Book Review: Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul

Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow is a simple, practical book by Dr. R.C. Sproul, that, as the book titled, every Christian needs to read, apply and grow in. Sandwiched within the six chapters, the author injects some very challenging, thought-provoking and Biblical exhortations throughout the entire text. The five things that the author speaks about are bible study, prayer, worship, service and stewardship.

In the chapter on bible study, the author started off with some very encouraging testimonies both of himself (including one on how he was so "infatuated" with the Scripture) as well as the testimonies of those close around him. He then proceeded to talk about the conversion of Augustine and Martin Luther through the Word of God.

The Bible should serve as a mirror for us to reflect on the conditions of our soul. To quote the author: "If I don’t like something I read in Scripture, perhaps I simply don’t understand it. If so, studying it again may help. If, in fact, I do understand the passage and still don’t like it, this is not an indication there is something wrong with the Bible. It’s an indication that something is wrong with me, something that needs to change. Often, before we can get something right, we need to first discover what we’re doing wrong."

I was also particularly challenged in the part where the author said that:

"As helpful as these study aids (e.g. study bibles, commentaries, etc) can be, it is important to remember the purpose behind our study. We must read the Bible existentially; that is, we must become involved in Bible Study what we’re reading. We must not just sit back as spectators, learning facts while remaining untouched and unmoved by the text of Scripture. We must ask ourselves what the Word is saying to us as we read. Only by considering this question will be come to the completeness Paul longed to see in Timothy."

Often if we are not careful, we can treat bible studies and bible readings as a form of academic exercise, a form of chore and routine that we need to complete as part of our daily life. We may have a lot of head knowledge, but little heart conversion.

The last section on the first chapter contains some helpful practical tips on how to study the bible as well as a list of recommended tools.

The second chapter of the book delves with the subject of prayer. In that chapter, the author elaborated on the practical aspects on praying the Lord's Prayer. The author compared prayer to the love letters written by two people who are in love. They write the letters not because they have to, but because they want to. They are passionate, affectionate and take delight in each other.

In the chapter on worship, the author reminds the readers that we need to come to God on His terms, not our terms. He gave us a grim reminder in the story of the sudden death of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, as recorded in Leviticus 10:1-3. Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

The author then reminded us that often we are prone to select the attributes of God that we love like mercy, grace, kindness, blessings but we conveniently put aside other biblical attributes of God that we find distasteful, such as His sovereignty, holiness, justice, and wrath, and toss them aside. In other words, we create and worship a god who is not God; and that is idolism!

In the fourth chapter on service, the author stated that service is not an optional aspect of the Christian life. All believers are called to be servants of God.

However, as the author has elucidated, we need to be clear of our motives for serving. Service is not a means to earn God's favor and merit for our salvation. Rather, the motivation for Christian service is love for God. We serve not to earn salvation, but because Christ already has purchased salvation for us. And it should be our delight to obey God. We should be motivated to serve Him out of joy for what He has done for us.

The author admitted that the greatest weakness in the church today is that many pastors keep looking for approval of men. As the author said, "But as soon as pastors become slaves to human opinion, trying to please human beings instead of God, the message of Christ is compromised. No man-pleaser preaches the whole counsel of God."

The final chapter deals on stewardship. In this chapter, the author exhorted the readers on the importance of giving. Nevertheless, I personally find that the contents in this chapter are rather simplistic than what I have expected. Although the author did say that giving should be an act of worship, yet he should have delved more on this aspect of the motive of giving. For example, I find it rather disturbing in some churches where tithing is exhorted as if like a form of investment with the promise of financial blessings as returns for the "investment" they have put in. Pay the tithe, and God will bless you with more money in return. Refuse to tithe, and God will punish you.

Giving ten percent of income probably is not hard for the very rich ones, for to them, that could simply be a paltry sum. It may also give them a false sense of assurance that they are obeying God and that God is now under the obligation to bless them back in abundance! But how about the very poor, where they are really struggling to make ends need, where they are living from paycheck to paycheck? For someone where every penny counts, does that mean that this person is living under the curse of God? Shall we squeeze out that 10% from him too, or shall we, as a church, bless him by helping him out of his financial rut?

This conclusion chapter on Questions and Answers also contains a point which I find it hard to agree with the author. In that chapter, the author said:

"So I always assume that there are people in worship services who are unconverted, who have never really come to Christ. For that reason, in my sermons I often direct my comments specifically to unconverted people, admonishing, warning, exhorting, and so on, calling them to faith in Jesus Christ. However, I never use the term invitation because I think it is utterly unbiblical. I don’t see where God invites people to come to Christ. Rather, God commands people to come. When you get an invitation to an event, you usually can decline it with impunity. But you can’t decline the call of the gospel with impunity. If you decline that call, you seal your eternal damnation."

Although man is totally helpless and depraved when it comes to eternal salvation, how else would they know that God's salvation is available to them if they are not "invited"? And although that they may have "declined" the invitation at the current stage, the gospel seed has been sown and they may accept Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior at the later part of their life. Nevertheless, I agree with the author that in our zeal to get converts, we may end up having a lot of evangelistic statistics which are not very accurate.

In summary, this book is a great resource to have; it is practical as well as challenging, not just to young believers, but also as a good reminder to matured believers of what it means to be a Christ's disciple.

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 9)

Conclusion Chapter

'Raising a hand never got anyone into the kingdom of God. Saying the sinner’s prayer doesn’t automatically change anyone’s heart. The only way to be saved is through faith in Christ alone, and no preacher can manufacture that.'

But in our zeal to win people, we do anything we can to get people up and out of their chairs. Then we end up with “evangelistic statistics,” which usually aren’t very accurate or helpful.

Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow, R.C. Sproul

This conclusion chapter is where I have trouble accepting a point that Dr. R.C. Sproul has raised.
This is what he said:

"So I always assume that there are people in worship services who are unconverted, who have never really come to Christ. For that reason, in my sermons I often direct my comments specifically to unconverted people, admonishing, warning, exhorting, and so on, calling them to faith in Jesus Christ. However, I never use the term invitation because I think it is utterly unbiblical. I don’t see where God invites people to come to Christ. Rather, God commands people to come. When you get an invitation to an event, you usually can decline it with impunity. But you can’t decline the call of the gospel with impunity. If you decline that call, you seal your eternal damnation."

Although man is totally helpless and depraved when it comes to eternal salvation, how would they know that God's salvation is available to them if they are not invited? Yes, although I agree with Dr. R.C. Sproul that in our zeal to get converts, we end up having a lot of evangelistic statistics which are not very accurate, but isn't it in the Bible also that the invitation for people to come to God is opened to all?

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12 NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NIV)

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 8)

Stewardship

'Giving should be an act of worship.'

'The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1). God is the author of all things, the Creator of all things, and the owner of all things. Whatever God makes, He owns. What we own, we own as stewards who have been given gifts from God Himself. God has the ultimate ownership of all of our “possessions.” He has loaned these things to us and expects us to manage them in a way that will honor and glorify Him.'

'The word that is translated “stewardship” in the Bible is the Greek word oikonomia, from which we get our word economy. It is two distinct words joined together to create a new word: oikos, which comes from the Greek word for house, and nomos, the Greek word for law. The word that is translated “stewardship” literally means “house law” or “house rule.” '

'If we spend our money on one thing, we cannot spend them on something else. (Therefore we need to be good stewards on how we spend every penny)'

'It seems, however, that very few Christians believe the tithe still applies. A poll of people claiming to be evangelical Christians indicated that only 4 percent of them tithe. A similar poll indicated that the average percentage of income evangelical Christians give to God’s work is less than 2.5 percent. If the tithe principle is still in effect and the polls are accurate, then 96 percent of professing evangelical Christians are systematically robbing God.'

'He (God) understood market economics, wherein the marketplace establishes the “value” of goods and services. He knew that, left to themselves, people value doctors, business entrepreneurs, and even entertainers more highly than ministers or educators.'

'However, a minister who is being underpaid can hardly help but conclude that people do not appreciate his work. Because I work with so many pastors, I know that many of them experience a profound sense of discouragement because they feel that people do not appreciate
their labor." '

Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow, R.C. Sproul

Again, as in the case of service, the motive behind is very important. If a believer tithes out of a personal decision or conviction,that is good.

This tithing issue has to be handled in a balanced manner and should not be handled in a simplistic manner. Tithing becomes a problem when it is forced upon, or coerced upon.

Tithing should also not be seen as a form of "Christian stock investment", by using the promise of financial blessings as a form of returns for the "investment" they have put in. Pay the tithe, and God will give you more money in return. Refuse to tithe, and God will punish you.

This is not hard at all for the very rich ones. To a very rich man, 10% is simply a paltry sum. It may also give him a false sense of assurance that they are obeying God and that God is now under the obligation to bless them back in abundance!

How about the very poor? How about those who really can't give at all where they are really struggling to make ends need, where they are living from paycheck to paycheck? For someone where every penny counts? Does that mean that this person is living under the curse of God? Shall we squeeze out that 10% from him too?

So, my personal view is that, while the 10% should serve as a guide, it should never be used to inflict guilt upon someone that if they are giving less than 10% or not giving tithes at all, they are living under the abundance of God. The blessings of God are much more than just financial gains - it includes good health, good family support, the ability to laugh, etc.

Tithing should also not be viewed as a litmus test for discipleship. This is especially so if the very rich who gives a lot to the church is made to head the church council board, to be made an elder, etc, etc.

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 7)

'We don’t always think about service as a means of grace, but we grow as we serve. The more we are able to serve in the kingdom of God, the more Christ-like we become.'


'Service is not an optional aspect of the Christian life. All believers are called to be servants of God. It may not be professional or paid service, but each of us is to serve in some way.'

'This is a glorious story (Ex. 3:7–12) of redemption, but there is great irony here. We see what God redeemed His people from, but we must not miss what God redeemed them to. He called His people out of Egypt, out of slavery, not to become autonomous or to do whatever they please. He called them to serve Him. The Israelites were called out of service to Pharaoh and into service to God.'

'Jesus Himself said, “No one can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24). We can serve the living God and Christ, but if that “seems evil,” that is, if we don’t want to do that, we can serve Satan or the interests of this world. The commitment and motto of every Christian should be, “As for me and as for my house, we’re going to serve the Lord with single-minded devotion.” '

'I remember wrestling with that afterward and thinking, “You’re supposed to be a Christian, and here you were upset because someone regarded you as a servant.” I knew that as a believer I was commanded to be a servant, but I didn’t like being treated like one.'

'If we serve out of an effort to earn our way into the kingdom of God, we’re deceiving ourselves. The motivation for Christian service is love for God. We serve not to earn salvation, but because Christ already has purchased salvation for us.'

It should be our delight to obey God. We should be motivated to serve Him out of joy for what He has done for us, not out of grim obligation or as a means to gain heaven.


I would say that the greatest weakness in the church today is that many pastors keep looking over their shoulders for the approval of men. But as soon as pastors become slaves to human opinion, trying to please human beings instead of God, the message of Christ is compromised. No man-pleaser preaches the whole counsel of God.

- Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow

On service, we often need to ask - what is the motive behind the person who offers himself or herself to serve? Is it as a form to gain salvation? Is it as a means to earn praise and to please men? Is it as a means to get accepted in a church? Sometimes I feel that the church is re-inforcing such faulty concept because those who volunteer to serve are often praised and accepted into the inner circle, while those who refused to help us out in church are often frowned upon.

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 6)

The problem with idolatry is that it involves producing a substitute for the true God. Although we don’t make idols of stone and wood anymore, we are all too prone to take the biblical revelation of God, look at those attributes of God that we find distasteful, such as His sovereignty, holiness, justice, and wrath, and toss them aside. We then construct a god who is all love, grace, and mercy. In other words, we create a god who is not God. That god is an idol. But the only God we are to worship is the God who reveals Himself in sacred Scripture, and true worship focuses on the whole counsel of God, not on isolated aspects of God with which we are comfortable.

- Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow

We need to see God as He is.
As mentioned by Dr. R.C. Sproul, we enjoy focussing on attributes of God that we like.
That's why it is so important that we need the Word of God.
The Word of God to tells us who the Author is.

In fact, according to a Barna study, by a three-to-one margin (71% to 26%), Americans are more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than accept a comprehensive set of beliefs taught by a church or denomination. George Barna observed a growing number of people are serving as their own "theologian-in-residence," resulting in Americans embracing an "unpredictable and contradictory body of beliefs." Leading the pack are those under age 25—82% of them have developed their own blend of beliefs rather than adopting a set offered by a church. Although born-again Christians are the least likely to adopt an "a la carte" approach, 61% say they have mixed their set of beliefs.

(Church Intelligence Report, 28 January 2009)

In another part of the same chapter of the book Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow, Dr. R. C. Sproul outlined several practical steps to help us as we approach the Holy God in worship:

1. Prepare our hearts
We need to prepare our hearts - and that is to physically quieten down, reminding ourselves that we are approaching a Holy and just God.

Although Hebrews 4:16 reminds us that we may come boldly before the throne of God, as Dr. R.C. Sproul reminds us, this must be balanced by the fact that we are approaching a Holy God.

The incident of the sudden death of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, as recorded in Leviticus 10:1-3 serves as a grim reminder to us that as we approach the Holy God, we need to approach Him on His terms, not our terms.

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: "'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.'" Aaron remained silent. (Lev 10:1-3 NIV)

In the very first place, we need to remind ourselves that by our own efforts, we can never approach the Holy God. The veil that separated the Holiest of Holy from the Holy Place was never torn because of our own self righteousness but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

So, friends, we can now--without hesitation--walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body. So let's do it--full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. (Heb 10:19-22 MSG)

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb 10:19-22 NIV)

To quote Max Lucado:
"Christ lived the life we could not live and took the punishment we could not take to offer hope we cannot resist."

Dr. R.C. Sproul also reminds us that there is a difference between coming boldly into the presence of God and coming arrogantly.

2. We need to encourage each other to come together in worship.
Again the advice given here is a very important.
We need to remind ourselves at times when we don't feel like coming to church to worship that being able to come to church is a privilege. It is a privilege to have an audience with any earthly kings of the nations, how much more it is a privilege for us to be able to come and approach the King of kings.

That's why we need the encouragement and exhortation of fellow believers.
The Christian life is never meant to be lived alone.

Hebrews 10:25 talks about that:
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:25 NIV)

Note: The image above is taken from www.heartlight.org

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 5)

Many years ago, I heard a sermon in which the minister gave a detailed description of starving people around the world. When he reached the crescendo point of his sermon, he leaned over the pulpit and said, “Now you people have to do something about this.” I remember walking out of the room feeling guilty but also feeling a bit befuddled because I didn’t know what to do. So many times that’s what we ministers do to people.

We tell them, “You ought to do this or that.” We lay guilt trips on them, but we never show them how to do what we are exhorting them to do.

- Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow

If we are not careful, we can do likewise. Laying guilt trips on people.
Instead of leading the way to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we may drown them to the bondage of condemnation.


Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.
(2Co 7:10 MSG)

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 4)

".....marriage involves mutual delight in each other and an ongoing persistent state of affection. Two people who have an ardent, passionate affection for each other take delight in being with each other and in each other’s presence.

We didn’t write those (love) letters because we had to. We wrote those letters because we wanted to. I wanted to express to her my affection for her and my desire to be close to her, and she wrote to me for the same reasons. Our letters weren’t newsletters, they were love letters. That’s what prayer is. It’s a communication of love from the bride to the Bridegroom."

(Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul)

This passage challenges me in my prayer life.
We must enjoy praying.
Praying must never be seen as a chore. It should be a delight.

Few helpful model prayers that help us focused when praying.
One of them is the Lord's Prayer. This is also mentioned in this book by Dr. R.C. Sproul.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen

In this Lord's Prayer model, it begins by seeing who God is - our Father, yet a Holy Almighty God who is in control of all circumstances. Instead of beginning praying by focusing inwardly on ourselves, we begin by focusing on who our heavenly Father is. As Dr. R.C. Sproul rightly said:

"So we need to begin our prayers by bowing in reverence before our God, acknowledging Him as our loving and holy heavenly Father. And just as the Lord’s Prayer emphasizes the kingdom of God and His glory, so should our prayers. This means praying beyond our own circumstances and needs—seeing the bigger picture and praying for God’s work in the rest of the world."

(Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul)

The other model mentioned in the book is ACTS model.
Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 3)

"This union with Christ, in turn, is the foundation for all of Christian unity. If I am in Christ and you are in Christ, then we are both, right now, spiritually united in Him. We may be at odds with each other as Christians; we may disagree in our theology. Nevertheless, we enjoy a transcendent unity by virtue of our spiritual union with Christ"

(Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul)

Sometimes we may argue among ourselves, exerting our own opinions, our ego, our pride so much so that it causes strains to the unity of the body of Christ. Is that worth it?

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 2)

"As helpful as these study aids (e.g. study bibles, commentaries, etc) can be, it is important to remember the purpose behind our study. We must read the Bible existentially; that is, we must become involved in Bible Study what we’re reading. We must not just sit back as spectators, learning facts while remaining untouched and unmoved by the text of Scripture. We must ask ourselves what the Word is saying to us as we read. Only by considering this question will be come to the completeness Paul longed to see in Timothy."

(Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul)

Sometimes if we are not careful, we can treat bible studies and bible readings as a form of academic exercise. We may have a lot of head knowledge, but little heart conversion.

This passage from the book Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow, forces me to ask myself - is my heart challenged, convicted, healed from my reading of the Word of God?

Worse is when we are treating daily Bible reading and the so-called "Quiet Time" as a form of chore or routine that we must do as Christians.

My Reflections on Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul (Part 1)

Starting today, I wish to blog regularly on what I have learned from this simple, practical book by Dr. R.C. Sproul. I will do it by quoting excerpts from that book that God uses to speak to me and I will pen my own reflections on how these paragraphs from the book speak to me.

"If I don’t like something I read in Scripture, perhaps I simply don’t understand it. If so, studying it again may help. If, in fact, I do understand the passage and still don’t like it, this is not an indication there is something wrong with the Bible. It’s an indication that something is wrong with me, something that needs to change. Often, before we can get something right, we need to first discover what we’re doing wrong."

(Five Things Every Christian Needs To Grow by Dr. R.C. Sproul)

I don't know about you, but I have experienced times when I feel uncomfortable over what I have read in the Bible. And sometimes, I tend to skip those parts I don't like. And, sometimes, I would want to rationalize things, interpreting them the way I want to see it. How wrong! Just like a fresh wound that needs healing, it will the painful when we do the daily dressings with the antiseptic solution like povidone iodine, hibitane, etc. But that's exactly what is needed during the healing process in order to keep the minimize the risk of wound infections. The pain is temporal compared to the joy of eternal communion.