Who would you say are the most influential Christians in the history of the church?
Perhaps, Saint Augustine, Martin Luther or maybe John Calvin?
We read the books and commentaries they have written, we are encouraged by the sermons that they have preached, and we admire their greatness. We usually think of them as nearly perfect giants of the faith— studying quietly inside their own peaceful bubble, relentlessly writing, rarely disturbed— enjoying a mystical union with God that they alone could know.
But John Piper reminds us that: Their experience of God's Majesty and grace in their weaknesses—and in the face of countless injustices and adversities—-made all the difference. It led Augustine to abandon worldly pleasures. Luther to a deep, continuous study of the Word, and Calvin not only to invigorated biblical preaching, but also to proclaim, “1 should rather die a hundred times than subject Christ to... foul mockery.” This grace and power that can only come from God can have the same effect in your life.
If ever you are lukewarm and halfhearted about sin, if you feel you lose the joy of Christ, if ever you are dulled by the world’s influence, the lives of these men can help ;you recapture the wonder and majesty of God. Taking you through the lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin and inviting you to look at their imperfections, author John Piper leads you through the story of their transformations, and to behold the reflection of God in their lives so that a greater passion for God's glory may be inspired in your own.
