A Big Amen and another God-entranced Recommendation
July 30, 2006
Lar,
First, I changed the look a bit. What do you think? In fact, I welcome input from all our readers. I thought it was a little cleaner and easier to read, not to mention we had more room to write. And surely it is obvious that we need a lot of room!
Second, all I can say is Amen and Amen to that book recommendation. I am tempted to make that recommendation the focus of the weekend, but I do have one other that I would like to mention. As you might remember though Lar, I had read through Piper’s The Pleasures of God a little bit before you, but failed to get too far in. Maybe I just couldn’t handle it at that time. Either way, the Lord used you to stir me to give it a full and in depth read during that same winter or 2003. And O how thankful I am!
The vision of God found in that book is, it is safe to say, the vision that I want to permeate my every thought and feeling and word and action. A God of infinite joy who desires nothing more than the manifestation and exaltation of His own glory is the greatest news in all the world. It is captivating and in need of proclamation all over the globe. I concur with your every exhortation in the last post and would encourage everyone to get it and read it until it burns deep within your soul. As with all reading, this book must not be read as a mere intellectual exercie (although it will require that), but as a theologocial exercise that helps stir up the affections of your soul for our glorious Maker and Savior and King.
I am with you on chapter 4, but would personally say that chapter one was the defining one for me. That God the Father loves and delights in God the Son forever–with infinite pleasure and joy–radically changed the way I viewed everything. In fact, it still does. The simple reality is that I never really thought of God as being happy, infinitely happy. And I of course never would have thought that His happiness was central to His being and to all His works. I love this truth and believe it is much too neglected, even in the best of theological circles. If only we could understand and embrace the infinite pleasure God the Father has in God the Son! Everything would change brother. Everything would change.
I could go on, but that leads me to my weekend recommendation. I mentioned a week or two ago about reading a book by Bruce Ware entitled, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Well, I just finished it and believe that its content would be best read and understood alongside of Piper’s The Pleasures of God. The focus of the book should be obvious–the Trinitarian nature of God. Ware does a wonderful job of explaining the relationships and roles of each Person in the Trinity, all the while emphasizing each Person’s fullness of deity. He also shows how all the truths he explained have practical relevance (a great emphasis in our day as we know). Overall it was a great read and one I would recommend to everyone.
I did, however, have one humble complaint. The joy of God in God–particularly the Father in the Son and the Son the Father–didn’t receive much space. Ware spoke of the love between the two, but he did so rather briefly. His chief emphasis was on the roles of authority and submission within the Trinity. And he was masterful in this emphasis. I learned a lot. However, the infinite love of God for God and infinite joy of God in God was by no means central. And as I have said, I believe it should be central. I believe that everyone in heaven and earth needs to know and feel that it is central.
Consequently, I recommend this book right alongside of Piper’s The Pleasures of God. It is my conviction that if you put the two together (and maybe even read them one after the other or side by side) your vision of God will be that much more glorious. The pieces of the puzzle might come together to give you a grand vision of the Almighty–that great grand vision that is worthy of His Trinitarian excellence!
Enough for now. Let’s move back to our previous conversation tomorrow, if possible. And after we finish that thread, we need to answer a difficult question posted by our good friend and brother Kevin Bonner. I’ll let you know what that one is, but I have a feeling that you will probably throw it back to me!
Seeking to see and savor and share His triune excellence with you,
Joe
p.s. when I get home, I’ll show you how to post those sweet pictures!
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