My early 20s were marked by a spiritual tsunami of sorts. It came about as I read The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. God graciously used that book as a means to destroy my old, drab perceptions of who God is and what He is like. Sadly, even though I had been raised in the church my entire childhood and youth, I had not been taught the matchless splendor of God’s holiness. Sproul’s book was my first real exposure to the majestic holiness of God, a God who is worthy of all love, reverence, obedience, praise, and glory. And with that grand vision of the holiness of God, everything began to change. The authority of Scripture, character of God, depth of my depravity, essence of Christ’s redeeming work, and life in union with Christ, all came into clearer focus and have impacted every aspect of my life.
Throughout the years, R.C. Sproul’s teaching and example have continued to challenge and encourage me. I loved his “serious joy” as he proclaimed God’s holiness, our only hope in Christ, and the immeasurable happiness to be experienced in the Christian life. His emphasis on “renewing the mind” through the vigorous study of Scripture has been especially influential in my work writing Bible curriculum and resources for children and youth. He had a gift for communicating doctrine in a way that was both comprehensible and inspiring. Before endeavoring to write each new project, I usually read one or more resources by Sproul for my own instruction and benefit. There will be lasting “footprints” at Children Desiring God from his ministry, and for that, we are truly thankful to God! He will be missed, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and the entire team at Ligonier Ministries.
Here are some quotes from R.C. Sproul I have used on the blog in the past. Read and be encouraged!
I don’t think there’s a mandate to be found in sacred Scripture that is more solemn than this one. That we are to teach our children the truth of God’s Word is a sacred, holy responsibility that God gives to His people. And it’s not something that is to be done only one day a week in Sunday school. We can’t abdicate the responsibility to the church. The primary responsibility for the education of children according to Scripture is the family, the parents. And what is commanded is the passing on of tradition.
(“The Most Solemn Mandate in the Bible for Parents,” Tabletalk Magazine, September 8, 2016, ligonier.org)
There is a primacy of the mind in the Christian faith. There is also a primacy of the heart…However, for my heart to be right, there is the primacy of the intellect in terms of order. Nothing can be in my heart that is not first in my head. How can I love a God or a Jesus about whom I understand nothing? Indeed, the more I come to understand the character of God, the greater is my capacity to love Him.
(Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, copyright©1992, page xix)
If we want to love God more, we have to know Him more deeply. And the more we search the Scriptures, and the more we focus our minds’ attention on who God is and what He does, the more we understand just a tiny little bit more about Him and the more our souls break out in flame. We have a greater ardor to honor Him. The more we understand God with our minds, the more we love Him with our minds.
(“Loving God with Our Minds,” ligonier.org)
A great teacher can simplify without distortion. This is the supreme test of understanding. If I truly understand something, I ought to be able to communicate it to others. There is a vast chasm that separates the simple from the simplistic. Jesus, the greatest teacher ever, taught in simple terms. But He was never simplistic. To oversimplify is to distort the truth. The great teacher can express the profound by the simple, without distortion. To do that requires a deep level of understanding. The great teacher imparts understanding, not merely information. To do that the teacher must understand the material being taught.
( “A Great Teacher Can Simplify without Distortion,” ligonier.org)
