Good Read: Following Christ by Charles Spurgeon
About the Author
Spurgeon was Born in the year 1834 and died in 1892. His name is a popular one among classic Christian authors, better known as the “Prince of Preachers”, having been an influential preacher during his time. Many of his sermons has been turned into books and he is well read even among believers today.
Book Summary
Following Christ is mostly aimed towards encouraging believers to take action and live for Christ using whatever they may have at their disposal, whether talents or resources understanding that following Jesus should the believer’s chief aim. He emphasizes that:
Following Christ is a necessity for the believer. For we have been saved to serve Him, Jesus calls us to follow Him (John 12:26).
“If you intend to serve Jesus make your mind like a tablet of wax under His stylus, that He may write on you whatsoever He pleases. Be Christ’s slate, that he may make His mark on you. Be His sheet of paper on which He may write His living letters of love. You can serve Him in this way in the best possible manner.
The rest of the book expands upon this principle of following Christ, with directives on how to fulfill the great commission and how different that may look for each person. He points out that Christ must be central to Christian service, from beginning to end, that it is a joyful experience, made possible with the help of the Holy Spirit. The Christian must bear fruit, work together, safe guard themselves, understanding the urgency of the times, be consistent with the message and all for God’s glory.
Review
Following Christ by Spurgeon, is a practical guide for the believer at any point in their walk with Jesus. It is built upon sound doctrine, with strong biblical references, and although it contains examples and excerpts from the authors own life, it does not lose it’s soundness to the authors opinions. The style of writing is quite captivating from the start. Spurgeon has a very poetic cadence to his writing, that brings his words to life.
The particular book, in terms of it’s style, content and purposes is a really good choice for a devotional read. It’s motivational and thought provoking but not too heavy or made complicated with too much theological jargon, making it a suitable gift for a new believer. It’s an easy read, if you are just looking for something to inspire you, encourage you or occupy you on a long trip. It also has the potential to spark deeper study if that’s what you are looking for as well, but it may require a little more effort on your part, in my opinion. There are beautiful quotable nuggets sprinkled throughout the book, but the weight of the content can really be grasped within the first three to five chapters. I personally read this book with a lighter approach, grabbing it before bed if I found sleep hard to come, or pulling it up on my phone when out and needing to burn some time. As a result there isn’t an extensive summary available for this book. At whatever point I chose to read it though, it always sparked some deeper thought on my own walk with Christ and how I could be more intentional in following Him.
STATUS: RECCOMENDED
You can grab a copy of this book on amazon, available in paperback, kindle, and audio. Currently the kindle version is free on amazon, so you can go get it now and add it to your library. Link here.
Additionally, to those who prefer audio this particular book is available to listen on YouTube via Aneko Press. So you can check that out too. Link here.
Happy Reading.
Kelly is the founder of Royalty Press United. Author of the Gemstone Royals fantasy series, Twist of Faith and Crossroads. Counseling psychologist, proud Grenadian and devoted follower of Christ.
