The Doctrines of Grace: Student Edition

I had never even heard of the doctrines of grace until I was in my early twenties. I remember reading a sermon by Jonathon Edwards that opened the curtain on these doctrines and let the light in. But at first, along with this strange sense of joy and respect for God’s sovereignty, I was really troubled. This led me to read more on the subject. If Edward’s sermon was like opening the curtains, R. C. Sproul’s book, Chosen By God, opened the window and let the fresh air in. Shane Lems has written a book that I believe will help our youth breath in the fresh air of the doctrines of grace. There are several things about this book that make The Doctrines of Grace: Student Edition very accessible for the youth in the church. The Cover is Cool: Let’s face it, if I still have a proclivity to judge a book by its cover, so do teenagers. And this book has a cool cover. It looks like a Phys. Ed. shirt. It’s also a little foreshadowing because learning about the doctrines of grace is a bit of a theological workout. The Book is Succinct: I have a 14-year-old and an 11-year-old in the youth group already. One thing I know is that if you are not concise and crisp, you will lose them. Lems gets right to the point. The body of the book is only 90 pages long, with a very helpful appendix added to that. There’s a Very Helpful Appendix: This book is just an introduction, so Lems has a section for suggested further reading at the end. I do have a complaint from personal, nostalgic preference. Although he does have a book from both R. C. Sproul and Michael Horton referenced, the two that were pivotal and helpful for me were not on the list. I’ve mentioned Sproul’s Chosen by God. Coming out of a dispensational church, Michael Horton’s Putting Amazing Back into Grace was really helpful to my understanding. However, this book is aimed more for those already in the Reformed church. There is also an appendix with a breakdown of Scripture references for each of the points in the TULIP acronym, as well as one with all of the references for TULIP in our confessions. And since Lems refers to the Canons of Dort often, he provides this confession in the back of the book as well. Lems Doesn’t Try to be Cool: He isn’t a teenager, and he doesn’t try to act like he is one. This is one of the most important elements to consider in pulling off a book for youth. They can spot a poseur a mile away. At the same time, Lems is not condescending and he doesn’t back away from the difficultly of the subject matter. He respects his target audience enough to deliver the goods. He Provides Definitions: Lems doesn’t attempt to come up with new words that may be more palatable to the youth, or provide an updated version of TULIP. He keeps to tradition, and then highlights the definitions of the terms he is using. Thank you! The Chapters are Short, and They Have Study Questions: Babaam, this book is perfect for a unit in youth group. All the work is done, and the chapters are so short, they can even be read aloud in class. The author recommends providing notebooks for each student, which I think would make a great resource for them to have along with the book. It would be good to use them to record their own questions, and get the answers. Dreaded but Beloved Memory Work: Does anyone really like memory work? I don’t know. I certainly find it a difficult chore to memorize. But it is valuable, and Lems provides two memory verses at the end of each chapter that help to seal the deal. There’s More to Reformed Theology than TULIP: And Lems makes this point clear. I think this is a really important point to make in the book and was thankful that he did. Also important, Lems gives the history of how this whole TULIP thing came about as a response to the Remonstrants. He doesn’t teach our five points without showing how they are a response to the Arminian’s infamous five. And the author highlights why it is better to refer to them as the doctrines of grace, rather than Calvinism. So there you have it, The Doctrines of Grace: Student Edition is a well-organized book for the youth in your home and in your church. I am thankful for this helpful resource to help our youth get a handle on these glorious doctrines while they are still young.   *Thanks to Shane Lems for providing a free book in exchange for my honest review. I will be using it with my own children!