A Little Book on the Christian Life, Damask

This book is written with sincerety and is heavily weighted in Biblical truth. It weaves together solid intellectual thought with a wholehearted drive for practicality. Besides being worth its weight in gold, it is actually quite an easy read! This is a true gem pulled out of the period of the Reformation, and highly recommended for Christians of our era!

This section from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion makes one hungry for more. Modern writers cannot hold a candle to the depth of Christ-knowledge that our older brothers had. Indeed, we are in a time of spiritual declension. But Calvin, Knox, Spurgeon, A.W. Pink, Asahel Nettleton, and others were "meat", whereas almost all of the latest titles available at the local "Christian" bookstore are mere "dessert"- sweet (sounding), but in the end empty, and unable to satisfy. No substance to them. I will say this as politely as possible: Put away your Max Lucado and your "Left Behind" (false eschatology) and get into God's Word, and then go and see how God taught the ancients. These men were not focused on making men "feel" good about themselves. No Arminian lightweights were they. If you read this booklet, and its content does not resonate within your soul, then you will have reason to fear that you have not learned Christ aright. This booklet is required reading for all in my household. Read it and see why. May I also recommend www.graceonlinelibrary.org

This thin little book is no lightweight. It's a Trojan horse that delivers timeless substance from the Scriptures on how to think about and live the Christian life. It reaches head and heart, and so is extremely practical--without being a simplistic "how-to" book. I have used it in a number of one-on-one discipling relationships; its small size makes it manageable and appealing to busy people, but God uses its substantive and convicting teaching to affect lives. Buy a copy for yourself and another for someone you care about, and get ready for sharpening discussions.

How do you review a book such as this one? When I first read this book several years ago, it changed the way I thought and lived the Christian life. Now, rereading it some years later, it reminds me of just how foundational it was in my way of thinking of "the Christian life". Especially in the way it taught me (and others through me who I teach) how important and "normal" is suffering in the true Christian life. It is through suffering God conforms us to the image of Christ. This is a volume taken from the third volume of 'Calvin's Institutes' and has been incredibly helpful for Christians for over 400 years! One of the things you will find about this book is how extremely easy it is to understand it, as well as practical (in fact it is almost like it was written yesterday). Oftentimes, it is easy to think that a book written originally in the 16th century would be both difficult and impractical! However, this book is biblically crystal clear as well as useful! I have given this book away often and I have only seen growth in those to whom I have given it! May it be a new book for you, or one you buy again for a friend.

Calvin is the master exegete. Calvin pastors his readers with a glimpse into the eternal purposes of suffering. The author encourages the suffering saint to see that Jesus Christ was the ultimate suffering servant and that our temporal afflictions are sent from God to cause us to rely on Christ and promote obedience, sobriety, righteousness and godliness. The book is a quick, understandable read as it is a distillation of portions of his "Institutes." This work should dispel the false notion that all that interests Calvin is predestination!