Anchored in Christ

There are a variety of things that can make a book good or great. Some books are fun, but not practical. Some books are important, but not readable. Other books are well-written, but do not say anything of value. If an author is able to combine importance of subject matter, practicality, and enjoyableness–he has struck gold.

Kevin DeYoung’s new book Taking God at His Word struck gold by taking on one of the church’s most foundational doctrines: the Word of God and its authority, sufficiency, and necessity.

Taking God at His Word can’t come at a better time to a culture that seems to question every idea of Scripture–even down to many foundation-level issues in life (I’m thinking of marriage, gender confusion, sexuality, etc.).

DeYoung writes clearly and practically as he examines what the Bible says about itself, interacts with faulty views of Scripture, and answers questions that arise for many Christians. I found reading Taking God at His Word very enjoyable because DeYoung writes to the head and the heart. Writing a book about the greatness and power of God’s Word should leave readers panting for God’s truth revealed in Scripture. That is exactly what happened for me.

Not many books are this important. Not many books are this clear, concise, and just plain encouraging. DeYoung doesn’t do anything revolutionary or innovative, but rather provides the church a book to instill confidence in the Good Book–which is something always welcome and needed.

Reading Taking God at His Word made me feel like I was at a pep rally being revved up about the authority, sufficiency, and power of the unbreakable Scriptures. It is a practical tool for Christians desiring to strengthen their theology of Scripture in a short but powerful volume.

This is a book I will reread, give out, and give my highest recommendation.

Buy from Amazon: Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me by Kevin DeYoung
Publisher: Crossway Books
Year: 2014
Pages: 144 pages (including appendices)
Rating: 5 Stars

**For an hour long message dealing with some content of this book, listen to Kevin DeYoung’s sermon at Together for the Gospel 2014.**

Here are some great quotes from Taking God at His Word:

I sometimes hear Christians admit that they don’t like what the Bible says, but since it’s the Bible they have to obey it. On one level, this is an admirable example of submitting oneself to the word of God. And yet, we should go one step further and learn to see the goodness and rightness of all that God commands. We should love what God loves and delight in whatever he says. God does not lay down arbitrary rules.

No one who truly delights in God’s word will be indifferent to the disregarding of it.

Jesus believed unequivocally all that was written in the Scriptures. If we are to be his disciples, we should believe the same.

You can’t establish the supreme authority of your supreme authority by going to some other lesser authority.

“Scripture itself is alone competent to judge our doctrine of Scripture.” J.I. Packer

Although we may respect our Catholic friends and be thankful for many aspects of their faith and social witness, we must not waver in our allegiance to sola Scriptura. It is implicit in the biblical understanding of its own sufficiency.

The word of God is more than enough for the people of God to live their lives to the glory of God. The Father will speak by means of all that the Spirit has spoken through the Son. The question is whether we will open our Bibles and bother to listen.

Our Messiah sees himself as an expositor of Scripture, but never a corrector of Scripture. He fulfills it, but never falsifies it. He turns away wrong interpretations of Scripture, but insists there is nothing wrong with Scripture, down to the crossing of t’s and the dotting of i’s.

Images used with permission from Crossway Books.