During times like these, when the faith of many is tested, and some are even tempted to wonder if God sees, if He is still in control, it is as important as ever to know and understand the message – to soak in the Scriptures - to know what we believe and why we believe it. At times like these, we must remember the words of the prophet Isaiah, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Is your understanding formed or reformed upon the solid rock of Grace alone, by Faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone, and for the glory of God alone? These truths alone will stand forever!

This month we recommend three different kinds of books, all about the same subject: the basics of Reformed Theology.

A clear picture of the structure of the Word of God and the basic premises of Scripture is critical to understanding and applying God’s Word. Each event in His “story” reveals the character and purposes of God to His people and enables us to construct for ourselves an unshakeable view of God’s undeniable, unavoidable, and wonder-filled Sovereignty. Once we see the thread of the covenant that weaves throughout all of scripture, we start to see how individual events, prophesies, and poetry flow together into one cohesive message. It is a message of amazing love and grace sent forth from our holy, sovereign wonder-working God according to His plan, conceived before the beginning of time.

Does the Bible sometimes seem like a jumble of events and prophecies throughout history, separated only by the man-made demarcation of Old and New Testaments? Do the Scriptures contain a series of different ways that God has dealt with His people over time, as though God changes His mind about man midstream? Or does it all flow beautifully, understandably, and cohesively into one great providential message of the Love of God toward His people?

Do you believe that the story of God’s covenant love begins in Genesis? Or did it originate before that? If the Covenant of Redemption occurred before Genesis, where do you find it in the Scriptures? Were the Old Testament ‘heroes of the faith’ saved by grace or by their works? Understanding the basics of Reformed Theology is crucial to our study of the Scriptures and answering these questions, because getting a grip on Reformed Theology is like having a key that unlocks the secrets of God’s Word and reveals His eternal purposes. This thing called Reformed Theology is NOT a set of doctrines but rather a framework of doctrinal truths made up of Scripture alone from beginning to end. In our recommended book for July, Heirs of the Covenant, Susan Hunt said, “A covenantal perspective means that we see Scripture as God's revelation of Himself, of His covenant promise to redeem a people, and of His provision to keep His promise. We must look for this redemptive dimension. We must look for Jesus on every page of Scripture. Our knowledge of God's character and His promise determines our view of our lives and the world.” Dr. R. C. Sproul, gifted theologian states, “It is not the goal of systematic theology to impose on the Bible a system derived from a particular philosophy. Rather its goal is to discern the interrelatedness of the teachings of Scripture itself.”

Dr. Sproul is the author of one of the best basic books on Reformed Theology that I have ever read. (For those of you not familiar with Dr. Sproul, you will find him to be not only an amazing theologian but also a master teacher. He has a unique ability to take complex subjects, concepts, and doctrines, and make them easy to grasp and easy to remember.) Grace Unknown gives comprehensive explanations, yet each topic is extremely ‘readable’ for laymen. It is divided into short, concise chapters on the Foundations of Reformed theology and the Points of Reformed Theology. Included are charts, drawings and a glossary of terms along with helpful indexes of scriptures and peoples to make your proof-texting easy. Sproul’s goal in illuminating the foundations of Reformed Theology is to uncover for us just how awesome the grace of God really is. EVERY believer should read this book!

If you have already read Grace Unknown and want to trace the Covenant through the Scriptures in even more detail, try The Christ of the Covenants by O. Palmer Robertson. This book is definitely not for the beginner. It is a more intensive look at the flow of the covenant for the layman theologian. Robertson begins by defining the word covenant for us: “A bond in blood sovereignly administered.” He looks carefully at each mention of that covenant bond in Scripture and does many word-for-word studies into the language and history of each occurrence steadily moving us to see Christ from beginning to end. If you are captivated by the beauty of the Covenant and want to know more, this book is for you.

If you are looking for a good small-group Bible study book, you might also try David Hagopian’s book, Back to Basics. He has edited essays on the four topics, Conversion, Covenant, Church, and Christian Life into an easy to read and understand book on the basics of the faith. Each section is written by a different author with follow-up study questions. Section two, written by Douglas M. Jones III, covers the basics of the covenant in four short chapters. In less than 75 pages, this section takes you on a tour of the covenant from before the foundation of the world all the way into glory. Reading through it in one sitting will definitely give you an “aha” moment in your understanding of the Word of God.

Whichever of these three books you read, you will come away with a new appreciation for the incredible and matchless sovereign grace of God toward His people. Your study of the Word of God will never be the same. For many, reading one of these books ties it all together, and their understanding of the Word of God is forever enriched. Try one. You won’t be disappointed!