If you’re a new believer or a veteran of the faith, here are 3 great books that every Christian should read.
The Bible
First of all, the Bible is “the” Book, so you must begin reading God’s Word more than any other book, so don’t start reading any of these books until you’ve first read or started reading and studying your Bible. These other books are supplemental, but they are also helpful and meaningful to your faith, so get grounded in the Word of God on a daily basis. Only after doing this should you begin your reading journey with these fine books, and believe me, it is a journey worth taking. Sadly, most people spend more time in Facebook than time in “the” Book (the Bible). If that’s the case, you’re slowly deteriorating in your daily walk with God and suffering from spiritual nutrition from a lack of the Bread of Life and dying of thirst from a lack of the Living Water (Jesus). There is no book ever written that has or will ever surpass the Bible. That’s because this book wasn’t written by men (2 Tim 3:16). It is the Book of the Ages about the Rock of Ages. Start here and everything else you read should be supplemental to reading the Bible.
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
The Pilgrim’s Progress should be the first book a new believer reads because they will quickly learn to identify with the story’s main character (Christian). This famous story is about a man’s progress through life in search of salvation, and even today, it remains one of the most entertaining allegories of faith ever written. And it is just what believers go through; young and old. The book is set against realistic backdrops of town and country, intermingled with the powerful drama of the pilgrim’s trials and temptations, many of which we have in common. This story follows him in his harrowing journey to the Celestial City…a journey that runs along a road filled with monsters and spiritual terrors. “Christian” (the main character) confronts such emblematic characters as Giant Despair (I’ve met him!), Worldly Wiseman (seen a few of these), but he also meets Talkative, Ignorance, and the demons of the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But thankfully, he is also joined by Hopeful and Faithful, which tends to give him hope about the journey and the future. That’s why The Pilgrim’s Progress should be on every Christian’s bookshelf.
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer
If you want to know God better…if you want to know more about the attributes of God…and if you want to know more about God’s holiness, then this book is a must read. The brilliant work of author, teacher, and scholar A. W. Tozer, who himself was a great man of God, and Tozer desired that believers know more about our great and awesome God so we would give Him more glory and stand more in awe of Him. He is so amazing that many of us have no idea about the many attributes that God has, which is why the author explores the attributes of God and he does so by using words that fly straight to the heart. The Attributes of God is a superb aid designed to strengthen and deepen your spiritual life, which is why each chapter begins with a prayer. In these prayers, Tozer lucidly discusses a divine aspect–from God’s infinity to God’s love–and relates that aspect to today’s world, and doing so while pointing out God’s wonder and inscrutability.
Conclusion
I want to add a little more about the author A. W. Tozer because in his book he correctly identifies the cause of many of our modern spiritual woes, and the majority of that loss is in today’s church who no longer hold to a lofty concept of God. When we hold a high view of God and of the Word of God, we are brought to humility and stand in amazement at the awesome nature and attributes of God. A. W. Tozer rightly sums up just how important our view of God is, saying, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Why would he say that? It’s because if we have a “small” view of God in our minds, we’ll hold a small view of God in our lives. Our God will not be all He is cracked up to be and we will hold Him less worth to be praised and worshipped.
The more we know about God, the higher view we’ll have of God, and that will make our worship of Him more meaningful. The more you know about God, the more you see just how short we fall of His glory (Rom 3:10-12, 23). A. W. Tozer wrote, “The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.”
The Pilgrim’s Progress (Dover Thrift Editions). John Bunyan – February 10, 2003.
Mere Christianity (Deckle Edge). C.S. Lewis – April 21, 2015.
The Knowledge of the Holy (Harper One). A. W. Tozer – October 6, 2009.
Here is some related reading for you: Top 10 Bible Verses About Sanctification
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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