I thought I’d heard all of Steve Brown’s sermons while I was in seminary. Either I didn’t, or he got a whole new bunch of them for his book A Scandalous Freedom: The Radical Nature of the Gospel.
I’d been wanting to read Steve’s book on grace for a few years. Finally did, and glad I did. Steve makes reading theology fun, and sometimes that can be no small feat. There is possibly no greater sin than making theology boring, though the blood of Jesus is sufficient to forgive even that! Steve doesn’t have to worry about sinning big there.
Steve likes to say things in a controversial way. Lots of younger pastors do that now too. But what he says is usually true. Other guys often speak untruth. I remember the 1991 Ligonier Conference on the Cross. In his first sermon Steve was hitting hard on how we “cannot add to or take anything away from the Cross.” Your obedience doesn’t make you more saved, or your disobedience less saved- it all rests on what Jesus did. Some people went from that into thinking Steve was an antinomian (someone who thinks the law and obedience are irrelevant). Oh, how we long to be self-righteous little religious fanatics.
This book is about grace, and the ways we forfeit it by living in prisons of our own design. Jesus has set us free, but we miss the feel of the chains. Throughout this book, Steve makes a number of really good points using some really good illustrations. There was only one small point I would quibble with- but since I didn’t want to throw the book against the wall, I won’t even mention what it was.
Steve starts with the fact that we are free in Christ, moves to our false views of God, then a summary of the gospel and into the various prisons we put ourselves in.
Here’s some of the good stuff to whet your appetite:
“Freedom threatens religious people because it takes away their leverage and makes it more difficult for them to maintain control.”
“Self-righteousness is one of the most addicting things in the world.” Ain’t that da truth.
In his chapter on The Perfection We Desire, “Guilt has only one purpose: to drive us to the throne of grace…”
He talks about the danger of heroes as well. If the biographies we read don’t tell of their failings (like the Bible does) we tend to deify them. They no longer encourage us, but condemn us because we can’t live up to their acheivements. We need to remember that many great church leaders struggled with depression (Luther, Spurgeon), has serious illnesses (Calvin, Spurgeon), had women problems (Whitfield, Wesley), were in big controversies and crossed some lines in the process (Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon….). Of course, if they are still alive- they’ll let you down!
In The Enemies We Demonize… he talks about his friendship with Tony Campolo, despite their grave differences politically and theologically. We need to be able to relate positively with despite our disagreements (you know, the whole love your enemies thing). We live in a day in which personal attacks are the expected manner of disagreement. Disagree with people, but don’t abuse them (showing where someone may be wrong is not attacking them).
In his chapter on pain he talks about his experiences during and after Hurricane Andrew. It was not an easy time for him, and I remember him telling us “Leave me alone, I’m homeless and my mom is dying.” He didn’t run from the difficulties of that time, but learned more of Christ’s sufficiency.
So, all in all, a worthwhile read.
OK, you’ve convinced me. I bought it awhile back and put it on the shelf thinking I had heard everything or that this was a rehash of Born Free and Living Free.
Sounds great – I’ll pull it off the shelf, well after I get through with the dozen or so other books that are on my desk that had been pulled off the shelf before this one.
I saw this book about two years ago…
Figured “sure it’s good, but I already have everything Steve Brown teaches, so I don’t need it.
Perhaps now I will get this one after all!
Hadn’t read Born Free, so I don’t know about overlapping material. So, it if does- don’t ‘shoot’ me.
You assumed I had read “Born Free” and right you are.
Also read “When Being Good Isn’t Good Enough”
That was very good Cavman!