isbn# 978-156769085-9
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I was given this book for Christmas by my sister in law. It is a short book of about 139 pages if you include the appendixes (sp?), and it is intended to be the first book in a new series of profiles titled "A Long Line of Godly Men." Among the men to be featured in future volumes you will find Martin Luther, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and Charles Spurgeon. A truly impressive list if you ask me! Whether Mr. Lawson will author all of them I do not know but I suspect he will not.
Well, if I wanted to make this a very short review I would simply say, "WOW! Great book, go out and buy it now!." I do, however, wish to say just a tad more, and so I will. :)
Despite the title, this book is not intended primarily for pastors or future pastors. I do not think so anyhow. Truth be told, I feel the book is aimed at someone like myself...the layperson. I feel this way because as I read the book it seemed to me that it stood as a challenge and a warning for us to seek out pastors who are zealous for the preaching of the Word. To seek out men who love the Word and who will joyously teach through it verse by verse. Isn't it sad that so few do this?
In this book Lawson does a wonderful job of showing how devoted Calvin was to the Word. He paints for his reader a picture of a man whose highest ambition was to faithfully exposit the Word of God. Beginning in chapter two, Lawson discusses Calvins: view of the pulpit, his preparation for preaching, his ability to make practical applications, and especially his high view of God. There is one part I really like, where Lawson says that Calvin did not feel he needed to make the Scriptures relevant...they ARE relevant! Amen to that!
I cannot emphasize enough how much I feel every Believer should read this book. I will end with this quote from Calvin, cited on page 50 of the book in a chapter entitled "Zeal for God's Glory."
"The majesty of God is...indissolubly connected with the public preaching of His truth...If His Word is not allowed to have authority, it is the same as though its despisers attempted to thrust God from heaven."
Indeed it is. If, like me, you admire John Calvin, you will come away with a deeper appreciation for this giant of the faith. If you are one of those misinformed ones who for ill conceived reasons has a low opionion of Calvin, then you will learn to respect and admire his zeal for the glory of God. As Lawson concludes, "May it be in this day that expositors in every place preach for the glory of God alone."
Incidentally, I have just started reading "The Life of Arthur W Pink" by Iain H. Murray and all I can say is I can't wait to read some more! :)
God bless!
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Calvinistic site; please visit & comment.
And forget, please, "conservatism," please. It has been, operationally, de facto, Godless and therefore irrelevant. Secular conservatism will not defeat secular liberalism because to God both are two atheistic peas-in-a-pod and thus predestined to failure. As Stonewall Jackson's Chief of Staff R.L. Dabney said of such a humanistic belief more than 100 years ago:
"[Secular conservatism] is a party which never conserves anything. Its history has been that it demurs to each aggression of the progressive party, and aims to save its credit by a respectable amount of growling, but always acquiesces at last in the innovation. What was the resisted novelty of yesterday is today .one of the accepted principles of conservatism; it is now conservative only in affecting to resist the next innovation, which will tomorrow be forced upon its timidity and will be succeeded by some third revolution; to be denounced and then adopted in its turn. American conservatism is merely the shadow that follows Radicalism as it moves forward towards perdition. It remains behind it, but never retards it, and always advances near its leader. This pretended salt bath utterly lost its savor: wherewith shall it be salted? Its impotency is not hard, indeed, to explain. It is worthless because it is the conservatism of expediency only, and not of sturdy principle. It intends to risk nothing serious for the sake of the truth."
Our country is collapsing because we have turned our back on God (Psalm 9:17) and refused to kiss His Son (Psalm 2).
John Lofton, Editor, TheAmericanView.com
Recovering Republican
JLof@aol.com
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