Christian Book Notes

Rowe, Tim.  The Magnificent Goodness of God and How it Will Transform Your Life.  Xulon Press, 2009.  424 pp.  $25.99.  Purchase at Amazon for $19.75 or less.

Introduction

Tim Rowe has been a practicing attorney in Indiana for 25+ years.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association.  He hosts a radio program called “You and the Law” as well as being featured on the weekly television show, “Faith and the Law.”  You can learn more about Tim at his website.

Summary

At 424 pages, The Magnificent Goodness of God is an enormous book that practically leaves no stone unturned.  He begins with the “revolutionary truth that God is always good” and moves to show what this means to the believer.  He explores the unlimited benefits of His goodness and how they are our shield.

Once that is established, Tim exhorts the reader to taste the goodness of God in everyday living.  He then unpacks the various meanings of God’s name as revealed in the Old Testament.  After unpacking the glorious truths revealed by God, he moves to our battles as believers and how the goodness of God enables us to find victory.

After calling us to battle because of God’s goodness, we are given our duties.  In these final seven chapters, we are called to excel in good works by bringing God’s goodness into the world.

Review

The title alone indicates just how expansive this book is.  The Magnificent Goodness of God and How it Will Transform Your Life brings to mind a puritanical title.  If only he had one of those “or” titles!  Tim Rowe’s first book is certainly well written and researched.  He writes as one who has lived in the goodness of God for some time and wants to share his experiences with others.

Rowe cites many of my personal heroes in the faith (men like Martyn Lloyd-Jones).  His study takes him down a long winding path to better understand what it really means for the believer to trust in an all-good God.  I appreciated his layman approach to some heavy doctrines and attributes of God.

Far from being written in a technical manner, The Magnificent Goodness of God offers sound theology and application that every Christian can use.  He does not pretend to know everything as he cites numerous sources for his explanations and applications.

Tim Rowe writes as one who was studying the doctrine of the goodness of God in order to teach it to a Sunday School class.  Given his “day job” as a lawyer, I appreciated his in depth analysis and approach to teaching as he sought to help everyone understand what he himself has learned.

Recommendation

I must admit that seeing that the book was self-published by a lawyer, I was a bit apprehensive.  It turns out, I was merely judging the book by its cover!  Tim Rowe’s research and simple approach to explaining the importance of the goodness of God in our lives is to be commended.

This book is not meant to be read and placed on a shelf.  It needs to be read and chewed on and ultimately lived out in your daily living.  The chapters on the names of God are rich with devotional material as are the exhortations to action found in chapters 19-25.