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Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ

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Within the last few months there have been several books that sound an ominous tone . These books have come from the fields of economics, politics and culture. Authors describe an uncertainty, a recognition of something unsettling among us as a people. Into this mix John Piper offers his latest offering, Spectacular Sins.

Piper provides a theological foundation for what he suggests is an inevitability, evil will continue to flourish now and on into the future. Not a particularly cheery thought, but one, in a contemplative moment, we intuitively fear may be true. Particularly, as we consider the tensions that lurk just below the surface of modern life. There is a sense of being on the brink of some calamity that is never that far removed from our daily lives.

Among the writings presently offered by religious purveyors of what is essential to get through life today, there is very little substance. They offer little guidance or comfort for the harsh realities of life. Indeed, there is a weariness from trying to live our best life now and enjoying the material blessing of God. When calamity strikes these trite offerings are of little value. Reality quickly prompts questions such as Why me? Why now? In Spectacular Sins, Piper costructs a theological framework that allows us to properly deal with inevitable calamities.

This little book (128 pages) lifts the reader above a resigned sense of fatalism and reminds us of a great God and his loving watchful oversight over all things touching his creation. Piper states upfront that his job is, "to put the kind of ballast in the belly of your boat so that when these waves crash against your life, you will not capsize but make it to the harbor of heaven-battered and wounded, but full of faith and joy." (p.28)

Piper identifies calamities as, "the overwhelming evil in the world...heart rending calamities...calamities (that) strike the world of unbelievers and the children of God every day with mind-numbing pain." These calamities "...come directly from natural disasters, and some come directly from the sinful acts of man against man." (p. 25)

Unlike authors who create alarm and anxiety in the hearts of their readers over culture wars or politics, Spectacular Sins provides practical advice. Piper reminds us of the glories of Christ. (p. 32) He gives eight things to do with evil and four things never to do with evil. (p.50-51) His capstone is the sovereignty of God. Is there any truth that is so anemically understood among Christians today as God's sovereignity?

Finally, Piper states his objective in writing this book is "to strengthen your faith in the goodness and mercy and wisdom and power of God, not just in the midst of calamity, but in the very sins that are woven into the calamity." (p. 107) He closes with this charge, "When you are tempted to forsake God because of the greatness of evil and misery in the world, may you remember that the Bible has prepared us for temptation...and disaster never escape the good governance of the infinitely wise God." (p. 107) Piper spoke of these principles in an interview with a NPR correspondent about the Tsunami that occurred a few years back. That interview may be accessed through his ministry, Desiring God. Spectacular Sins is a wake-up call but more importantly a reminder of our sovereign and loving Father.

In the aftermath of the seemingly senseless murder of Dr. Fred Winters, this book is especially appropriate. As Al Meredith, pastor of Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, TX, said from behind the same pulpit in which Pastor Fred was shot and killed, "God has given us hope and peace in the face of life's worst tragedies.... God gives a peace that the world doesn't understand."

In the comfort and complacency of the western world, the question of evil is one that is difficult to answer. Compounding the problem is the heretical "prosperity gospel" teaching that is so pervasive today. It is only when we are confronted with the reality of evil in its rawest form that we are forced to address the issue. Sadly, many people use horrific events to rebel against God. Rather than flee to God as their shelter in time of storm, they ask the question, "How can a good God allow bad things to happen?" Rabbi Harold Kushner famously answered that question in his book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Unfortunately, his answer was that God can't help it. To answer the question of evil, Kushner minimized the power of God. He essentially said that God was too frail and powerless to overcome the omnipotence of evil in the world. The god he described is certainly not the God of the Bible.

Instead of following in the heretical footsteps of men like Kushner, in Spectacular Sins, John Piper chose to accurately describe the God of the Bible. In the book, he avoids the temptation to either minimize evil or God. He neither takes a monistic or dualistic view of evil. In other words, as opposed to the monist, evil is very real. As opposed to the dualist, it is not an eternal counterbalancing force to good.

Piper answers the question of evil by biblically expounding on the most spectacularly evil occurrences of history. The events he lists are far worse than any hurricane, tsunami, holocaust or senseless shooting. They are cosmically horrific events beginning with the fall of Satan and culminating in the murder of God incarnate. In each instance, Piper effectively shows that God is sovereign over even the most heinous evil imaginable.

One of the beauties of the book is how God is accurately portrayed as sovereign over evil without being the author of evil. While nothing is beyond the scope of God's almighty power, He is not culpable as the formative cause of evil. The only way to walk this fine line is to humbly embrace the tensions of Scripture which is what Piper does in a masterful and worshipful way.

The best way to answer the question of evil is to prepare for the test before it comes. Part of living in a fallen world is that storms will come to everyone. As James 1:2-4 states, every storm in life is a test that is designed to produce endurance in the lives of God's people. As with any test, it's best to know the answers in advance. This book will help prepare you for the tests.

John Piper's Spectacular Sins is, please forgive me, spectacular. Not so much a book as a 128-page Christ-exalting sermon from the warm, tender, and tough heart of a loving pastor. It is by no means exhaustive or expansive. Instead Piper focuses on six of the most vile and well-known sins from the narrative of Scripture; the rebellion of Satan, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the building of Babel, the sale of Joseph by his brothers, Israel asking for a king, and Judas Iscariot trading the most precious Treasure for thirty pieces of nothing.

This entire book is excellently God-honoring, but the last chapter, "Judas Iscariot, the Suicide of Satan, and the Salvation of the World," is worth ten times the price of the entire book. One thing that really popped out at me in the final chapter was when Dr. Piper compares Judas to anyone who goes after God merely for his gifts. He writes,

"Judas was a lover of money, and he covered it with a phony, external relationship with Jesus. And then he sold him for thirty pieces of silver. How many of his ilk are still around today! Don't be one. And don't be duped by one."


This is a much-needed exposition of what the health, wealth, and prosperity "gospel" really is; a convenient use of Jesus to get things, not God himself. Lest we be Pharisaical judges, we must remember that as sinners we are naturally idol worshipers, and without grace will want the gifts but not the Giver. We must oppose prosperity teaching intently and aggressively, but also lovingly and meekly, praying for those who preach and believe it.

This book is short. One could easily get through it in one or two sittings, but the chapters are small and divided into subsections to aid in a more spread-out, devotional reading. However you choose read it, you will be challenged and edified and comforted and enthralled with the majesty of God in his triumph and sovereignty over all sin, and with the radiance of this majesty in Jesus. Everyone not only should read this book; everyone needs this book (or at least its message)!

If you're looking for a good book that tackles the presence of sin, suffering, and evil in the world from a balanced, biblical perspective, Piper's Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose In The Glory of Christ would be a great read.

In the chapter The Fall of Satan and the Victory of Christ, I found the following quite helpful:

How the sin arises in Satan's heart, we do not know. God has not told us. What we do know is that God is sovereign over Satan, and therefore Satan's will does not move without God's permission. And therefore every move of Satan is part of God's overall purpose and plan. And this is true in such a way that God never sins. God is infinitely holy, and God is infinitely mighty. Satan is evil, and Satan is under the all-governing wisdom of God. (pp. 47-48)

Table of Contents:

Introduction: The Times Are Changing

1. God Sovereign over Human Sin

2. Christ Sovereign over All Hostile Powers

3. The Fall of Satan and the Victory of Christ

4. The Fatal Disobedience of Adam and the Triumphant Obedience of Christ

5. The Pride of Babel and the Praise of Christ

6. The Sale of Joseph and the Son of God

7. The Sinful Origin of the Son of David

Judas Iscariot, the Suicide of Satan, and the Salvation of the World

A Closing Prayer

and so on... (128 pages)

You may not agree with Piper on every theological issue. That's fine. But the state of our world requires that you read a book like this one.

I read this engaging book in just 3 hours and it was worth every minute. Piper has a great understanding of the issues between sin and sovereignty and he communicates them well.

Another pleasant suprise was seeing a few Acts 29 pastors review the book. Piper has really opened himself up to see the church from broader perspectives.

A great read.

This book had been on my wish list for a while, and my wife snagged it for me for Christmas '09. Quick words that describe my reaction:
Good, not great. I wasn't left breatlessly desiring more, but I benefited from reading.
Insightful, yet repetitious. In a book this short, you don't have to remind me at the beginning of each chapter what your book is about. I wanted to tear out the first page of each chapter of the book because of this.
There were some great moments in the book--Piper describing how God turned sin and evil on its collective head by using the apparant tragedy of the crucifixion to fulfill His purpose is a great example. Piper does a great job pointing out how even evil does not escape God's sovereign hand. There is no chaos with Him.
Due to its brevity and cost, this is a great value, and recommended read.

John Piper does not shy away from controversial subjects, especially when the future health of the church is at stake. The reality of suffering and God's sovereign plan in and through it are the core issues in Spectacular Sins, and Piper deals with them masterfully. This short book is filled with punch, from the incredible introduction, which sets the earnest tone of the entire work, to the prayer at the end. Piper warns the church that we need this theology to weather the storms that are coming, whether they be personal tragedies, or broader cultural challenges. Lightweight thoughts about God and His plan will simply not do. To speak this way of God's sovereignty is uncomfortable for many, for many think it puts God too close to being the author of evil. But Piper carefully shows from Scripture in story after story in the Bible how God is at work in and through evil to accomplish his purposes. This is seen nowhere better than in the betrayal, arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. The greatest sin ever committed was turned by God for the salvation of His people. And this was not something He developed on the fly, rather, it was His plan from the foundation of the world.

This book will make you think deeply and for many, it will bring them to an expansive view of God's power which will lead to worship, repentance and rock-solid trust in God.

Spectacular Sins was an insightful read in which our whole essence of our existence is for the glorification of Christ Jesus; and to be able to have that direct relationship with the heavenly Father through His Son. I would recommend the book to be read and discussed within a group setting; for it will likely result in some very stimulating exchanging of ideas between each other in the group. Thank you.

As usual, Piper has diagnosed a serious illness of modern evangelicalism and prescribed powerful medicine that we all need. God is sovereign; He is in control of all that takes place according to His wise, gracious and Christ-glorying plan. As our culture continues to slide into increasing rebellion we need to be prepared not only for the suffering we now experience personally but what our culture is about to inflict on us all. He is not surprised, but still works His goodness.

This is a usual Piper book in that one can read it over and over and pick up new concepts. He tackles some really heavy issues in this one, questions I've thought about for decades.