The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
The world is full of good things. Ice-cold lemonade. The laughter of children. College football. Scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. But what happens to these earthly pleasures when Jesus shows up? Do the things of earth grow strangely dim? Or does he shine in all that’s fair?
In this book, Joe Rigney offers a breath of fresh air to Christians who are burdened by false standards, impossible expectations, and misguided notions of holiness. Steering a middle course between idolatry on the one hand and ingratitude on the other, this much-needed book reminds us that every good gift comes from the Father’s hand, that God’s blessings should drive us to worship and generosity, and that a passion for God’s glory is as wide as the world.
Co-Winner of the 2016 Christianity Today Book Award in the Christian Living & Discipleship Category
Top Highlights
“But let’s just start with the obvious: when God says that it’s not good for man to be alone, it would have been entirely inappropriate for Adam to say, ‘What do you mean ‘alone’? I have you, God.’ That’s absolutely true—and completely beside the point.” (Pages 81–82)
“God’s glory is his Trinitarian fullness, or the abundance of perfections and knowledge and love and joy and life that he has within the Godhead.” (Pages 40–41)
“Most of us are familiar with discussions of typology in the Bible, as when we recognize that the Passover lamb was a type or image or picture of the sacrifice of Christ. King Solomon is a type of Christ (Matt. 12:42). The exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt is a type of our salvation from sin and death (Rom. 8:14). The Sabbath is a type of our ultimate rest with Christ (Heb. 4:9). The Scriptures are full of this sort of intentional foreshadowing and imaging of spiritual realities.” (Page 63)
“The word translated ‘think’ is logizomai, and it often means ‘consider’ or ‘regard.’ Putting” (Page 103)
“Creation, rather than being a means of enjoying the creator, becomes his rival” (Page 106)