Book Recommendation-A Heart for God by Sinclair Ferguson (a post re-run)

(This is the first book review I posted on this blog, it was originally posted September 14, 2005)

I love this book! It excites me. Sinclair Ferguson shows how having a heart for God comes from knowing who God is. I have heard people talk about the depth of their relationship with God, yet they seem to know very little about Him. None of us know Him perfectly, but this still seems contradictory to me. If I say I know somebody, yet I know little about them, how well do I truly know them? This applies to God. To have a relationship with someone means you need to know them to some degree, the more intimate the relationship-the greater the knowledge. In fact, in the Bible “to know” indicates a form of intimacy.

Ferguson does not ignore the need of saving faith, but points out that saving faith comes by knowing. He shows the importance of knowledge in a believer’s life, “The knowledge of God is the heart of salvation and all true spiritual experience. Knowing Him is what we were created for. It will occupy us throughout eternity.” He tells us knowledge of God is almost the same as salvation, quoting Jesus from John 17:3-“Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” He wraps that up by saying, “To be a Christian is not a mindless experience, but involves knowledge and understanding. It means a personal relationship and personal acquaintance with the Lord.” He is unfolds a proper balance between the heart and mind. The two are NOT mutually exclusive.

Throughout the book Ferguson goes to the Bible to show us who God is. Each chapter has a main passage, backed up by several others. He looks at
-the knowledge of God
-the Trinity
-God as creator
-God as Covenant maker and keeper
-God as The Ever Present One
-God as Saviour
-God’s wisdom
-“The Holy One of Israel”
-God’s faithful providing
-Worship

He wraps up the book by looking at how the ancient Hebrews forgot God and strayed, and he sees parallels today. Ferguson then prescribes the same treatment Moses did to the Israelites before they entered Canaan. “First, a heart wholly satisfied with the Lord’s provision keeps us fresh and eager to remember and serve Him...The other essential cure for spiritual amnesia is a heart wholly submitted to the Lord’s will.”

This book wasn’t earth shattering for me in what it revealed, but it was significant in how it was revealed, and how it got me to see some things more deeply and fully. I have often heard people use the expression, “He’s got a real heart for______.” (Fill in the blank with anything/anbody than God). That may be a good thing, but the more important question is, “Do you have a heart for God?”

The Banner of Truth edition is 144 pages.
For a sample of Sinclair Ferguson check this out-

A Spiritual Apettite

(Additional link-
More on Sinclair Ferguson)

Blog Link-a-rama

Here are some recent blog postings, (from other blogs), I would like to share with
you.

Calvinist Gadfly has this video on 2 Peter 3:9, and how it's often misused. It's not a short clip, but it's not too long either.

There's always something thought provoking on Challies.com. This one is now in the archives, but it's on hymns.

I am chief has an excerpt and comments on "The Glory of Christ" by John Owen

On the Knight of the Living God blog, Aspiring Theologian Albert Shepherd, has this post on Free Will, and this one on The Five Points of humility, where he advises us not to forget the word "Grace" in the Doctrines of Grace.

Kim Riddlebarger's Riddleblog has this Eschatology Q & A on the word "deceive" as used in reference to Satan.

David at Rotundus has a short post and two links on the topic of Christians and tipping.

Thomas Brooks Quote

Grace and glory differ very little; the one is the seed, the other is the flower; grace is glory militant, glory is grace triumphant.

—Thomas Brooks

Augustine quote-regarding free will and grace

In his work Retractions, while referring to his dispute with Pelagius over free will & grace-Augustine wrote-

In trying to solve this question I made strenuous efforts on behalf of the preservation of the free choice of the human will, but the grace of God defeated me.

This debate is still going on. I'll side with Augustine on this one.
Augustine was not saying we are robots (well he couldn't have back then--but the contemporary equivalent.) But he is saying the grace of God defeated his efforts to get around it. God's grace is not bound by human will or ability.

Amen.

What Sinners Should Plead with God-by Ralph Erskine Part 6

6. Plead Christ's commission, Isa. 61:1, that he came "to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Cry, Lord, here is a poor prisoner, a locked and bound up heart; here is employment for you. O loose and knock off my fetters, and bring my soul out of prison. O here is a naked sinner for you to cover, a wounded soul for you to cure, a lost sheep for you to seek and save; and was not this your errand? You came to seek and save that which was lost. And will you not find a lost sinner, that desires to seek you through your grace? Plead his commission under the broad seal of heaven; for, "Him has God the Father sealed." And plead the value of his blood, and merit of his righteousness: and upon that ground whereby all grace is purchased: plead for faith and grace to receive Jesus Christ the Lord.
-Ralph Erskine.

(Thanks to the fine folks at Fire and Ice, for their wonderful Puritan site. It's an excellent resource, and where I've been getting Ralph Erskine's writings.)

What Sinners Should Plead with God-by Ralph Erskine Part 5

Plead his mercy, and the freedom and extension of it. Plead the freedom of his mercy, that needs no motive, and expects no worth: it runs freely, so that the mountains cannot stop the current of it, no more than the rocks can stop the ebbing and flowing of the sea. Plead the extension of his mercy to others: he had compassion on men's bodies, that came to him for healing, and will he not have compassion upon souls, that come to him for life? Is not mercy the work that he delights in? The perfection of his nature, he takes pleasure to display.

-Ralph Erskine (1685-1752)

Thanks to the fine folks at Fire and Ice for their site and for this index to Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine.

(It's public domain--and worth sharing.)