“The Legacy of Sovereign Joy” is the first book by Pastor
John Piper in a series entitled “The Swans are not
Silent”. This series gives a brief glimpse into the lives
of people used by God in the history of the church.
However, the purpose is not primarily biographical,
but to highlight the character of God in the lives of
these notable Christians. As the title suggests, the
focus of this book is finding joy in a sovereign God. The
characters Piper focuses on are St. Augustine, Martin
Luther and John Calvin.
After a brief introduction where he makes it clear that
each of the men looked at were used by God in spite
of their flaws (“Savoring the Sovereignty of Grace in
the Lives of Flawed Saints”), Piper spends one chapter
on each of the men drawing out what he feels to be
a picture of how they demonstrated a joyful passion
for God’s sovereign grace. In the life of Augustine we
see “the liberating power of holy pleasure”, a man who
finally recognized that all the pleasure of earth
could not compare to the pleasures of God. “Saving
grace, converting grace, in Augustine’s view, is God’s
giving us a sovereign joy in God that triumphs over all
other joys…”
In the life of Martin Luther, shaped by
the teachings of Augustine, we see not only a passion
for God’s saving grace, but a zeal for the Word of God
through which that grace is revealed. Piper seizes upon
Luther’s dedication to study to exhort the reader to
zealously study God’s Word. Finally, Piper uses the
life of John Calvin to promote the “Divine Majesty of
the Word” through preaching. (“Let the pastors boldly
dare all things by the word of God…but let them do all
according to the word of God.”)
Divine Satisfaction! 