gospel couched in the answer to a little girls’ question about why medicine which makes us better tastes so bad.  This affectation helps young readers to understand that they are hearing a clearly fictional story with a bigger, real-world meaning.  The allegory itself is a sweeping picture of the overall story of redemption history—creation, fall, and redemption. 

 

            In the allegory, a great king created all things.  The king’s subjects rebelled against him by drinking the water in a fountain in the center of the king’s garden.  That water caused the people’s hearts to turn to stone, and their stony hearts led the people to hate and fear the loving king.  In order to rescue his people, the king sent his son to drink a cup of poison, a poison made up of all the king’s anger for the rebellion of his people.  When the prince drinks the poison, the king arrives, raises him from the dead, and drives off the enemy who had deceived the people.  Then the hearts of many of the people are changed from stone to flesh, and they come to receive fresh, healing water from the prince.

 

            Sproul has done an excellent job of bringing the details of redemption history into a readable children’s storybook.  My children grasp the flow of the story.  They feel sorrow when they see the people rebel.  They squirm when the prince drinks the poison.  They rejoice when the people’s hearts are changed and when they are restored to fellowship with the king.  And, thankfully, they understand that this story represents the bigger truth of what Jesus did to help them to be made right with God.

 

            There is no doubt that this book was written to teach young ones the truth of redemption history, but it can help grown-ups too.  We need, from time-to-time, to take a fresh look at the gospel for the encouragement of our own souls.  We need to be reminded of how God, by his grace and for his glory, changed our stony hearts into soft hearts that could receive his free gift of mercy.  We need to remember the horror that the Lord Jesus suffered in order to consume the wrath of God that we deserved.  We need to remember that to embrace the sin of this world is to choose a slum over a garden.  We need to remember that God is the great King who cannot and will not be defeated by the schemes of the enemy.  We need to remember that it is good to take the message of the prince’s sacrifice to all those who need grace.

 

            I offer a wholehearted recommendation of The Prince’s Poison Cup.  Parents, grandparents, and Sunday School teachers all could find ways to use this book.  Even youth workers and grown-up pastors can benefit by having on their shelves a resource that so simply and beautifully captures the big picture of God’s plan.  R. C. Sproul has given us a great gift by taking the time to write for us such a sweet little book.

 

[Disclosure:  Reformation Trust has offered a free hardcopy of this book to me in exchange for the publishing of this review.  The publisher did not in any way influence how the review was written, not asking for a positive review, but simply asked that the review be honest and thoughtful.]

            John MacArthur’s Found: God’s Will has for many years been my go-to book to offer Christians a brief answer to the question of how they might understand God’s will in their lives.  When Christians ask about God’s will, they are generally looking for advice on how to make a decision so as not to displease their Lord.  MacArthur, in only a few pages (or just over an hour of an audio book), offers as clear an answer as anyone I’ve seen.

 

Positives

 

            In his book and philosophy of discerning God’s will, John MacArthur is first and foremost biblical.  MacArthur makes it clear that the way for a Christian to understand God’s will for his or her life is to be found in Scripture.  MacArthur does not suggest any sort of strange, mystical, or superstitious use of Scripture, but a simple, clear, honest look at the text of God’s word.  We need more of this in Christendom.

 

            Besides being biblical, MacArthur is wonderfully freeing in his approach.  Taking God’s call in Psalm 37:4 to heart, the author concludes in his work that a Christian delighted in God and submitted to his commands will be free to do what he or she desires.  This is by no means a license for sin, as the prerequisite for doing what you want is that you have first done what God has proclaimed is his will in clear texts of Scripture.  MacArthur calls us to be saved, to be Spirit-filled, to be sanctified, to willingly suffer persecution for the sake of the gospel, and to be submitted to the authorities that God has placed over us.  When those conditions are met, a believer will be free in his love for God to do whatever he desires without fearing somehow thwarting God’s will.

 

            A final positive that I will mention is that this book is wonderfully brief, only 64 pamphlet-sized pages in print.  MacArthur does not force his readers to wade through hundreds of pages to find the answer they are seeking to the question of how to make a decision about whom to marry or which college to attend.

 

Negatives

 

            The brevity of MacArthur’s work, though a positive, is also a negative.  There are many challenges that MacArthur simply does not address, as his work is more a pamphlet than a scholarly defense of non-mystical decision-making.  Thus, MacArthur does not address questions of spiritual gifts, “leadings” in prayer, or other methods people might declare useful for discerning God’s will. 

 

            We might also add that MacArthur’s list of five categories to satisfy is not exhaustive.  For example, MacArthur does not address the need for a believer not only to desire something biblical, but to also be convinced in his or her conscience that his or her actions are right (Rom 14:21).  I do not doubt that MacArthur would agree with this added point, but his brief work did not allow for the addition of other points (nor does having a clear conscience begin with the letter S, thus potentially messing up the entire system [and for the humor-impaired, this parenthetical is sarcastic]).

 

Recommendation

           

            While many God’s will books have been written, I still find MacArthur’s tiny work to be my first choice for helping believers begin to grasp that the word of God is sufficient for life’s difficult decisions.  There are other books that I like very much on this topic as well, including Kevin DeYoung’s Just Do Something, but for a short, simple, and sound answer to the question, MacArthur’s Found: God’s Will is an excellent resource.  I have no hesitation in recommending this little book to any believer.

 

Audio

 

            As part of their reviewers program, I was given a free audio copy of the audio version of this book from Christian Audio.  The reading and audio quality of this work meets the high standards one has come to expect from this organization.  To learn more, visit www.christianaudio.com.