R.C. Sproul | Rebecca Aarup

A war is raging within us, a deadly triad of enemies battling our spirit to keep us from pleasing God. We want to do what is right, but at the same time our deep self-rooted desires pull us away from what is pure, wholesome, and altogether pleasing to our Heavenly Father. Over time we may find ourselves discouraged and distraught over our inability to live as God called us to live. If this war rages on, ignored, we will never live up to our full potential honoring God through our lives.

Pleasing God by R.C. Sproul is a worthy spiritual resource for anyone who desires to align their life with the Word of God. Readers will walk away with a clear understanding of what is expected from those who would claim to be a Christian.

“True living flows out of right thinking…how we think about God is the most vital influence to how we respond to God.” (pg. 185)

What does right thinking look like? What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? What enemies are at war within us? What evidence can we look for in our lives to show we are, indeed, pleasing God in all we do?

These questions are answered along with many more. Sproul also touches on various issues such as conversion, forgiveness, pride, integrity, laziness, carnal Christianity, doctrines of faith and many more key subjects. Simply stated, Pleasing God is an all-inclusive guide through the process of sanctification in the believer’s life.

Of considerable interest is Sproul’s extensive work on the subject of guilt scattered throughout the text. He discusses false guilt, guilt from sin, as well guilt that results in physical and psychological disease. Many people struggle with guilt, and anyone could benefit from the application of truth concerning guilt presented in this manuscript.

Pleasing God consistently points readers to the Word of God—knowing it as well as believing it. Without knowledge of the Bible, a person cannot understand how to please God.

“Consciousness involves knowledge. Before we can willfully do what God commands and what pleases Him, we must first understand what God requires. From the law comes a knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20). But from the law also comes the knowledge of righteousness (Rom. 7:12; Psalm 119).” (pg. 186)

Pleasing God is not overly-complicated or lengthy. It masterfully presents truth in an easy-to-understand manner. Readers will walk away from this book with a renewed motivation to actively pursue God, put Him first, know His Word more, and persevere in pleasing God in every aspect of life.

Pleasing God is published by David C. Cook and available for purchase on September 1, 2012.

R.C. Sproul is the founder and chairman of Ligonier Ministries and serves as the senior minister at Saint Andrew’s, a Reformed congregation in Sanford, Florida. Sproul has written dozens of books including The Prayer of the Lord, The Reformation Study Bible, Chosen by God, and The Truth of the Cross.

(I received this book for review purposes and was not required to give a good review.)

Who can begin to comprehend the depths and wonders of God’s immeasurable love? R. C. Sproul attempts to shed light on what is arguably the most misunderstood of all God’s attributes–love.

“Whatever God’s Love is, it is not exhausted by our concept of it. It transcends our best efforts to describe it. It is higher than our loftiest notions of it.” (God’s Love, pg. 29)

God’s Love is a penetrating theological read which challenges the intellect on a variety of issues and seeks to answer key questions: What is love? Is a loving God also a wrathful God? How is God’s love displayed through redemption, adoption, and election?

R. C. Sproul devotes an exceptional amount of time interpreting the doctrine of election. Lengthy Scripture quotes are also extensive throughout the text, eliminating the need to stop reading, pick up a Bible and look up references for clarification.

Of particular interest is the detailed exposition of the “love chapter”, 1 Corinthians 13. A great deal of God’s Love unravels the depths of truth woven throughout this often misquoted and misunderstood passage of Scripture. Readers may find this portion of text to be uniquely beneficial.

God’s Love is not a book designed for quick reading, or a cursory glance at the attributes of God. God’s Love provokes deep thought on deep doctrines and may be difficult to understand for a new Christian, or one who has not studied much of the Bible.

God’s Love is published by David C. Cook and available for purchase September 1, 2012.

Dr. R. C. Sproul is the President of Reformation Bible College and the Founder and Chairman of Ligonier Ministries. He has authored over 80 books including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and The Truth of the Cross.