In The Supremacy of God in Preaching John Piper counsels Christian preachers (though it would aptly apply to all Christians) to pick a theologian, and then study the individual well. He argues that there are a lot of valuable lessons we can learn from the great brothers and sisters who have gone before us. And this does not only apply to their written work, but the overall testimony of their lives from start to finish.
Piper's man of choice is Johnathan Edwards. As I was reading through the book, I quickly found out why. Many of the points made by Piper actually come from Edwards, and I found myself making notes of the many inclusions of quotes and phrases made by Edwards. He is far more than his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (which is excellent).
Here is one example of Edwards trying to understand his own heart:
Have concluded to endeavor to work myself into duties by searching and tracing back all the real reasons why I do them not, and narrowly searching out all the subtle subterfuges of my thoughts...Very much convinced of the extraordinary deceitfulness of the heart and how exceedingly...appetite blinds the mind, and brings it into entire subjection.
I, too, am like Edwards. I try to understand my own heart only to learn more of its wickedness. I try to correct it only to find it easily leading me astray.
And like Edwards, I am in daily need of grace. If great men like him found nothing in themselves, but everything in God's grace, then how much more should I be learning from them? Only God knows and understands the heart of men. And only God can redeem it and make it new.
Piper's man of choice is Johnathan Edwards. As I was reading through the book, I quickly found out why. Many of the points made by Piper actually come from Edwards, and I found myself making notes of the many inclusions of quotes and phrases made by Edwards. He is far more than his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (which is excellent).
Here is one example of Edwards trying to understand his own heart:
Have concluded to endeavor to work myself into duties by searching and tracing back all the real reasons why I do them not, and narrowly searching out all the subtle subterfuges of my thoughts...Very much convinced of the extraordinary deceitfulness of the heart and how exceedingly...appetite blinds the mind, and brings it into entire subjection.
I, too, am like Edwards. I try to understand my own heart only to learn more of its wickedness. I try to correct it only to find it easily leading me astray.
And like Edwards, I am in daily need of grace. If great men like him found nothing in themselves, but everything in God's grace, then how much more should I be learning from them? Only God knows and understands the heart of men. And only God can redeem it and make it new.
I think I need to borrow your book. Finding out that each day, I need even more of God's grace.
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