6 Books That Helped Me Understand The Bible Better

I saw this question presented at theresurgence.com and got to thinking about what the six books are for me. Surprisingly I was able to come up with six and all six are books I have read within the past three years. Three years ago I got married, lost my dad, and started seminary within three months of each other. At that time I could not see how God would use such drastic life change, among many other things, to help me know Him better through His word. I've said this many times, I would not take back anything that happened three years ago because I have seen God refine me in suffering to draw me closer to Him. These are all books that fell in my lap, helped me understand the Bible better, and that understanding helped carry me through the darkest time in my life. I would also say that in the past three years I have read His word more than the rest of my 22 years combined. As I've read His word, He used these authors to bring better understanding. God in His sovereignty used some random books to bring me to where I am today. Each has given me greater passion for Him, His word, and the lost. My desire for this post is simply to praise God for what He has done in my life.

Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

I realize this is a daily devotional but it is written by a great theologian whom I have grown to love. When my dad past away, this was a part of my daily quiet time. Spurgeon's Christ centered hermeneutic helped me see the redemptive work of Christ throughout scripture. So often in this book he takes little random verses from the Old Testament and connects it to the blood of Christ. Through this book I better understood how every page of scripture echoes the name of Jesus.

Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper

In this, Piper focuses on God's plan for missions. His main thought throughout the book is that missions is for God. I began to see God's heart for the nations throughout scripture and realized that God longs for the nations to worship Him; not for the benefit of men but for the glory of Himself. Not only had I looked at missions selfishly as man centered, but I viewed scripture in the same light. This book helped me better understand God's work to make Himself known throughout the pages of scripture and history.

Finding the Will of God by Bruce Waltke

Waltke presents the question, "Is finding the will of God a pagan notion?" This is actually a book I read in an ethics class at SWBTS but really impacted my view of scripture. He comes to the conclusion that it is a pagan notion and our goal as His followers is not to know His will but to simply know Him. It had become somewhat of an unintentional understanding for me that I needed to understand "what God's will was for my life." This book helped me see more clearly that scripture is the proclomation of truth. Hope is found in truth, not knowing what the future holds.

In My Place Condemned He Stood by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever

This was suggested reading by one of my favorite professors at SWBTS. In our class we were discussing the atonement and he suggested that we read this book. He said, "This book comes from a Calvinist perspective but it is the best book I've ever read on the atonement." Needless to say it drew me toward a more reformed theology because what these two men have to say about the work of Christ on the cross is excellent. After reading this book I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of what Christ had done for sinful man. I understood exactly what total depravity meant and this gave me a clearer understanding of the gospel.

A Journey In Grace by Richard Belcher

After reading Packer and Dever's book and knowing where there theology lies, I told Morgan, "Babe, I think I might be a Calvinists." So to get a better grasp of what this meant, my pastor suggested this book. Now it is a little different from any other book on this list because it is a novel. In it a young pastor goes through a journey that leads him to the same conclusion I came to, I might be a Calvinists. Belcher does a great job of walking through all the controversy that goes along with reformed theology and the infamous five points. I'm still working through these points and believe we will never fully know the beauty of God's grace this side of eternity. But this book answered some tough questions in scripture that helped me understand it better.

Radical by David Platt

If you're familiar with Platt and this book but have not read it, you might assume he simply talks about the Radical Experiment his church is going through. Really this is a theology book. Platt, while dealing with some shortcomings in the American church, walks through different aspects of theology and defines so clearly what scripture teaches on them. Through this he challenges the reader to truly look at scripture as absolute truth. So often we say, "The Bible is inspired by God," but rarely live like we believe it. He challenged me not to just believe the truth but to live the truth.