Throughout the Bible, trust in God is associated with knowing and doing His Word and His will. In other words, the Lord expects us to know certain truths about Him and to live in ways that are consistent with those truths we know about Him. There are definite facts and doctrines that are vital to your being right about God and, therefore, being right with God. In the New Testament, Paul emphasizes the vital nature of right doctrine, or beliefs, about the Lord to the young pastors Timothy and Titus. In his three short letters to them, he mentions it fifteen times. John writes about it his second letter. Jude says that we should “earnestly contend for the faith” in his letter. Jesus rebukes two of the seven churches in Asia for their lack of right doctrine in Revelation chapters two and three. The Lord takes right beliefs, or doctrines, seriously. Are we wiser or more sophisticated or more tolerant than our Lord? We cannot afford to take doctrine lightly or to brush it aside as if it were trivial. We need to consult the Bible in order to know the truth and specific truths.
That’s why some modern Christian books are so troubling. Men and women who are gifted writers but not careful students of the Bible or trained theologians are planting wrong ideas about God into the Body of Christ. I would prefer to think that this is often unintentional. But whether or not it is unintentional, the danger and the damage remain. Sometimes the books are nonfiction, relating personal experiences or devotional impressions. Other times they are fiction, hiding their erroneous teachings behind the fig leaf of artistic license. In either case, their purpose is to change our understanding of who God is and what He is like. Be discerning as you read. Just because it is sold at a Christian bookstore or website doesn’t make it good or right.
Here are some ideas and questions to help you interact with a book as you read it:
A good book should reinforce the authority of Scripture. Does it make experiences, impressions, nature, or anything else as important as the Bible in understanding God or your walk with Him?
A good book should represent God the way He is represented in the Bible. For example, God always refers to Himself as masculine rather than feminine whether He is speaking of Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. And while God is Three in One, each person of the Trinity has specific functions. There is also a hierarchy, or authority and submission relationships, within the Trinity. Does it represent Jesus as the unique God-man and that He is the only One of the Trinity who became man?
A good book should represent the Gospel and salvation the way the Bible presents them. Does it reinforce that Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God or to have forgiveness and everlasting life and that any other way leads to eternal ruin?
A good book should show God to be a God of grace, mercy, and love. Does it cast the Lord in a positive light as active, benevolent, and in control of everything?
My list is not exhaustive. But it is a helpful starting place for us to be discerning. I encourage you to read and to read widely. The Bible and books are your best tools for growth and broadened understanding. Please read with a discerning mind and heart.
