Dr. Sinclair Ferguson describes two thoughts in his book , In Christ Alone, that I resonated with immediately. Both are related to the systematic design of all that God has done.

The first is the need to gather input from well-trusted scholars, in addition to studying the scripture for myself. Dr. Ferguson talks of identifying scholars to study and realizing, “As I studied Romans, wrestling with some of its great truths, struggling with some of it tough passages, it became clear that countless feet had walked this way before.” Greater insights are available from greater minds than mine!

The second quote is a comment on the Word but is also about the overall grandeur of its contents. The context is how it every part fits together; the gospel truth of the exchange of Christ’s righteousness for our unrighteousness is

(a) consistent with the justice of God,

(b) consistent with all the teaching of the Old Testament, and

(c) possible only because of God; we contribute nothing.

The quote: “The sheer genius of the divine strategy is simply breathtaking.” Awesome.