Another excellent book from the late RC Sproul! I’m so glad this beloved saint produced such a great body of work before the Lord took him home! This title is much needed in the church, where people tend to not understand Christian growth. He does a great job balancing the fact that God is responsible for our growth in holiness, yet we must strive with great effort to grow also...knowing that all that striving is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Highly recommended!

Growing in Holiness by R.C. Sproul is about the process of growing in the Christian faith. Mr. Sproul writes about perseverance, barriers to growing in your faith and how to overcome those barriers, illustrating the Holy Spirit in our lives, and loving God and others amongst other topics. Mr. Sproul was a great teacher, which is evident in his writings. Mr. Sproul wrote so that readers would grow and understand their faith and gain a deeper understanding of Scripture.

As I read this book, I gained so much knowledge. R.C. Sproul writes about Christlikeness and he wrote that how we grow in Christlikeness we have to have the confidence that we are in Christ and through this confidence we will pursue love. This truth is just one of many I believe will help you to grow in your faith and in your pursuit of a relationship with God.

I recommend this book to everyone whether you are a new believer, or you’ve had a relationship with God for many years. This book will transform your life and your growth in your faith.

Happy Reading!

The content of Growing in Holiness  - Understanding God's Role and Yours was taken from lectures of theologian R. C. Sproul, who passed away in 2017. Growing in Holiness is the first book by this author that I’ve read and I found it to be an extraordinary guide for living a Christian life.

The predominant current-day Christian motto is, “God is love.” It’s a far cry from “fire and brimstone” that was predominant in the recent past. And the truth really lies somewhere between. As our perfect Father, God IS true love but He also has expectations of how we’re to live as His children.

Author Sproul skillfully navigates both the loving aspect of God and the accountability aspect. None of the accountability is sugarcoated. He states that being a Christian is work. That we need to imitate Christ rather than follow the ways of the world. And one particularly sobering reminder to me – the gate to heaven is narrow.

Growing in Holiness tackles age-old questions, such as “How do I know God’s will for my life?” and “How do I ensure my salvation?” It covers the specific things we need to do to grow in the Lord. These are actionable items that many Christians probably know but don’t always execute.

And then there are the challenges Sproul lobs out. Are we complacent Christians? Are we sitting back and resting on our perceived Christianity? He states that many of us get lulled into a ‘works-oriented’ Christianity, but God cares about what we ARE more than what we DO. Sproul also says faith is not to remain private. Our duty is not to possess faith but to profess it.

Dr. Sproul’s points are made in reference to scripture and his explanations are easy to follow. The book delivers exactly what the title promises including discussion of the fruits of the Spirit. It has the potential to be a true game-changer for both new and seasoned Christians. There are few books I consider “must read”. This is one.

How this book affected me:
This book is everything. I found this book to be one of the most insightful and impactful explanations about what it means to really grow in holiness and how I can make changes in my heart and lifestyle to honor God in the way Christians are called to do. This book challenged me in many ways and motivated me in even more ways.

Who would enjoy this book:
Anyone looking to strengthen their relationship with God would benefit from Growing in Holiness.*(Affiliate link) Readers searching for what it means to really live as a Christian would gain immense insight from this book.

Our Christian Book Reviews:
The book reviews at Finding God Among Us focus on Christian books - adult and children, fiction and nonfiction. We're proud to be included in the Top 50 Christian Book Review Bloggers. I chose to read an ARC from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. This review is my honest opinion.

"Growing in Holiness" talked about sanctification and justification. He started off with some basics, like how growing in holiness takes a lifetime. He suggested setting goals with deadlines; basically, a 'to do' list like: master the Scriptures, be more active in prayer, attend church regularly, etc. He talked about some struggles and obstacles that stand in the way of sanctification and how we should reflect God's character and imitate Christ. He made it clear that Christ's righteousness is what justifies us and saves us, and it's by faith in what Christ did that we are saved. He talked about how people can think they are saved when they are not and how to tell if you're saved. He talked about how God's love for us allows us to love others, the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13), and using the Fruit of the Spirit to measure our spiritual growth.

Throughout the book, he made the process of growing in holiness sound like something you do out of duty (in gratitude) and in your own strength. On only one occasion did he mention doing good works out of love for God. He also didn't discuss deepening your relationship with God, just obediently doing activities that will sanctify and following His commands. It seemed to me like he was missing a critical part of the process.

First sentence: Where we’re going is crucial, but so is knowing how to get there. When we embrace the Bible’s teaching that God created us so that we might praise Him through holy living, it is tempting to seek quick fixes and fast solutions.

It is January. It is perhaps too early to say that I've found my absolute favorite book of the year. Though I can say with confidence that it is absolutely my favorite read of January. I can say this book is all kinds of fabulous. It is a GREAT read.

Earlier this week I reviewed John MacArthur's Sanctification. It was a good book, a solidly good book. But this one was AMAZING. (TRUE, it was twice as long. If MacArthur's book had been equally long, close to two hundred pages, perhaps his book would be equally wonderful and gush-worthy.)

This book covers all aspects of sanctification, aka GROWING in HOLINESS. In other words, it tackles the question: how do I live a life that is pleasing to God?! Or...how do I live out the faith I profess? I believe. I've been baptized. Now what?!

Sproul urges throughout that there are no short cuts to holiness, to growth. That one doesn't just happen to grow, or accidentally becomes holy.

Sproul writes, "If we want to experience greater Christlikeness, we need to intentionally plan to grow. If we want to grow in holiness, we must begin with our Maker, Designer, and Sustainer. Knowing our destination shapes our journey along the way. To grow in holiness assumes a standard to live by. It also assumes One who requires such a standard. So we begin with God as both Creator and Redeemer."

I loved this book--every chapter, every page. It was EXCELLENT. It was OUTSTANDING. If you only read one book on holiness, read this one...

R.C. Sproul’s latest book comes out tomorrow (Jan 21st)! I know what you’re thinking – “Didn’t he pass away recently?” Yes, but Growing in Holiness comes out of his previous lectures.

I wish he had “written” this book earlier, because it’s one of his most practical books, and probably the best book on the topic of Sanctification. That’s the real topic of this book, not “holiness,” although that topic is covered in depth as well. I wouldn’t call this a sequel to his bestseller Holiness of God because you don’t have to read it to dive into this book. But I do recommend you pick that up soon as well (link on the bottom). Anyway, that book covers holiness, while this new book covers the practical question, “How do I get to holiness?”

But this is not some ridiculous Things to Do manual. He doesn’t spell out in minute detail how to pray or study the Bible or embark on some spiritual endeavor. That’s not what I mean by practical. Before there can be actual “running towards the goal,” this book shows the overarching theological understanding of relevant Scripture. Then Sproul shows how to apply that in your personal race. He talks about the typical obstacles to our Christian walk, like worldliness, conforming to culture, our fleshly desires, Satan (spiritual warfare), and feelings of inadequacy.

Not every page is great. Chapter 3 was boring and Chapter 4 was unnecessary. Although I agree with everything he wrote, I think it helps only minimally for sanctification. The rest of the book is awesome in his usual clarity. It's a little ironic that he's writing about sanctification when his own process has been completed.
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It’s a very good book. Highly recommended.

God is holy, and we are to reflect that holiness so that this whole work of growing in sanctification is a growing in holiness. It is a growing within us-not only of redemption, but of movement toward the fulfillment and consummation of the very purpose of our creation. We were made to glorify God and to bear witness to the whole cosmos of God's character.

Understanding who God is and our relationship with God is the beginning to understanding God's role in our sanctification. It is a slow process, it is intentional, and it leads to spiritual maturity that we are able to love others freely and God purely. RC Sproul teaches with authority and clarity that I am not left with a list of do's and don'ts but who God is. We must look at our sanctification from God's holiness. A key word of the bible is holy. Set apart. Take notice.

The text starts with the beginning in the Garden of Eden. The first 3 chapters is loaded with God's character and how we are easily deceived. But it does'nt stop without the hope of a promise. Because of the love of God, we have hope and because we have hope, we can work out our salvation. Growing in holiness. To reflect God's glory. Even though I am far from it, I have hope that God who began a good work will finish it in me.

The text also addresses our need to justify ourselves just as the rich man did. It is important to see his motivation as we will see our own in him. Jesus always get to the motivation of our hearts to set us apart for holiness. The christian tension that never ends but at the same time brings me to the cross.

If you are looking for good solid teac