Like so many in my generation, my thinking has been particularly shaped by the preaching and the writings of three men: RC Sproul, John MacArthur, and John Piper. Last week, Robert Charles Sproul passed away at the age of 78. Sproul was part pastor, part professor, and part author. He has rightly been called the “Luther” of his generation. God used the ministry of RC Sproul to open the eyes of an entire generation. that we might see and delight in the holiness of God.

A number of excellent tributes were written last week. Popular blogger Tim Challies used his popular A La Carte post to compile many of those tributes. The Gospel Coalition also posted a number of articles about the life and ministry of RC Sproul. My favorite was a post by Matt Smethurst listing 40 memorable Sproul quotes. My social media feeds have been filled with short video clips of Sproul. You can watch my favorite clip here.

In this post, to honor RC Sproul, I simply want to list my 7 favorite RC Sproul books.

1. The Holiness of God … Perhaps more than any other book, The Holiness of God has shaped the way I think about God and his character. It’s a book I’ve read multiple times, and it’s a book I’ve used for small group discipleship in several contexts.
2. What Is Reformed Theology … This book was originally published as Grace Unknown. I read the book in college, and again in a PhD seminary on the theology of evangelism. Here Sproul offers a clear explanation of reformed soteriology.
3. Not a Chance … This is actually the first Sproul book I ever read. The first time through this book I only understood a fraction of the content. It didn’t matter. With that first read I was hooked and wanted to read everything Sproul had written.
4. Willing to Believe … So many debates about salvation and soteriology come down to the issue of our ability to accept Christ. In Willing to Believe Sproul tackles the important issue of “free will” and presents a biblical picture of the issue.
5. Chosen by God … When someone comes to be with questions about reformed theology, election, or predestination, Chosen by God is the first book I recommend. The treatment is clear enough for most readers, and deep enough for all thinkers.
6. Knowing Scripture … This book was the first book I read on the issue of biblical hermeneutics. I’ve read other helpful books since then, but Knowing Scripture remains one of my favorite introductory books on this topic.
7. The Consequence of Ideas … After Not a Chance, this was the second Sproul book I read. I’ve never been crazy about philosophy, but The Consequence of Ideas helped me see the importance of understanding how other people think about the world.