Piper seeks to provide a biblical perspective on God's sovereign and righteous governance overeven the sinful acts of men.

History's greatest sins do not thwart God's purposes to save his people and glorify his Son; they fulfill them. And knowing this is the key to having "Christ-exalting strength in calamity and Christ-exalting courage in conflict." ( )

As I close a finished book, few leave me wanting to start at page one and read it again. But, the impact of John Piper’s "Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ" was so profound that as I read the last page, I immediately wanted to soak more of its truth into my bones, starting again with the first page. Apparently I am not alone in my admiration. In 2009, Piper’s work in this small gem won the prestigious Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Medallion of Excellence Christian Book Award. With good reason. Piper’s ability to interpret heady doctrinal beliefs into soul language that translates into practical application has established him as one of the great Christian thinkers of modern time.

Piper tackles God’s sovereignty over sin and evil, always with a finger in the Bible, in a way that was truly paradigm-shifting for me. Using Colossians 1:16 as his key passage, Piper gives us a glimpse into why God allows evil to even exist: “For by Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him.” Indeed, he continues, even evil rulers and authorities were created by God with full knowledge of “what they would become and how it is that precisely in that evil role they would glorify Christ.” This author lays his groundwork in the first couple chapters of "Spectacular Sins" demonstrating that “spectacular sins do not just fail to nullify God’s purpose to glorify Christ, they succeed, by God’s unfathomable providence, in making [H]is gracious purpose come to pass.”

In the remainder of this book, this engaging author examines some of history’s greatest sins – from Satan’s rebellion against God to Judas’ spectacular betrayal of Jesus Christ . As Piper visits these most famous of all sins, he continually points us to God’s greater purpose and hand in using evil to ultimately “magnify the glory of our Savior and increase the gladness of [H]is people in [H]im.”

Through "Spectacular Sins", Piper provided me with a fresh glimpse into God’s great plan of salvation, established before the foundation of the world. Jesus’ death and resurrection was not an afterthought; it was not God’s answer to the waywardness of humanity. The Cross was and is, the ultimate display of His incredible grace, mercy and love, made all the more beautiful in light of evil’s intentions. When wounded by others’ sin, may I stand with Joseph, the man whose brothers sold him into slavery and who eventually saved the nation of Israel, in saying, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” ( )

One of Piper's recent books talking God's sovereignty in ordaining some of the most sinful acts in history.

Key Quote = "The death of Jesus Christ was murder. It was the most spectacular sin ever committed...God did not just overcome evil at the cross. He made evil serve the overcoming of evil." ( )