The “Pocket Guide” series from Christian Focus is a great idea. Each book takes a subject or a doctrine and condenses it to a small, shirt-pocket size book in a way that is both comprehensive and concise, in-depth yet brief. Iain Campbell’s A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Sin is the most recent of these little gems.
The title is bound to be misread by many, even if only for a moment: A Christian’s Guide to Sin sounds like a “how-to” manual! But of course the subtitle clears that up, and inside we find a helpful exposition of the biblical doctrine of sin. Readers may be familiar with Campbell’s earlier book, The Doctrine of Sin (Mentor, 2009), a larger work that prepared him well for this briefer work that compresses so much into fewer than a hundred small-size pages of text.
Table of Contents
1 The Bible and Sin: Identifying the Disease
2 God and Sin: What the Disease is Doing in God’s World
3 Man and Sin: How the Disease Affects the Human Experience
4 The Cross and Sin: Is There a Cure?
5 The Christian and Sin: Applying the Remedy while Living with the Disease
6 Epilogue: What’s the Use of Sin?
Endorsements
Fred Zaspel
In the short space of this little book Iain Campbell provides a robust, biblical view of sin that all sides will find insightful and that will inevitably lead to a deeper appreciation of our Redeemer and the provisions of his gospel. A welcome introduction to a most important, too often neglected Christian doctrine.
Mark Jones
The church needs more books addressing the topic of sin. Therefore, I am deeply thankful for this book by Dr. Iain Campbell, which gives us a solid theological introduction to the doctrine of sin. What should be a rather depressing book actually becomes a book full of hope because the author, with keen pastoral instincts, leads us to the remedy for sin found in Christ Jesus.
Joel Beeke
If we would be convinced to take the medicine, we must know the severity of our disease. In this brief but theologically robust, well-written, and much-needed book, Dr. Iain Campbell powerfully exposes the darkness of our condition in a way that makes the good news of Christ shine all the brighter.
Steven Lawson
Countless Christians through the centuries have sought to aid all believers in their battle with the ongoing problem of sin. Like the stalwarts of old, Iain Campbell can be added to the list of those aiding us with clear and concise instruction on how to wage war with the enemy of our souls. This pocket guide will become a battle manual for any Christian desiring to yield the sword of the Spirit against the onslaughts of prevailing sin. There is no book I had rather recommend than one meant to teach believers how to daily conquer the plague of sin. This book will be a great asset to you in your daily battle.