Death by Love
The other day I decided to answer a question that I had had for some time, that question being "what is my favorite book?" Making this decision is hard because I know that it won't be long before I might have a new favorite book. However, I decided to go on with the exercise and recalled the books that I had read recently. One book in particular stood out as an exceptional book, so I decided that at least for the moment . . .
Death By Love, Letters From The Cross is now my favorite book.
Death by love is a new book written by Mark Driscoll pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. He is aided by his friend Gerry Breshears who is professor of Theology at Western Seminary. Death by Love is also a part of the Re:lit series, a division of Crossway Publishers.
The book is set up as a collection of letters from Mark Driscoll to someone in his church, or someone he has come in contact with. Each chapter starts with Mark letting the reader know the situation, he brings us into the lives of many lost and hurting people who are failing to see the dying Savior on the cross. Then he shows us his letter to that person which deeply and insightfully opens the reader's eyes to many different aspects of the riches of the Cross of Christ. He talks about many of the implications of the gospel such as: Christ being our substitionary atonement, our Christus Victor, our redemption, our new covenant sacrifice, our gift righteousness, our justification, our propitiation, our expiation, our unlimited limited atonement, our ransom, our reconciliation, and our revelation. Each chapter is then followed by Gerry Breshears answering a few commonly asked questions about that chapter's particular focus.
This book has made my heart sing for joy at the thought of God's mercy and grace towards me, a filthy sinner. This book has made me realize more than ever that I truly deserve to drink the cup of God's wrath. It has made me love even more the One who has taken every last drop of that cup so that I do not have to. With each chapter, I was dragged through the depths of sin, the depravity of mankind was ripped open in front of my eyes and still with each chapter my eyes were drawn to the Cross. As I closed the Book at the end of each chapter my heart was racing and the only response that seemed right was to burn with white hot worship of my truly wonderful savior, my justification, my propitiation, my ransom, my King!
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
(Ephesians 3:14-18)
Check it out online Click here
Death By Love is coming soon to the Grace Community book table!
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