Book Reviewed – Devoted to God ~ Blueprints for Sanctification
Author – Sinclair B. Ferguson
Copyright – 2021
Publishing Company – Sinclair B. Ferguson – Banner of Truth Trust
Pgs. 277
Reviewed by Pastor Tim Crockett
I read this a while back and when I finished, I had every intention to write a quick review right then, but other things took priority and it sat on my to-do list for some time. And now here I am finally writing a short review of the book.
The book is in a standard format with an intro, the body of the work which contains ten chapters, and five appendices covering – The Trinity in the New Testament, We Died to Sin, He Died to Sin, The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus, The Fourth Commandment, and the Blueprint Passages.
The writing style is typical for the author, over the plate and waist high. He writes in a very engaging way. It draws you into the subject, making it relatable.
The subject of the book is SANCTIFICATION in my opinion an important subject for today’s believers.
Sanctification like a number of other doctrines (repentance, justification, and personal holiness) are often forgotten or maligned by modernists and their ilk.
The goal of the book in the author’s words is to “encourage those read it to ‘strive for holiness without which no one will see the Lord.’
The title captures the quintessence of the book in that it lays the groundwork with a solid understanding of what Sanctification is (holiness) and then progressively builds his case on why it is needful for Christians.
He goes over the struggles and personal battles that believers face daily but always brings us back to the root and ground of our faith and understanding, which is Christ. He goes over the place of the law in the believer’s life and in spite all failures and setbacks to keep going reminding us of God’s chief end in that one day our likeness to Christ will be complete, we will be finally and ultimately glorified.
For example in chapter 5 – The Conflict Zone – He outlines five steps to dealing with conflict called the Five Rs’: Recognize, Remember, Realize, Respond and Reap.
- Recognize there is an enmity between flesh and Spirit
- Remember new status you have been given in Christ
- Realize the calling you have been given
- Respond sensitively to the Spirit
- Reap what you sow
These taken with consideration are profitable steps that will help guide us along our way to personal holiness.
There are many other good things to say about the book but time and space limit me from spending much more time on it.
Take care and enjoy your day! John 17:17
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