Book Review

Just finished reading an interesting book by Mark Dever called The Gospel & Personal Evangelism. The book was a different pace and style for me, not something I would normally read, but I thought it was good.

Here are a few of the hits:

• And when we begin to realize it, we become thankful for the fact that Christianity is not finally about anesthetizing us to life’s pain, or even waking us up to it  and teaching us to live with it. It is about teaching us to live with a transformed longing, with a growing faith, with a sure and certain hope of what’s to come.
• The response of this good news is, as Paul preached, to repent and believe.
• In atoning for sinners Christ is uniquely our saviour. In seeking sinners as he did, however he is our example.
• You and I aren’t called to use our extensive powers to convict and change the sinner while God stands back as a gentleman. Rather, we should resolve to preach the gospel like gentlemen, persuading while knowing we can’t regenerate anyone, and then stand back while God uses all his extensive powers to convict and change the sinner.

I think the biggest thing I enjoyed was the care Dever has for the message of the gospel. He handles it like someone would an old, valuable work of art knowing that one careless move, with one part of the painting , could damage the value of the entire piece. I contrast that with others writing today who seemingly take the gospel more like a jigsaw puzzle. They seem to be throwing pieces of the puzzle that they like out there hoping to complete the picture perfectly by God’s grace. While I love adventure and change, I tend to think the Gospel is strong in God’s hands yet fragile in ours and as such, requires care.