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One of the great joys of the Christian life is the recognition that Christ is all you need. As Jonathan Edwards aptly observed, the only thing that we bring to our salvation is the sin that makes it necessary. Christ’s work in His death and resurrection are wholly sufficient for our salvation; in fact it is the only thing that is. 

In Christ Alone by Sinclair Ferguson explores into the richness of this reality.  The book is a collection of articles written independently but woven together to concentrate on the theme of Christ’s salvific work. Focused largely on the book of Hebrews, the author examines such topics as the incarnation of Christ, the work of the Spirit, and the transforming work of Christ in the believer’s life. Throughout the book, Ferguson’s love for His Savior and his passion for helping other believers live a God-honoring life is almost palpable. At times the fact that the content is from different sources seems evident which can lead to an uneven presentation.  However, on what comes through even louder is the author’s pastoral heart for all who read his words. 

In Christ Alone is written in such a way as to be accessible to new believers, but also challenging those who are mature in their faith. If you want to more fully appreciate the work that Christ accomplished on the Cross, and the work He continues to do in the life of His children, this book will go a long way towards accomplishing that aim. 

Suffering is never a fun topic. Yet the topic becomes immensely more complicated when you consider suffering in light of Who God is. After all, as the old adage goes, if God is supremely good, why is there so much pain in this world; if God is all powerful why doesn’t He put a stop to all the evil?

In this book, Randy Alcorn tackles this topic. The book is written for the lay person and Alcorn wrestles with the challenging topics without using overly challenging language. You don’t need a degree in theology or philosophy to understand the project Alcorn undertakes (although if you have one, I think you will still get a lot out of Alcorn’s work), and anyone who reads this volume will benefit from the author’s thoroughness and his thoughtful approach. 

One caution – this book is more philosophy than devotional so if you are currently undergoing an intense season of suffering, I doubt this book would provide a lot of comfort or encouragement in a way that would be immediately helpful. But if you want to help someone who is wrestling with this question, or you yourself are considering how the resolve the tension between pain in the world and the goodness of God, this book will certainly help you come to a place of biblical understanding and personal acceptance.