Bo Giertz is best known for his classic novel, The Hammer of God, which has been translated into eleven languages. Dr. Robert Kolb calls it “The best treatment of Law and Gospel in the history of Lutheran theology.” Incredibly, Giertz wrote his classic in six weeks, but it is considered one of the most influential and important theological books in Swedish history. It was with this backdrop that I began reading To Live with Christ, a daily devotional translated by Bror Erickson. The devotional is fairly long (more than 800 pages) and is organized by the Church Year, starting with the season of Advent. Each devotional begins with a verse from the pericope text, a devotional, and a short prayer.

In this collection of devotional writings, Bo Giertz offers what forward writer John Pless calls “sturdy confessional Lutheranism with warm piety born of confidence in the Gospel.” I agree with Pless’ assessment of the Giertz devotional. It has strong doctrinal content with a clear emphasis on the objective Gospel. Each devotional Scripture passage is exegeted with precision and with obvious concern for the proper distinction of Law and Gospel. There is also concern for living a life of virtue and producing fruit of righteousness. The prayers at the end of each devotional display the “warm piety born of confidence in the Gospel.” In fact, the prayers were often my favorite part of the devotional. An example of one of the prayers: “Lord, let us, your poor servants, confess your name in all boldness. We have been able to see your truth. Don’t ever allow usto be ashamed of it! We have encountered your love. Let us not keep it for ourselves! You have given us your light. Let us experience it joyfully so it shines for others!”

While the devotional book contains strong doctrinal content, you will not need to have a dictionary nearby. This devotional is written in simple, easy-to-understand language. One could easily read each devotional in less than ten minutes, but I would advise spending time contemplating the message and reflecting on the application of each devotional to your life.