Reading "Doctrinal" or "Bible Help" Books

      I have been enjoying some very worthwhile books the last two years, books that have blessed my heart and enriched my life. Books that have caused me to look more at Christ, and that have shown me more of God than I have seen heretofore. In the past, I didn’t like to read “religious” books such as those by Charles Spurgeon, Andrew Murray, A.W. Tozer, etc., because I had the Bible, and shouldn’t be turning to man’s teaching. I had people in my life that nearly scoffed at such books, and certainly didn’t encourage reading them, because one ought to read the Bible! I do not recall what caused me to begin reading “such books”, but I “fell in love”, as the saying goes, with J.R. Miller (You that know me knew that name would come in sooner or later, didn’t you? :-)), and I have expanded my reading from there, especially after reading an A.W. Tozer book recommended to me by our assistant pastor. As my understanding of God and adoration for Christ increased through the readings, my love for, interest in, and understanding of, the Scriptures grew. I still had the slight niggling of worry because, after all, I didn’t need those books: I had the Bible. Let me say here that I never replaced my daily Bible reading with the other authors; I still faithfully read the Holy Scriptures. But I was enjoying these books, and learning from them. Then I began wondering…why was it not just okay but even necessary to hear the preaching of the Word when we could just read it? Why was it fine to listen to teaching on the Word when we ought (?) to “just read it”? Why was it fine to read articles in homeschool magazines and church-based papers, if it wasn’t fine to read books that taught the Word? Furthermore, God’s Word says he gave “some teachers”: so what is so wrong about writing preaching and teaching down, printing it, and passing it on in book form for the coming generations? Aren’t these books merely the preservation of the preached or taught word? Another argument against them was that “They are written by man, so you can’t trust them. Stick to reading the Bible”. True, one must take everything to the Light of Scripture, but we must do that with every sermon we hear. More than that, we must do that with all our own opinions and convictions of the Scriptures themselves. But by all means, be teachable! So now I thoroughly enjoy them, read them without a guilty conscience, and reap the good from them I can. Meanwhile, I’m growing in love for the Lord and his Word.
      Elementary? I know.
      I’m currently reading my first Andrew Murray book, “With Christ in the School of Prayer”, as well as listening to his “Absolute Surrender and Other Addresses”. Since January 2012, I’ve read many J.R. Miller books, “Discover Your Destiny” by Cary Schmidt, “Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will” by Kevin DeYoung (Not recommended without reservation!), “Because He Loves Me” by Elyse Fitzpatrick, “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer, “Better Not” by John Heyl Vincent, and others, while I’ve also listened to more than those. I also count the many, many, many A.L.O.E. books I’ve read, as they are so rich in lessons in spiritual life. So, what good books have you been reading lately?