Five Books to Help New Christians

The Bible teaches that those who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). There are no joys in life which compare to that of a sinner who has surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ and thus obtained salvation for his soul leading to eternal life. However the journey does not end at conversion. On the contrary, it is only the beginning of the pilgrimage. It is a pilgrimage which will ultimately pass from this life into the next in which the Christian goes to be at home with his God and experience the rest that scripture promises. During a Christian's time on earth he is commanded to walk out his faith and grow in love of God and love of others and in so doing he is to learn God's ways and grow closer to Him ("draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8)."

It is true that the Holy Bible, the divinely-inspired Word of God, is the Christian's first and best option of learning of God and what He desires. But many Christians have chosen to dedicate their lives and efforts to understanding God and His Word in a deeper way than many of us have the time or resources to do. Thankfully, many of these Christians have written books on various topics to help new and mature Christians alike. They are companions, not substitutes, for the Bible and can be extremely helpful in aggregating Biblical information and teaching so that the reader can learn more on a given topic relevant to the Christian life.

There are many books on many topics that can be useful to any Christian, but here are five books which will be particularly beneficial to those who have recently converted to the faith. They will help the new Christian to begin to grasp some of the rudimentary points of Christian theology and will help him develop a healthy hunger for knowing God.

Desiring God by John Piper

Under the term "Christian hedonism," pastor John Piper explains how Christians are to seek after joy in this life, but that joy should be the type which is found in God. "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." The central Biblical passage which spearheads this Piper's overview of Christian hedonism is Psalm 16:11: "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." In "Desiring God," Piper outlines how Christians find joy in God through prayer, service, missions, money, and even marriage. He explains that when man seeks joy in earthly pleasures, that his appetite for pleasure is to great, but too small. That is, when a man settles for earthly lust, greed, etc., that he is accepting pleasures which are miniscule compared to the joy that comes from fellowship with and service to Almighty God in whose presence there is "fullness of joy!"

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Perhaps the most influential Christian writer of our time, Clive Staples Lewis did a series of BBC radio talks covering theological topics such as good and evil, the existence of God, the reality of Christ's deity and atonement for mankind, Heaven, Hell, and Christian virtues. Lewis later took the transcriptions of these talks, edited them and released them in book form. Entitled "Mere Christianity," this work has been a beloved treatise on the Christian faith for believers around the world since its publication in 1952. The audio of these talks have been lost, but thankfully we have the ideas contained therein preserved in this great book.

Lewis begins the book by considering the existence of a Creator by using reason and general observation. From there he builds a beautiful case for the existence of God before moving on to deeper topics such as the Three Personal God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), the work of Christ on the cross and living out our faith. He states in the book's prologue that his intention with this work is to lay the foundations of Christianity and thus takes no particular denominational stance but sticks with "mere Christianity." If you want to begin to understand Christian theology, begin with this great manifesto.

Last Days Madness by Gary DeMar

Eschatology (or the study of last things) is one of the most fascinating aspects of Christian theology. When it comes to the end times and prophecy, opinions are like noses: everybody has one. Unfortunately, many of the opinions given by mainline prognosticators have been proven to be incorrect by scripture and the passage of time. However many still cling to their teachings ignoring many of the plain statements of Jesus in the New Testament.

Enter Gary DeMar. DeMar's "Last Days Madness" is a critique of the current evangelical stance on the end times which says that there will be a secret rapture of the church followed by a seven-year rule by the antichrist (or beast), the latter half of which will be a time of great tribulation. Afterward, they say, Jesus will come and destroy the beast and set up a kingdom on earth and reign 1,000 years and then will do away with Heaven and Earth and create a new Heaven and new Earth. Perhaps you have heard this particular take on the "end times." However DeMar takes issue with this stance because of the statements of Jesus ("this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" Matthew 24:34) and the many places where John, the author of Revelation, states that the things which he describes "must shortly take place (emphasis mine)."

DeMar contends that Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation contain prophecies that were fulfilled in the 1^st century in the years leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. In "Last Days Madness" DeMar gives an excellent argument for why Christians should not be so quick to listen to the so-called "Bible prophecy experts but we should be diligent students of scripture and learn what the Bible has to say for itself.

Facedown by Matt Redman

"When we face up to the glory of God, we find ourselves face down in worship." Named after his song of the same title, Matt Redman's book on worship teaches us that our worship is going to be directly proportionate to how clearly we understand God's greatness.

Matt Redman is a world-renown worship leader and teacher on the subject of worship. "Facedown" teaches the Christian on the different awe-inspiring aspects of God including His glory, His might, His ability, and His wisdom. He describes how the act of bowing prostrate carries with it a sense of surrender, humility, and recognition of the greatness of the one to whom one bows, namely God Himself.

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem

This exhaustive work by Wayne Grudem is different from the others in that even though one may read it from cover to cover and gain great insight into Christian theology, it is perhaps better utilized as a reference book for this is how it is laid out.

Grudem's magnum opus covers ever single possible theological issue. The book begins with the doctrine of Creation and the book of Genesis. From there it goes through topic after topic giving scriptural basis for each of them. Original sin, the Fall of man, Satan, the Bible, the Knowability of God, the Father, the Holy Spirit, the Son of God, the Atonement, Salvation, Miracles, Spiritual Gifts, the Second Coming of Christ, and the Church are merely a sampling of the many, many relevant topics that Grudem covers. The language is down-to-earth and to the point.

This great resource will go a long way in answering many of the puzzling questions that new Christians often have about God and the Christian life. As a new believer walks out his new life in Christ many doctrines and philosophies will be thrust upon him, but Wayne Grudem goes back to our final authority, the Bible, and uses scripture alone as the last word on all of these important doctrines.

Whether you are a new Christian who is looking for tools to aid you in your Bible study or if you are seasoned veteran of the faith who wants some quality reading on Christian theology, I hope these books bless you and strengthen you in your walk with the Lord. God bless you.