I would like to speak to you today about the importance of the use of literature in the church, for evangelism, for instruction in Christian truth, for devotion, and for its role in planting churches. Protestants, in particular, are very weak in the proper use of literature to spread God s truth. Then, chapter after chapter in that prophecy we have a terrible picture of the life and practice of a people who were the professed people of God. Surely their sin and wickedness was the result of not knowing, and they did not know because they did not consider.
Books are to be used to dispel darkness and ignorance.
If men do not know, then they must acquaint themselves with facts by reading and studying. We need to use books to fight ignorance the ignorance of Christian truth and doctrine that is so prevalent in our churches today. It is appalling to meet people who have been communicant church members for years and who cannot find a place in the Bible, who do not have even a vague idea of the great doctrines of the Bible, and who cannot attach any true meaning to such basic terms as justification, sanctification, regeneration, election and predestination. Surely one of the reasons for the deadness and weakness of our churches is ignorance. We will not have churches that are strong and fruitful in experience until we have Christians who are strong in biblical doctrine.