Do you ever find yourself feeling complacent when you hear the Gospel and wish you could restore the freshness of its meaning? Or maybe you are a new believer trying to grasp the significance of the cross? Whether you are a new believer or an experienced one, in The Gospel for Real Life: Turn to the Liberating Power of the Cross…Every Day, Jerry Bridges explains how the Gospel applies to your life every single day.
The author first starts with the bad news. If you thought you weren’t that bad of a sinner or that you don’t sin every single day, the author is quick to prove you wrong. It is against the backdrop of understanding the depth of your sin and then the awareness of the vast contrast with the holiness of God that you can fully understand the meaning and significance of the cross. The author illuminated this point in such a way to cause me to question myself – I knew my good deeds would not save me, but am I now trusting in them somehow to make myself more acceptable?
Then the author delivers the good news. The Gospel DOES result in forgiveness and eternal life, but it also includes the inheritance you can currently grasp right here on earth. God wants you to enjoy His “unsearchable riches,” in the middle of life and all its difficulties. The benefits of the Gospel are available not just in your initial salvation but in your day-to-day acceptance of it throughout life.
Intimidating theological terms (propitiation, expiation, progressive sanctification, etc.) are explained without feeling like a systematic theology primer. He uses common life illustrations to help the reader grasp the full meaning. He goes further to display the importance of the concepts of these terms and how they are about living out your faith, not just knowledge you hold in your head. The book concludes with how you become the person you are becoming and your calling to share the Gospel with others. The study guide at the back would be great for either personal Bible study or small groups with much opportunity for discussion and application.
I loved this book immensely! It enriched the meaning of the cross for me and pushed me to think hard about my faith and the Holy Spirit’s work in me. Even more, I learned how I have failed to grasp all that I am entitled to through Christ and am opening my eyes to what it means to become partakers and beneficiaries of all He did in both His life and death.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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