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Kickstart the new year by adding these key books on the Christian faith to your 2023 reading list, and they make great Christmas gifts too! (Click here for the 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 lists.)
1. Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution by Carl R. Trueman (Crossway)
Some books cannot—and must not—be ignored. Historical theologian Carl Trueman’s Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution is one of those books. A briefer and more accessible version of his highly regarded and widely read The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Strange New World does an outstanding job explaining how sexual identity has become the prevalent way to view the authentic self in society today:
The priority that the LGBTQ+ movement places on sexual desire and inner feelings relative to personal identity is part of this broader accent on the inner, psychological life of Western people that shapes us all. It is my contention in this book that expressive individualism provides the broad backdrop to these aspects of what is commonly called the sexual revolution. (p. 24)
Trueman takes the reader on a fast-track tour of key factors that have contributed to the sexual revolution, including the philosophies of Romanticism, Marxism, and nihilism, the sexualizing of psychologism, the politicizing of sex, the waning of traditional identities, the rise of imagined communities, the sexual revolution of the LBGTQ+, and more. Thankfully, Trueman doesn’t end with only giving an explanation of how we got to where we are today; he also offers Christians a path forward for bringing much needed love and light to the world. In just a few hours, readers of Strange New World will be both better informed regarding the historical and contemporary movements that continue to shape culture and better equipped regarding how to respond with clarity and compassion. Click here for Amazon link.
2. Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane C. Ortlund (Crossway)
Sanctification can feel like an abstract piece of our faith that can be hard to wrap our minds around. Is it God’s work, or our work? Do we change by doing X, Y, and Z, or do we simply sit back and wait for God to change us? There are countless opinions, and after a while it can feel dizzying and overwhelming. In Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners, author Dane C. Ortlund helps ordinary Christians theologically and practically understand sanctification. He points out that “Christian growth is bringing what you do and say and even feel into line with what, in fact, you already have” (p. 16).
Ortlund doesn’t want to rush you or force you to create a life that looks good on the outside but remains rotten on the inside. Instead, he invites us into the often slow process of progressive sanctification:
I’m not going to hurry you. No one else should either. We are complicated sinners. Sometimes we take two steps forward and three steps back. We need time. Be patient with yourself. A sense of urgency, yes; but not a sense of hurry. Overnight transformations are the exception, not the norm. Slow change is still real change,” (p. 18).
According to Ortlund, our faith won’t flourish at a deeper level if we’re always worrying that Jesus will abandon us if we fail too many times; instead, we need to trust that Jesus is with us to the end (p. 29). Deeper is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to grow in their love for and joy in Christ and is a wonderful follow up to Gentle and Lowly. Click here for Amazon link.
3. Made for Friendship: The Relationship That Halves Our Sorrows and Doubles Our Joys by Drew Hunter (Crossway)
While we live in a culture full of connectivity, pastor Drew Hunter points out how these connections are more often acquaintances rather than friends. Many of us struggle with finding true and deep connections and we may not even know what that deep connection should look and feel like. In Made for Friendship: The Relationship That Halves Our Sorrows and Doubles Our Joys, Hunter unpacks the wonders of friendship, the theology of friendship, and how as God’s image-bearers we are made for friendship:
History, it turns out, is nothing less than the story of how the triune God welcomes us into eternal friendship with himself. To be a Christian is to know Jesus—and to be known by him—as a dear friend. As the great nineteenth-century pastor Charles Spurgeon preached, “he who would be happy must have friends; and he who would be happy hereafter, must, above all things, find a friend in the world to come, in the person of God.” (p. 23)
One of Hunter’s goals is to “help us value friendship more highly and then enjoy it more fully” (p. 20). Hunter leads the reader through numerous lessons of not only the foundation for friendship as found in the Trinity but also the goodness of friendship as found in the beginning in the Garden of Eden and the wonder of having a perfect friend in Jesus Christ. Hunter also includes the wisdom of older theologians who thought deeply about friendship and its beauty and importance, as well as pointing out the beautiful advantages that come from friendship. And Hunter doesn’t leave us in the dark about how to understand friendship. He goes into detail defining what a true friendship looks like and how to grow a friendship.
From starting Made for Friendship in the Garden of Eden to ending it with a God-centered understanding of friendship—that God is the origin of friendship and Jesus is the archetype and perfect friend—Hunter gives readers a beautiful, multi-dimensional understanding of friendship with ample reasons to pursue friendship in our own lives. Click here for Amazon link.
4. Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation by Nancy Guthrie (Crossway)
What’s your favorite book of the Bible? Perhaps your answer is one of the gospels, Paul’s letters, Psalms, or another Old Testament book. Consider adding Revelation to that list. If you haven’t tackled Revelation in a while—or ever, because you find yourself overwhelmed while reading it—author Nancy Guthrie is a skillful guide through this wonderful book. According to Guthrie,
Revelation wasn’t written to entertain, or to set out a timeline for the future, or to satisfy our curiosity about when Christ will return. Revelation was written to fortify Christians to live in the world, enduring its harsh treatment and alienation, with a firm confidence that this world is not all there is, and that, in fact, what may seem like defeat is going to give way to victory. (p. 23)
Guthrie goes through the entire book of Revelation, focusing on the blessings that are promised to readers and keepers of the message therein. Her big-picture approach cuts through to the heart of what Revelation is meant to be—an encouragement and comfort to the reader. Each chapter of Blessed focuses on a particular blessing we receive as we hear and keep the particular passage covered. Come to love the book of Revelation—and, more importantly, to love the Christ revealed in Revelation—as you understand and contemplate the message our Savior has left for us in the last book of the Bible. Click here for Amazon link.
(If you would like a good companion book to read along with Blessed, Dennis Johnson’s Triumph of the Lamb is a great option for explaining passages in more detail.)
5. Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story by Christopher Yuan (Multnomah)
Christopher Yuan’s journey from being an agnostic gay man to an evangelical Bible professor has given him a special heart for both those struggling with same-sex attraction and the people who love them. In his remarkable book Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Story, Yuan explains why true identity is found in our being made in the image of God and why that fact is foundational for understanding human sexuality (p. 17). According to Yuan, we need to embrace God’s vision for sexuality, which is “holy sexuality,” and not pigeon-hole ourselves into a worldly framework that categorizes us by our sexual desires:
Holy sexuality consists of two paths: chastity in singleness and faithfulness in marriage. Chastity is more than simply abstention from extramarital sex; it conveys purity and holiness. Faithfulness is more than merely maintaining chastity and avoiding illicit sex; it conveys covenantal commitment. (p. 47)
In Holy Sexuality and the Gospel, Yuan covers various topics related to human sexuality, including the imago Dei, temptation and the anatomy of desire, the theology of marriage and singleness, sanctification and repentance, and the importance of showing compassion and having open hearts to listen as we walk alongside loved ones who are struggling in the area of their sexuality. Click here for Amazon link.
6. A Treatise on Earthly-Mindedness by Jeremiah Burroughs (Soli Deo Gloria Publications)
Theologian R.C. Sproul states in his brief foreword that many would benefit from reading Jeremiah Burroughs’s A Treatise on Earthly-Mindedness while doubting many will. Sproul reasons that too many of us have lost a strong sense of what is beyond this earthly-minded world—"God’s providence, the hope of heaven, and the biblical doctrine of the soul.” It’s difficult for most of us in our time to raise our hearts above this earth to heaven itself; yet, English Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646) intrudes on our lower world earthy-mindedness with strong biblical promises of hope and beauty to help raise a Christian’s soul and “set it on that which is the real and durable substance.” Instead of this earth that is passing away, “We have greater things to mind and to set our hearts upon.”
Burroughs begins by taking his reader through what “earthly-mindedness” is in particular; he then proceeds to contrast it with “heavenly conversation” and “walking with God.” He takes his readers on a journey of the soul from this earth to heaven itself with the loving hope that none of us would be like those “enemies of the cross” who have "minds set on earthly things" (Phil. 3:18-19). Even though our times make such a transformation difficult, reading Burroughs will be a journey worth pursuing as you strive to have your mind set on things above (Col. 3:2). Click here for Amazon link.
7. Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering by Kelly M. Kapic (IVP Academic)
Suffering is an inevitable reality all of us will face—and most of us already have. The disorienting aspect of suffering can leave us wondering if God loves us and still cares for us if he has allowed such pain in our lives.
A cross between lay-level and academic, Kelly M. Kapic’s book Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering takes you through a journey of understanding suffering from a theological and practical lens. Kapic’s wife Tabitha has endured through the many travails of cancer treatment and the debilitating disease of erythromelalgia, so this book is the fruit of Kapic’s efforts to wrestle with the deep questions that come along with intense suffering as we try to understand God’s divine purpose behind our pain: Why is God letting this happen? What purpose does it serve? Why did it have to happen now? Kapic writes about the significance of lament in our suffering:
To have healthy fellowship with God we must be honest and realistic about our circumstances and our reactions to them. To have a healthy emotional, spiritual, and mental life, we must be honest with ourselves. One truth about our lives is that we are broken; we inevitably encounter our own suffering and that of others, and eventually we die. How does our Lord teach us to respond to this? He teaches us hope, and within that hope we use lament to speak to God of the painful delay of peace. (p. 31)
This is part of the dependence and trust in our Savior that Kapic leads us toward. He teaches us to bring not a perfect, tidy prayer to God but to truly lament our grievous situation and trust in him to carry us through. Kapic turns our eyes off our circumstances and shows us that what we really need to understand is our Savior and his loving kindness towards us, and then turn to him in utter dependence. Click here for Amazon link.
8. The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance―Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters by Sinclair B. Ferguson (Crossway)
As Sinclair Ferguson points out in The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance—Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters, it’s possible for people to have false assurance regarding their salvation. Jesus himself said that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 7:21). So, can a person have assurance that he or she is actually saved and will go to heaven? And must a person reform their life and become a better person before coming to Christ in faith, or is it sufficient to come “just as I am?” The answers may seem simple and straightforward, but theologian Sinclair Ferguson’s reminders of the Marrow Controversy that occurred in Scotland in the early part of the eighteenth century will make us all think twice. The temptation to rest on our own work—our own “goodness” for salvation—remains, risking pulling a person away from Christ into their own self-righteousness. Sinclair writes,
For whenever we make the warrant to believe in Christ to any degree dependent upon our subjective condition, we distort it. Repentance, turning from sin, and degrees of conviction of sin do not constitute the grounds on which Christ is offered to us. They may constitute ways in which the Spirit works as the gospel makes its impact on us. But they never form the warrant for repentance and faith. (p. 58)
The Marrow men of Scotland stood against this tendency and Ferguson’s revisiting of the controversy provides priceless lessons on what it means to rest on Christ Jesus alone with saving faith for salvation. Any reader will benefit from both the historical lessons and the scriptural gold found in The Whole Christ as we continue the struggle to keep our eye on Christ Jesus and the work he has done to save his people from their sins. Click here for Amazon link.
9. Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms by Justin Whitmel Earley
If your days feel scattered and you’re wondering how as a crazy-busy parent you’re supposed to bring the gospel and Scripture into ordinary life, you’re not alone. It can be tempting to leave the training and discipleship of our children to our church, but God calls his people to raise their little ones in his gospel and law. Justin Earley suggests that one way discipleship happens is through building habits into our homes:
That is the power of a good parenting habit: by changing our knee-jerk reactions to ordinary situations, we uncover different ways of letting God’s grace guide our hearts—and our children’s hearts—into new patterns of life together. This may be counterintuitive at first. It was for me. We don’t often think about habits and the heart being so interconnected. But they are. To steward the habits of your family is to steward the hearts of your family. (p. 8)
In this immensely practical and down-to-earth book, Earley shows us several habits he and his wife have established in their homes to regularly draw their minds to dwell on things above. Earley writes from the humble perspective of a father who is still figuring out what it looks like to raise four boys and who still fails. With this humility, he encourages grace rather than shame as he guides parents in bringing up their children in the way they should go. Click here for Amazon link.
10. The New Reformation Catechism on Human Sexuality by Christopher J. Gordon (Gospel Reformation Network and Abounding Grace Radio)
As Christians grapple with living in a world where sexual identity has become a fluid concept for many people, how can believers develop a solid understanding regarding what the Bible actually says about our sexuality? Thankfully, pastor and Abounding Grace Radio host Christopher J. Gordon has written The New Reformation Catechism on Human Sexuality for adults and children to help Christians become better equipped regarding God’s good design for humans, both male and female.
Catechisms use a short question-and-answer format to help Christians take to heart foundational biblical doctrine and have long been a cherished method for educating God’s people in the great truths of the Bible. In this 31-page catechism on human sexuality, Gordon pastorally takes readers through 41 questions and answers that provide clear and succinct summaries of the righteous state of humanity at creation, the fallen and distorted state of the human heart after Adam’s rebellion in the garden of Eden, the freedom from slavery to sexual sin believers enjoy by Christ’s redemptive work on their behalf, and the restoration repentant sinners have in Christ along with the duty to walk in holiness and purity as God’s children. From the author:
This catechism is intended to be used devotionally around the table, providing an opportunity for parents to talk with their children about these issues. This catechism is also intended to provide opportunities for Bible studies, Sunday school classes, and sermon series for pastors in addressing the current challenges surrounding human sexuality.
The New Reformation Catechism on Human Sexuality is a much needed resource for Christians today and is available at a discounted price when purchasing 10 or more copies. Click here to purchase.
11. Glory Hunger by J.R. Vassar (Crossway)
We are all too familiar with the constant barrage of news of celebrities, television shows, and series about famous people, even shows about wicked people, garnering them fame and prestige. Attraction to fame and glory draws us to spend hours reading about people we will never meet, people who have little to no importance in our personal lives. We see individuals who crave the lime-light, and perhaps we think we are better than them because we aren’t running after cameras and acclaim. Yet, we may be surprised that we are more like them than we may want to admit in our pursuit of glory and the approval of others.
In his book Glory Hunger J.R. Vassar skillfully unlocks the striving after glory that we find in our own hearts, the striving after glory that is natural to our created states as image-bearers of God, yet twisted away from the right way of gaining glory to a self-absorbed state with which we all struggle. According to Vassar,
Deep down we have a desire not only to ascribe worth to an object but also to have others ascribe worth to us. We want to be perceived as impressive and be affirmed as significant and important. Deep down we want glory. And here is why: we were made for it. (p. 16)
Whether you are an extrovert or introvert, there is something for every person in this book that is convicting and will help illuminate fears of rejection, lack of approval, or being judged by others, fears that easily plague our lives. A quick read (131 pages) that packs a punch, Vassar shares the legitimate reason we all seek glory, ways in which sinful glory hunger takes place, and steps to find freedom in Jesus Christ from the bondage of seeking glory in the wrong places. Click here for Amazon link.
12. Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God by Tim Challies (Zondervan)
In 2020, Tim Challies unexpectedly lost his twenty-year-old son. In his beautiful and honest devotional Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God, Challies takes us through his first year of grieving. We may believe that our journey through grief should be a straight, linear line projecting upward; yet, Challies shows his readers how grief comes in waves. He goes as far to say that the grief may never leave us—but that doesn’t mean we are forsaken in our grief. He writes,
I know I am heading into a future that is utterly unknown, utterly foreign, utterly opaque. I am heading into a future I cannot see and will not see until future has become present and present has become past. A wise man once said that the true victory of faith is to trust God in the dark and through the dark. I trusted God as he led me through daylight; I will trust him now as he leads me thorugh the thickest darkness. I may not be able to see the way I go, but I don’t need to, because my eye is fixed on the one who is guiding me there. He has given me every reason to trust him. (p. 14)
While retelling moments of grave heartache, Challies doesn’t leave us hopeless. He describes this book as his ministry of sorrow and seeks to show the difficult journey of grieving faithfully. In these short chapters, Challies shows us how we can hope and trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty while we faithfully lament. Click here for Amazon link.
13. Pastoral Letters by Robert Murray McCheyne
This compact collection of ten letters pastor Robert Murray McCheyne wrote to his church in Scotland near the end of his life (he died at 29 years of age) reveals Christ’s love for his people through one of his servants. Pastoral Letters shows what love Pastor McCheyne had for his small congregation and how he desired to encourage them to steadfast faith and love for each other, even pleading with those of his flock who did not know Christ to turn to him that God may save their life (Letter 1). Other letters remind his readers of the joy of prayer (Letter 2), of his desire to see his church increase in holiness, confession, and repentance (Letter 5), and how he faced the struggle and suffering of the illness that will later take his life at a young age (Letter 5).
McCheyne’s letters are clearly written from the heart, not theological treatises (though they are filled with Scripture) but rather pastoral words of love from God through one whom God has called to shepherd his flock. They are so flooded with the word of God that it is easy to place oneself with McCheyne’s congregation to hear and benefit from the personal nature of this dear pastor’s love and counsel. Click here for Amazon link.
14. The Birth of Christ: The Biblical Significance of Christmas by John V. Fesko
Christians know that Christmas is about Jesus; yet, it’s easy to get caught up in all the festivities, decorations, and shopping that go along with the season. If you’re looking for a way to focus more on our Savior and less on the commercialism and secular distractions around you, theologian J. V. Fesko’s new book The Birth of Christ: The Biblical Significance of Christmas will give you a deeper appreciation for what the incarnation means for the world—past, present, and future—and for each of us personally. Fesko writes,
…what can we do to ensure that we do not distort, dilute, or diminish the truths surrounding Christ’s birth? The simplest answer is to meditate upon the scriptural accounts of Christ’s birth—examine every detail so we can insulate our hearts from the world’s efforts to silence the gospel, as well as from our own tendencies to forget the reason for the season.
This little gem of a devotional contains five main chapters, with each one covering a key Bible passage related to Jesus’ birth with important background information and theologically rich explanations of the significance of the event, including how the passage is connected to Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. There are also thoughtful questions for reflection at the end of the main chapters. Fesko’s The Birth of Christ is a wonderful resource for study groups, family devotions, and individual reading. Click here for Amazon link.
15. The Emotional Life of Our Lord by B. B. Warfield
For some of us, emotions can feel like an overwhelming part of our lives, always loud and difficult to ignore. For others, life can feel emotionally neutral—we are more concerned with logic and facts. And still others are somewhere in the middle. What about Jesus, though? What can we learn about our Savior’s emotions that will also encourage us in our own faith?
Regardless of where you fall with your emotions, you’ll find great encouragement and guidance in theologian B.B. Warfield’s The Emotional Life of Our Lord. In this short classic, Warfield examines several emotions that are seen in Jesus in the gospel accounts. Two tendencies arose early on in the church regarding the emotions of Jesus, according to Warfield, one attributing passionlessness to Jesus and the other attributing the fullness of every human emotion to Jesus:
The one tendency may run some risk of giving us a somewhat cold and remote Jesus, whom we can scarcely believe to be able to sympathize with us in all our infirmities. The other may possibly be in danger of offering us a Jesus so crassly human as scarcely to command our highest reverence. (p. 29)
To truly understand Jesus’ emotions, we must take care not to project our ideas of Jesus and who we think he should be but instead look to the gospels as Warfield suggests. And this is exactly what Warfield does as he examines Jesus’ compassion, love, anger, joy, and sorrow throughout each gospel narrative and how we can embody Jesus’ emotions in our own lives. Click here for Amazon link.
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