Let’s face it life is full of questions. Why are we to make of the amount of suffering in the world on a daily basis and throughout history? How does evil and injustice relate to God? Why and how does God allow these things to happen? All of these questions are fair and common. They are also questions that Christians should be able to answer themselves as well as explain to those who may be less mature or perhaps, not even a believer.
John Piper is wrote the book Spectacular Sins to help you in this end. Piper writes at the conclusion of the book:
The aim of this book has been to show that over and over in the history of the world, the epoch-making sins that changed the course of history never nullified but only fulfilled the global purposes of God to glorify his Son and save his people. (p.97)
Piper does a great job staying on topic. He is pastoral and theological (not that these are mutually exclusive). I like that he works hard through the passages that present tension. This really is a good model for so many who may subscribe to Piper’s theology but may not put in the hours in the study. I’m not sure if the target audience for the book is college and 20’s but given the endorsements by guys who pastor young people (Rick Holland, Matt Chandler, and Darin Patrick) I think the book is going to be promoted and received well among this crowd, and this is encouraging.
Early on in the book Piper discloses that his writing stems from some time in his personal devotions in 1 Kings. He was thinking about the ‘bad’ kings and their connection to the divine agenda. This led him to incorporate a biblical theology that sees the glory of Christ as the reason for everything and then think hard through the passages. We are the beneficiaries of his hard work.
Piper works through in various chapters:
God’s Sovereignty over Human Sin
The Fall of Satan and the Victory of Christ
The Pride of Babel and the Praise of Christ
The Sale of Joseph and the Praise of Christ
Judas Iscariot, the Suicide of Satan, and the Salvation of the World
As an aside, Piper uses the word wimpy on a regular basis. I just find this funny. I lost count at around 12 or 13 times. It is great. I can just hear him dropping this wimpy talk from the pulpit. Here are a couple of examples:
…Timothy is timid. Paul’s antidote for wimpy Christians is weighty doctrine. (p. 36)
Wimpy worldviews make wimpy Christians. And wimpy Christians won’t survive in the days ahead. Rootless emotionalism that treats Christianity like a therapeutic option will be swept away in the last days. Those who will be left standing will be those who have built their houses on the rock of great, objective truth with Jesus Christ as the origin, center, and goal of it all. (p. 57)
The book is short (108 pages) and is in the easy to read small hardback format. I recommend it heartily.
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