Proverbs 25:11 states that "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." John Piper and Justin Taylor have edited a volume that speaks apples of gold in a setting of silver to our culture. In the sin and misery we find ourselves in after the fall, it is all too easy for us to look to something other than God to do for us what only God can do for us. The contributors to this volume remind us that God, not sex, is to be worshiped.
Sex and the Supremacy of Christ should be required reading for every Christian. Justin Taylor introduces the volume, making plain the need for just this book and piquing our interest in the pages before us. The book then opens with two contributions from John Piper. In the first, with characteristic insight and profundity, Piper shows how sex was designed to help us know God. Piper’s essays originated as sermons given at a conference that has lent its name to the book, and the second of Piper’s essays, which I downloaded and listened to in my car, may well be the best sermon I have ever heard.
An overview of the book’s contributors and the titles of their essays will show their relevance:
- Ben Patterson, "The Goodness of Sex and the Glory of God"
- David Powlison, "Making All Things New: Restoring Pure Joy to the Sexually Broken"
- R. Albert Mohler, Jr., "Homosexual Marriage as a Challenge to the Church: Biblical and Cultural Reflections
- Mark Dever, Michael Lawrence, Matt Schmucker, and Scott Croft, "Sex and the Single Man"
- C. J. Mahaney, "Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Husband Needs to Know"
- Carolyn McCulley, "Sex and the Single Woman"
- Carolyn Mahaney, "Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Wife Needs to Know"
- Justin Taylor, "Martin Luther’s Reform of Marriage"
- Mark Dever, "Christian Hedonists or Religious Prudes? The Puritans on Sex"
This book can be a powerful tool for purity and joy in our day. Buy it. Read it. Distribute it.
And in the terms of Piper’s metaphor, may God be central in our lives as the sun is central in the universe, with the result that the gravitational force of the weight of his being holds everything else in its appointed orbit.
May the Lord be pleased to use this book mightily for his glory and our joy!
The suggestion to “distribute” the book caught my eye. Some public school districts would prefer to “distribute” condoms; we would do well to distribute this material instead.
I look forward to reading this book. I know that Tom Nelson’s series on sex had a long-lasting and significant impact on my life and on the lives of many people.
It’s great to see Godly people addressing–with Biblical truth–the pink elephant standing in the middle of our society’s living room.
DAS
I reviewed the book for Justin Taylor and I concur with your thoughts. Buy it, share it, tell others about it. Its that good. Well worth your time and money.
Big Chris
Because I said so
Jim,
I’m really enjoying your blog and have started reading your book in progress.
You said that you downloaded one of Piper’s best sermons, but the link you provide doesn’t pinpoint which sermon it was. Can you give us the date or title of the sermon? Thanks
The sermon I alluded to is called “Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, Part 2”
Enjoy!
Jim
Thanks for the reply, Jim. To keep others from having to hunt for it, here is the text and the audio of that Piper sermon.