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God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God
Throughout history, great theologians have written volumes on the attributes of God. And yet, most of these treatments are unlikely to be read by many Christians today because of their length or scholarly nature. In God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God, Mark Jones makes these rich theological insights accessible to the modern reader. With a specific focus on how each attribute is seen most fully in Jesus Christ, this meditative book will give Christians a clearer picture of the God they worship and serve, helping them love him more deeply and enjoy him more purely as they come to know him more fully.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2017
150 people are currently reading
524 people want to read
About the author
Mark Jones
29 books78 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Rev. Dr. Mark Jones (PhD, Leiden Universiteit) has been the Minister at Faith Vancouver Church (PCA) since 2007. He is also Research Associate in the Faculty of Theology at University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. He lectures at various seminaries around the world and is currently writing a book titled, "Knowing Christ" (Banner of Truth, forthcoming).
He also blogs at Reformation21.org.
Rev. Dr. Mark Jones (PhD, Leiden Universiteit) has been the Minister at Faith Vancouver Church (PCA) since 2007. He is also Research Associate in the Faculty of Theology at University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. He lectures at various seminaries around the world and is currently writing a book titled, "Knowing Christ" (Banner of Truth, forthcoming).
He also blogs at Reformation21.org.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 3, 2018
By unveiling God's glory in the face of Christ, the content of these pages have the power to produce tearful eyes and warm hearts. It is simply the best approach to the attributes of God I have read so far.
February 3, 2018
Absolutely exceptional. Mark Jones will teach you to think about God in biblical and proper ways you may have never done before.
July 31, 2024
Excellent book! I highly recommend it.
April 6, 2018
An excellent introduction to the attributes of God that is accessible for almost all Christians, centered on Christ, filled with excellent quotes from our fathers in the faith, and carefully applied to life. For those who will never pick up the Puritans or other great reformed writers, Jones has done a great job giving a well-rounded and Biblical picture of God. Highly recommended and would work well for Sunday school class or other group setting.
November 2, 2020
This is one of the best books on God’s attributes. Biblically faithful, theologically precise, historically aware, devotionally applied.
May 27, 2017
I don't typically gush about devotional books--with the occasional exception. BUT. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Mark Jones' God Is.
There are twenty-six chapters God-centered chapters to read, to reread, to read aloud to others--whether they want to listen or not. (Also there's a preface and an introduction.) Each chapter focuses on God--his person, his character or essence, his attributes. By choosing twenty-six instead of a top ten or top twelve, Jones' does a better job at representing God as he has revealed himself in Scripture. Jones doesn't shy away from unpopular attributes, teachings, or doctrines.
I loved the subject. I loved the clear presentation and focus. But I also loved how Jones' quotes other theologians--theologians from the cloud of witnesses. His doctrine is drawn from Scripture--clearly, abundantly he ties everything back to the Source. But his doctrine is also not separated or divorced from the traditional, historic faith. I think a balance of the two make for a great devotion.
Is the book your traditional, your typical devotional book? Not really. Perhaps that's why I loved it so much!!! If it's heavy or weighty--it's because its weighed down with the MAJESTY AND GLORY of God. I think these readings provide much food for thought. And one could always read each chapter two or three times to soak up all there is--all the richness.
There are twenty-six chapters God-centered chapters to read, to reread, to read aloud to others--whether they want to listen or not. (Also there's a preface and an introduction.) Each chapter focuses on God--his person, his character or essence, his attributes. By choosing twenty-six instead of a top ten or top twelve, Jones' does a better job at representing God as he has revealed himself in Scripture. Jones doesn't shy away from unpopular attributes, teachings, or doctrines.
I loved the subject. I loved the clear presentation and focus. But I also loved how Jones' quotes other theologians--theologians from the cloud of witnesses. His doctrine is drawn from Scripture--clearly, abundantly he ties everything back to the Source. But his doctrine is also not separated or divorced from the traditional, historic faith. I think a balance of the two make for a great devotion.
Is the book your traditional, your typical devotional book? Not really. Perhaps that's why I loved it so much!!! If it's heavy or weighty--it's because its weighed down with the MAJESTY AND GLORY of God. I think these readings provide much food for thought. And one could always read each chapter two or three times to soak up all there is--all the richness.
February 4, 2019
With his sensitivity to the breadth of the Reformed heritage, his familiarity with post-reformation dogmatics, his pastoral heart, and his sheer knack for writing this is surely one of the best theological books to emerge in the past few years. It might well turn out to be my personal book of the year.
Every page made me admire the majesty of God more. And every chapter showed me how to apply the truth to Christian living. What more could you ask for! Loved it.
Every page made me admire the majesty of God more. And every chapter showed me how to apply the truth to Christian living. What more could you ask for! Loved it.
August 13, 2023
I enjoyed this as a follow-up to recently re-reading "The Knowledge of the Holy," but found it more technical and structured than Tozer's take (which is neither good nor bad). Mark Jones writes about God's simplicity, majesty, anger, anthropomorphism, and others, each of which is endlessly fascinating to think about.
How could we ever tire of thinking about God's character?
How could we ever tire of thinking about God's character?
January 19, 2019
Maybe I do believe in what is called “Second Blessing.” And I certainly do believe it is the power of God’s Holy Spirit at work. And it was not something that happened when I was a new Christian. The Second Blessing that I refer to is learning to love mornings. I wish that I could boast of being up by 4 or 5 a. m., but for that to happen, there will have to be a third blessing. However, I do love mornings, and I love them for the fact that this is the time when I enjoy the BBC, not meaning the British Broadcasting Company, but rather Bible, books, and coffee.
Here I will comment on a book I finished a few days ago--God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God by Mark Jones.
Mark Jones is a bright, young pastor, theologian, and writer who lives in Canada. His mind, heart, and writing style almost appear to be cloned from the inimitable J. I. Packer. In his book, he does several things. First, he takes the reader through some deep systematic theology. In fact, the central focus of the Christian life is knowing who God is. But this is not the deep end of the Olympic-size theological pool where Jones simply pushes you in and says, “Swim.” He is clear, brief, direct, and very understandable.
Second, he has this book divided into 26 chapters with some introductory pages and an epilogue. That makes this book a great resource for reading over the course of a month. Families could read it for the family devotion or Sunday school classes could use it as well. (Preachers: Don’t feel ashamed if you want to use the book for a sermon series.) The chapters are short. In fact, I had planned on finishing the book on January 27, but found myself reading more than one chapter on quite a few mornings.
Third, Jones brings you into his circle of mentors, teachers, and guides. Like Packer, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Jerry Bridges, Mark Jones is on a first-name friendship basis with many of the Puritans, Reformers, and Church Fathers. One could simply go through this book and read the quotes–all warmly evangelical and nourishing–and delight in it. The notes at the back of the book were announcements to me of books I should be reading and acquiring.
Fourth, in each chapter Pastor Jones first discusses and explains the doctrine–God’s Omnipresence, for example. Then he turns the focus to Christ. God’s attributes are found in the Lord Jesus Christ. His Incarnation did not mean that He was not God the Son for a season. But we often don’t realize how Jesus has the same attributes we attribute in a fashion to the Triune God. The final part of each chapter is application. God’s attributes are not speculative, philosophical, or theoretical characteristics of a Supreme Being. Our Covenant God reveals Himself and teaches us through that most vital aspect to all life and learning–Knowing God.
Here I will comment on a book I finished a few days ago--God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God by Mark Jones.
Mark Jones is a bright, young pastor, theologian, and writer who lives in Canada. His mind, heart, and writing style almost appear to be cloned from the inimitable J. I. Packer. In his book, he does several things. First, he takes the reader through some deep systematic theology. In fact, the central focus of the Christian life is knowing who God is. But this is not the deep end of the Olympic-size theological pool where Jones simply pushes you in and says, “Swim.” He is clear, brief, direct, and very understandable.
Second, he has this book divided into 26 chapters with some introductory pages and an epilogue. That makes this book a great resource for reading over the course of a month. Families could read it for the family devotion or Sunday school classes could use it as well. (Preachers: Don’t feel ashamed if you want to use the book for a sermon series.) The chapters are short. In fact, I had planned on finishing the book on January 27, but found myself reading more than one chapter on quite a few mornings.
Third, Jones brings you into his circle of mentors, teachers, and guides. Like Packer, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Jerry Bridges, Mark Jones is on a first-name friendship basis with many of the Puritans, Reformers, and Church Fathers. One could simply go through this book and read the quotes–all warmly evangelical and nourishing–and delight in it. The notes at the back of the book were announcements to me of books I should be reading and acquiring.
Fourth, in each chapter Pastor Jones first discusses and explains the doctrine–God’s Omnipresence, for example. Then he turns the focus to Christ. God’s attributes are found in the Lord Jesus Christ. His Incarnation did not mean that He was not God the Son for a season. But we often don’t realize how Jesus has the same attributes we attribute in a fashion to the Triune God. The final part of each chapter is application. God’s attributes are not speculative, philosophical, or theoretical characteristics of a Supreme Being. Our Covenant God reveals Himself and teaches us through that most vital aspect to all life and learning–Knowing God.
April 3, 2024
To understand God is to understand his attributes. Mark Jones helped me in this way by breaking it down into three segments for each chapter. Starting off with Doctrine, why the attribute (i.e., faithfulness) parallels to Christ, and then an application for every Christian. One attribute in particular "Anthorpomorphic" is very new to me. I've never heard of it before, and it's something that will take a minute for me to understand fully. However, Jones was able to give me a perfect glimpse of God's attributes on who He really is. And I'm looking forward to finding more resources on knowing God more as a Father, and this was a perfect step into the pool of what it will end up looking like from here on out. Ps. Don't ask me to say intrinsic and extrinsic out loud. I'm still trying to say Anthro-po-morphic..
February 14, 2019
Excellent. Great introduction to theology proper, using sources and quotes from theologians such as Augustine, Owens, and Charnock. Each chapter also focuses each of God’s attributes on the person of Christ, and makes some pointed application. Warm, and at times convicting.
September 1, 2023
Excellent book!! Highly recommend this to expand your understanding of our great God.
March 31, 2020
This book claims to be a devotional guide to the attributes of God, and I'd say it does a great job meeting that end. If you're looking for an accessible book that is solid on the doctrine of God and in-line with the classic, orthodox position, then this is it. The chapters are short and sweet, yet robust and full of support from the patristics and reformed classics. In each chapter he also includes a section on how the attribute under discussion relate to Jesus Christ (this was excellent!), as well as some thoughts on how to apply the doctrine to the Christian life.
Some things I didn't like about the book: it's a bit 'heady' for a newcomer -- not an introductory book on the subject. The end notes are maddening, especially given how much he quotes the ancients of old. The application section at the end of each chapter was a bit sparse, with many of the applications coming down to just meditation/adoration on the nature of God (not that this is a bad thing! But it left me wanting a times). The last chapter in the book is perhaps the most important in my opinion, because it discusses foundational principles on how we are to approach the study of God. It's an excellent chapter, without a doubt. I was just a bit miffed as to why it came at the end rather than at the beginning.
Here's what I recommend: get this book and read it to your family at the dinner table. There's 26 chapters, and each chapter can probably be read in less than 10 minutes. This is a very well suited for such and will undoubtedly stimulate a lot of questions and discussions (books with deep theology do that!).
Some things I didn't like about the book: it's a bit 'heady' for a newcomer -- not an introductory book on the subject. The end notes are maddening, especially given how much he quotes the ancients of old. The application section at the end of each chapter was a bit sparse, with many of the applications coming down to just meditation/adoration on the nature of God (not that this is a bad thing! But it left me wanting a times). The last chapter in the book is perhaps the most important in my opinion, because it discusses foundational principles on how we are to approach the study of God. It's an excellent chapter, without a doubt. I was just a bit miffed as to why it came at the end rather than at the beginning.
Here's what I recommend: get this book and read it to your family at the dinner table. There's 26 chapters, and each chapter can probably be read in less than 10 minutes. This is a very well suited for such and will undoubtedly stimulate a lot of questions and discussions (books with deep theology do that!).
June 19, 2020
I used to get very excited when I saw a CS Lewis quote awaiting me a few lines down the page. Mark Jones has added to that gleeful anticipation the names of various puritans.
Jones is an excellent writer in his own right, and has a mastery for distilling complex subjects into neatly curated and impactful readings without sacrificing depth.
Jones is an excellent writer in his own right, and has a mastery for distilling complex subjects into neatly curated and impactful readings without sacrificing depth.
April 15, 2018
Really good. In each chapter, Jones discusses an attribute of God, then shows how Christ exemplifies or helps explain that attribute, and finally offers some personal application (why should attribute matter?). He's gifted at taking the theologically complex and making it readable and practical. And I appreciate all the quotes and references to earlier theologians in the Reformed tradition.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know about the doctrine of God, but may be intimidated by some heavier works. As the subtitle suggests, this really is a devotional guide. It will help you know the God you worship.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know about the doctrine of God, but may be intimidated by some heavier works. As the subtitle suggests, this really is a devotional guide. It will help you know the God you worship.
June 19, 2019
Há pouquíssimas obras modernas sobre os atributos de Deus. Mark Jones aceitou o desafio de suprir esta lacuna e escreveu uma obra que é doutrinariamente sólida, em linguagem acessível e - o seu grande diferencial - com um foco na pessoa e obra de Cristo e na aplicação da doutrina à vida do crente. Além de pessoalmente edificante, considero um ótimo livro para estudar em família ou em grupos na igreja.
June 26, 2021
I love the style in which “God is” was written. Written as a devotional, the chapters are fairly short, yet rich in Scripture, information, and application. Each chapter covers an attribute of God and is divided into 3 sections of the attribute itself, how the attribute is revealed to us in Christ, and how the attribute applies to Christian living. I love Jones’ emphasis on Christ in each chapter understanding that we can only know who God is through Christ. As I got farther into the book, I also loved being able to see more and more of how each of God’s attributes come together in perfect harmony. Seeing more clearly who God reveals Himself to be through His Word grows my wonder and awe of Him. What a wonderful blessing and gift it is to know our God!
October 29, 2019
This book was good and made me think and reflect on the glory of God, but I honestly don't feel like I was at all smart enough to understand portions of it, which at times made this feel unaccessible to anyone outside of seminary.
February 26, 2023
This book was not what I was expecting but it was good! It went through the different attributes of Christ
May 6, 2024
I just hate the way this book is written. It does such a bad job of helping me to marvel at the attributes of God.
May 11, 2025
This book talks about individual attributes about God in a couple of pages and is one of my favorites! It was truly educational in growing in Gods word!
January 15, 2024
“How foolish are they who know not God! So many good things before their eyes, yet Him Who Is they fail to see.”
February 6, 2021
This book was a present from Mom & Dad for Christmas, so I eagerly started reading this about a month back. It was slightly confusingly labeled, as its subtitle calls it a "devotional guide" to the attributes of God. And I suppose one could call it a devotional guide, but really? This is just a very fine book walking one through the attributes of God, with a focus on Christ and on our response. And you know what? This book is pretty fantastic. I read about one or two chapters (one attribute per chapter) per sitting and the words therein greatly enriched my soul as I thought and pondered more on who God is. I have rarely read such a wonderfully concise and yet also rich treatment of the attributes of God. Soaked through with Scripture and also quotes from so many Puritans (loved the Owen quotes!) and others, this book takes God seriously and doesn't mince words in highlighting the attributes that make God God (and in contrast, show how we very clearly are not God). If you have not read a book on God's attributes before, this is a beautiful primer and most highly recommended. Very readable! I will plan to read this on a regular basis, simply for the encouragement that it provides. It is wonderful to think on who God is. He is worthy of all glory and all praise!
January 2, 2018
Awesome book. A devotional through each of God’s attributes, highly recommended
July 6, 2020
Simply wonderful
August 25, 2017
Have you lost sight of the glory, majesty, and wonder of who God is? Of who Jesus is? While we cannot fully know God, we can know Him truly in how He has chosen to reveal Himself in His Word. Sadly, however, much of our society has grown self-reliant, not needing God. Even preaching abounds today that offers a hurting, broken world a feeble, small god. For these reasons, “God Is”, by Mark Jones, senior pastor at Faith Vancouver Presbyterian Church (British Columbia), is a seriously important and needed book on many levels.
The book is comprised of 26 chapters, each dealing relatively briefly with a singular attribute of God. I say “relatively briefly” because each chapter could indeed be lengthier, but for the purpose of readability at a non-academic level, the chapters are digestible in as little as 10-15 minutes. Each chapter is further broken down into three sub-sections: (1) Doctrine; (2) How Christ manifests or displays the particular attribute; and (3) Application for believers.
Some Practical Uses (certainly not an exhaustive list):
First, “God Is” has the God-Man Christ Jesus at its center. Many “best-sellers” fall flat because they never truly address the Lordship of Christ or our need for Him. Many simply treat Him as a genie in a bottle, here to make your life more comfortable. This book will energize and renew your confidence in who Jesus Christ is.
Second, “God Is” could be used to direct one’s personal Bible study. Anyone who chooses to dig deeper into the attributes of God would be helped by using this book.
Third, “God Is” could just as easily be used to direct a small group Bible study. The chapters are short enough and readable for the average person to be helpful. While there are numerous theological words throughout, Jones handles them very simply. A small group could easily handle reading, studying, discussing, and praying through one attribute (chapter) per week.
Fourth, “God Is” is a WONDERFUL tool to direct one’s personal prayer life. As I read each chapter, I found myself praying in thankfulness that God has revealed Himself to be as described in the particular attribute. Praying with these attributes in the forefront of my mind as deepened my prayers.
Finally, “God Is” is well researched, providing biblical and historical support for the views explained. Jones leaned upon several authors (John Owen, Herman Bavinck, and Stephen Charnock, to name a few), which inspired me to want to read those authors’ works as well.
In our society, even those within the church have a difficult time when someone may correct their theology, even when done correctly and gently. Many say, “Well, who are you to say who God is? We can’t really know Him anyway. Who says I’m wrong?” I appreciate how Jones summed up such a reproach: “What do we really say when we speak of God? It is a wonder that we can say anything about Him, and yet he commands us to do so and to do it truly and well” (Loc. 2951). In other words, we may not know God fully, but we must know Him truly as He has chosen to reveal Himself. After all, “a poor doctrine of God leads to a poor understanding of Christ, and vice versa” (Loc. 2969).
Rating: I give “God Is” 5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received the Kindle format of this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my unbiased review of it. All opinions are mine.
The book is comprised of 26 chapters, each dealing relatively briefly with a singular attribute of God. I say “relatively briefly” because each chapter could indeed be lengthier, but for the purpose of readability at a non-academic level, the chapters are digestible in as little as 10-15 minutes. Each chapter is further broken down into three sub-sections: (1) Doctrine; (2) How Christ manifests or displays the particular attribute; and (3) Application for believers.
Some Practical Uses (certainly not an exhaustive list):
First, “God Is” has the God-Man Christ Jesus at its center. Many “best-sellers” fall flat because they never truly address the Lordship of Christ or our need for Him. Many simply treat Him as a genie in a bottle, here to make your life more comfortable. This book will energize and renew your confidence in who Jesus Christ is.
Second, “God Is” could be used to direct one’s personal Bible study. Anyone who chooses to dig deeper into the attributes of God would be helped by using this book.
Third, “God Is” could just as easily be used to direct a small group Bible study. The chapters are short enough and readable for the average person to be helpful. While there are numerous theological words throughout, Jones handles them very simply. A small group could easily handle reading, studying, discussing, and praying through one attribute (chapter) per week.
Fourth, “God Is” is a WONDERFUL tool to direct one’s personal prayer life. As I read each chapter, I found myself praying in thankfulness that God has revealed Himself to be as described in the particular attribute. Praying with these attributes in the forefront of my mind as deepened my prayers.
Finally, “God Is” is well researched, providing biblical and historical support for the views explained. Jones leaned upon several authors (John Owen, Herman Bavinck, and Stephen Charnock, to name a few), which inspired me to want to read those authors’ works as well.
In our society, even those within the church have a difficult time when someone may correct their theology, even when done correctly and gently. Many say, “Well, who are you to say who God is? We can’t really know Him anyway. Who says I’m wrong?” I appreciate how Jones summed up such a reproach: “What do we really say when we speak of God? It is a wonder that we can say anything about Him, and yet he commands us to do so and to do it truly and well” (Loc. 2951). In other words, we may not know God fully, but we must know Him truly as He has chosen to reveal Himself. After all, “a poor doctrine of God leads to a poor understanding of Christ, and vice versa” (Loc. 2969).
Rating: I give “God Is” 5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received the Kindle format of this book free of charge from Crossway in exchange for my unbiased review of it. All opinions are mine.
October 3, 2020
At first I thought the book was too shallow and redundant in many parts, but then I realized that everyone is at a different path in their spiritual journey and some parts of it could really help new believers. I reexamined my thoughts toward the book and came to the understanding that my biggest complaint was that the book tried to hard to explain God. Again, I think this can be helpful, but I think it has the potential to cross the line of understanding God and creating him in our image. I was immediately wary of this when I saw the title was “God Is”. Unfortunately, I do not think that my wariness was incorrect since most of this book, in my opinion, spoke too definitively of God and left little room for other interpretation. There are statements like “God is love,” which are true and an important part of our faith, but the nuances behind these statements should not be ironed out to make them fit our idea of God. We run the risk of becoming like Pharisees when we try to define every part of God. This also diminishes the idea of his infinite power and majesty. I think that this usually is not intentional, but it becomes kind of dangerous when we try to convince others that our view of the unexplainable parts of God is the correct view.
In his book, “God Is”, Jones sincerely tries to make God more accessible to people. Some parts of it, like sections of the chapters on omnipresence, blessedness, and majesty, were valuable, but much of the book came across as too conclusive and seemed to imply that the views he showed were the only accurate ones. I think that some of this book could be helpful for people starting to look into Christianity, but I would also be cautious in recommending it to new believers because of how definitive it is, since that has the potential to become indoctrination. Ultimately the best source of where to draw conclusions about God is God himself and his inspired word. There are things, like belief in the Trinity and the resurrection of Christ, that I think are not debatable when it comes to being a Christian, but there is a lot in our faith lives that are not essential beliefs. God has a lot of gray area and we should not try to shade him in with our own biases.
In his book, “God Is”, Jones sincerely tries to make God more accessible to people. Some parts of it, like sections of the chapters on omnipresence, blessedness, and majesty, were valuable, but much of the book came across as too conclusive and seemed to imply that the views he showed were the only accurate ones. I think that some of this book could be helpful for people starting to look into Christianity, but I would also be cautious in recommending it to new believers because of how definitive it is, since that has the potential to become indoctrination. Ultimately the best source of where to draw conclusions about God is God himself and his inspired word. There are things, like belief in the Trinity and the resurrection of Christ, that I think are not debatable when it comes to being a Christian, but there is a lot in our faith lives that are not essential beliefs. God has a lot of gray area and we should not try to shade him in with our own biases.
January 5, 2019
This is a good Reformed treatment of the attributes of God, by a capable theologian. It is written in a relatively simple style and probably understandable by most.
Each chapter follows a pattern of defining the attribute in question, relating it to Christ, then applying it to the believer.c
What I especially liked was his heavy use of 16th and 17th century Reformed theologians to open up and explain each doctrine.
There were a couple peculiarities though. First he blurred some distinctions that should be kept crystal clear, such as: God's judgment of the wicked vs his fatherly displeasure towards the sins of his children; also the servile fear (terror) the unredeemed have toward God vs the filial fear (awe) his children have towards him. In fairness, he did make these distinctions, but not in any way that stressed they are like night & day in difference from each other (which they most certainly are). Secondly, all of his applications were theologically sound, some of them very insightful, but a few did not seem to fit all that obviously with the attribute in question. So the application for the chapter on "Anthropomorphisms" was that our bodies as well as souls will be redeemed. A true and blessed thought! But if the chapter is about God accommodating to our weakness, I wonder if there are more direct application to make from that truth?
That's nitpicky, I guess. Don't let it stop you from reading the book, either. Regardless of all that, I recommend this book to those wanting to go deeper into the doctrine of God. You will be greatly rewarded, I believe.
Each chapter follows a pattern of defining the attribute in question, relating it to Christ, then applying it to the believer.c
What I especially liked was his heavy use of 16th and 17th century Reformed theologians to open up and explain each doctrine.
There were a couple peculiarities though. First he blurred some distinctions that should be kept crystal clear, such as: God's judgment of the wicked vs his fatherly displeasure towards the sins of his children; also the servile fear (terror) the unredeemed have toward God vs the filial fear (awe) his children have towards him. In fairness, he did make these distinctions, but not in any way that stressed they are like night & day in difference from each other (which they most certainly are). Secondly, all of his applications were theologically sound, some of them very insightful, but a few did not seem to fit all that obviously with the attribute in question. So the application for the chapter on "Anthropomorphisms" was that our bodies as well as souls will be redeemed. A true and blessed thought! But if the chapter is about God accommodating to our weakness, I wonder if there are more direct application to make from that truth?
That's nitpicky, I guess. Don't let it stop you from reading the book, either. Regardless of all that, I recommend this book to those wanting to go deeper into the doctrine of God. You will be greatly rewarded, I believe.
January 12, 2018
Mark Jones has written a very straight-forward, accessible guide to the attributes of God. In some aspects the book is a slice of systematic theology, systematized around who God is. The subtitle notes that it is "A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God," which I think is a fair assessment of what Jones offers up in the book. In fact, because of his approach, I decided to utilize the book devotionally, reading a chapter at a time along with my regular Bible study. The chapters are short (roughly 4-6 pages each), and each is divided into three simple sections: a doctrinal summary, the relation of the doctrine to Christ, and then an application.
Who is this book for? Pretty much everyone. He doesn't use big, academic words unless he's explaining them, and the writing style is straightforward, so it's pretty easy to read. Jones does point towards some great resources, for those who are interested in studying a little deeper into some of the attributes of God he discusses. Thus I would say that even academics and scholars will enjoy the book, because it is readily apparent that there is a depth and breadth of research undergirding what he actually writes.
Who is this book for? Pretty much everyone. He doesn't use big, academic words unless he's explaining them, and the writing style is straightforward, so it's pretty easy to read. Jones does point towards some great resources, for those who are interested in studying a little deeper into some of the attributes of God he discusses. Thus I would say that even academics and scholars will enjoy the book, because it is readily apparent that there is a depth and breadth of research undergirding what he actually writes.
October 26, 2022
It was a good book! While short it offered enough meat on the attributes of God to inspire more research and more depth spiritually so as not to leave you malnourished after reading it.
The layout was easy enough for anyone to follow covering the doctrinal aspects of God's attributes and then a short section on the practical application aspect of it. The strength of this book is seen in these two things.
There is a dearth of knowledge of God in the land today. Many preachers and Christians, in general, have gotten away from Theology Proper and have replaced it with a watered-down version of God a God made in the image of our culture. Of the many great aspects of Martyn Lloyd Jones' preaching, he was noted for bringing God into the pulpit. Far too much political and cultural junk creeping in and now a perverted view of God is being presented we need more of God in the pulpit and hearts of God's people. Being acquainted with the attributes of God and their application in our lives will help towards that end.
It's just over two hundred pages and written in an easy-to-read style that is within reach of many.
The layout was easy enough for anyone to follow covering the doctrinal aspects of God's attributes and then a short section on the practical application aspect of it. The strength of this book is seen in these two things.
There is a dearth of knowledge of God in the land today. Many preachers and Christians, in general, have gotten away from Theology Proper and have replaced it with a watered-down version of God a God made in the image of our culture. Of the many great aspects of Martyn Lloyd Jones' preaching, he was noted for bringing God into the pulpit. Far too much political and cultural junk creeping in and now a perverted view of God is being presented we need more of God in the pulpit and hearts of God's people. Being acquainted with the attributes of God and their application in our lives will help towards that end.
It's just over two hundred pages and written in an easy-to-read style that is within reach of many.
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