This is such an interesting article, as a member of Gen Z who has recently turned to Christianity. I find that there are many people who attend church and call themselves Christian, but are perfectly happy to only take the things that serve them and leave what doesn’t. But this is certainly not what God demands from us- we should have a wholistic approach to faith; if our belief doesn’t reform us, then we are not truly admitting that we are sinners in need of new direction. This relates to your writing on the need for separation as well, which is something that I have been reflecting on very much. I have a Catholic friend trying to bring me into her sect of faith, and I’m curious if you have any comments on the Catholic Church as an institution. In my reading of the Bible so far, much of it seems to be against the idea that you need intermediaries for your prayers, worship, or faith- so I’m not sure how they justify all the hierarchy within their church. The advice I’ve gotten from trustworthy and faithful Christians is to be very weary of what information I take in, because even under the umbrella of “Christianity” there can be dark paths; which you touch on here about the danger of attending a hollow, apathetic church. I figure for now I can’t go wrong reading the Bible (for that I appreciate your Understanding the Bible series as a supplement) and reading CS Lewis. Anyways, love the article & I look forward to any more writing you may do on this topic- I find it really interesting. A big question for me lately is where to direct my energy as a new Christian and what path to follow. Thank you!
Hi, thanks for commenting and it's really encouraging to hear you say that. I'm so pleased that my efforts here and over on UTB are helpful to someone in your situation, which is why I make them!
To answer your question about Catholicism -- in general terms, I would steer clear of anything from within the Roman Catholic church. This is not to say that there aren't good people there, but rather I think their whole edifice is built on a shaky foundation. For one, they elevate tradition to the level of Scripture, which I believe is wrong. For another, they seem to elevate Mary virtually to the level of the Trinity. I think you've hit on something very insightful when you say you don't see anything in your reading of the Bible about human mediators. Correct. I've just finished preaching through Hebrews on UTB, and one of the things which comes across very clearly in that book is how Jesus is the great high priest and we can each have confidence coming before God because of him. We do not need human priests any more.
In terms of where to go next for you, I suggest checking out Francis Schaeffer -- his works have been hugely helpful in my own formation. I read No Little People first (a collection of his sermons), followed by True Spirituality. Both excellent. His most famous work is The God Who is There.
I'd also suggest reading some of the Puritans -- check out Thomas Watson's book A Body of Divinity, sermons based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Worth its weight in gold, wonderful Christian teaching.
Also you would like John Owen -- especially Communion with God and the Mortification of Sin. You can get modernised versions of both of those from Banner of Truth, or I think they might be freely available as eBooks from Monergism.
Thank you so much for the reply with all these great recommendations. I appreciate it since I’m trying to soak up as much information as I can to understand Christian life. It’s all absolutely fascinating to me, and I’m always looking for new books to read.
I really enjoy your writing and perspective, keep up the insightful and important work!
This is such an interesting article, as a member of Gen Z who has recently turned to Christianity. I find that there are many people who attend church and call themselves Christian, but are perfectly happy to only take the things that serve them and leave what doesn’t. But this is certainly not what God demands from us- we should have a wholistic approach to faith; if our belief doesn’t reform us, then we are not truly admitting that we are sinners in need of new direction. This relates to your writing on the need for separation as well, which is something that I have been reflecting on very much. I have a Catholic friend trying to bring me into her sect of faith, and I’m curious if you have any comments on the Catholic Church as an institution. In my reading of the Bible so far, much of it seems to be against the idea that you need intermediaries for your prayers, worship, or faith- so I’m not sure how they justify all the hierarchy within their church. The advice I’ve gotten from trustworthy and faithful Christians is to be very weary of what information I take in, because even under the umbrella of “Christianity” there can be dark paths; which you touch on here about the danger of attending a hollow, apathetic church. I figure for now I can’t go wrong reading the Bible (for that I appreciate your Understanding the Bible series as a supplement) and reading CS Lewis. Anyways, love the article & I look forward to any more writing you may do on this topic- I find it really interesting. A big question for me lately is where to direct my energy as a new Christian and what path to follow. Thank you!
Hi, thanks for commenting and it's really encouraging to hear you say that. I'm so pleased that my efforts here and over on UTB are helpful to someone in your situation, which is why I make them!
To answer your question about Catholicism -- in general terms, I would steer clear of anything from within the Roman Catholic church. This is not to say that there aren't good people there, but rather I think their whole edifice is built on a shaky foundation. For one, they elevate tradition to the level of Scripture, which I believe is wrong. For another, they seem to elevate Mary virtually to the level of the Trinity. I think you've hit on something very insightful when you say you don't see anything in your reading of the Bible about human mediators. Correct. I've just finished preaching through Hebrews on UTB, and one of the things which comes across very clearly in that book is how Jesus is the great high priest and we can each have confidence coming before God because of him. We do not need human priests any more.
In terms of where to go next for you, I suggest checking out Francis Schaeffer -- his works have been hugely helpful in my own formation. I read No Little People first (a collection of his sermons), followed by True Spirituality. Both excellent. His most famous work is The God Who is There.
I'd also suggest reading some of the Puritans -- check out Thomas Watson's book A Body of Divinity, sermons based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Worth its weight in gold, wonderful Christian teaching.
Also you would like John Owen -- especially Communion with God and the Mortification of Sin. You can get modernised versions of both of those from Banner of Truth, or I think they might be freely available as eBooks from Monergism.
I mentioned a couple of these, plus a few more, on a piece I did a few years ago about books I recommend: https://understandthebible.uk/10-books-to-renew-your-mind/
I do hope all this is helpful, do stay in touch as I'd love to know you get on!
Thank you so much for the reply with all these great recommendations. I appreciate it since I’m trying to soak up as much information as I can to understand Christian life. It’s all absolutely fascinating to me, and I’m always looking for new books to read.
I really enjoy your writing and perspective, keep up the insightful and important work!