The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D. A. Carson

My Growth Group at church has, for this year, been going through Cedarville University's Old Testament Literature course by Dr. Chris Miller.  I've really enjoyed going through these lectures each week, and despite having read the Bible many times, there is plenty that I have missed.  I recommend this for everybody interested in learning more about the Old Testament.  I wish I had seen it when I was a knew Christian, but I equally recommend it for those long in the faith, as there is always more to learn!

Anyway, during one of the lectures, Dr. Miller recommended a book: The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D. A. Carson. 

The Blurb says:

The theme of the love of God is inexhaustible, both in our experience and our theology. We will reflect on it and adore him for eternity. In today's world, however, it is a theme that has been taken for granted and treated as easily understood. Many see God in sentimental ways: he is a kind old man in the sky who wouldn't harm a fly, or an easy-going friend who gives them presents and helps them out of every difficult spot. 'God loves me,' cries one person, 'so surely he won't punish me.' 'God loves the whole world,' cries another, 'so we needn't worry about who will be saved.'
But is it really that easy? What does the Bible teach about God's love? What does it have to say about the wrath of the loving God, or about the loving God who is also sovereign Lord?
In this book, Don Carson turns his attention to these vital questions. He wants us to get a new perspective - one that sees God as awesome and glorious as well as loving. He wants us to take seriously the need for justice to be done and for God to be Lord. But most of all, he wants us to understand that these things are included in God's love, not opposed to it, and so to reach an even greater, richer, more 'truth-full' picture of the wonderful love of God.

I was  pleasantly surprised by this book.  I was expecting it to be very heavy and difficult reading, but it was interesting to a layman like me.  It goes through all the different facets of God's love, and why if you reduce His love to either "God loves everybody regardless" or "God only loves His own" you miss important understanding of who God is, you miss His mercy and judgement, you miss facets of His personality and indeed His enduring love, and reduce Him to a caricature or cliche, neither of which does Him justice.