Healthy plants have deep roots and strong pillars have solid foundations. If we are to be Christians who are deeply rooted in Christ and built on the solid Rock, then we need more than mere sound bites. One means that the Lord has used throughout church history to strengthen His people’s faith and witness is reading good books. This book review series is identifying books that can serve as shovels that help you dig deeper in your Christian life.
Book: THE LIES WE ARE TOLD, THE TRUTH WE MUST HOLD – Worldviews and Their Consequences by Sharon James.
Fear is all around us, and if we are honest, also often within us. Its tyrannical influence is so pervasive that James identifies fear as one of the biggest problems our society faces. This was repeatedly illustrated through the COVID crisis. One of reasons for this is that our apart from Christ, “fear of death becomes a ‘lifelong slavery’ [Heb. 2:15]” (pp. 255-56). But as we know, fear isn’t exclusively found with unbelievers. The devil works hard to discourage and frighten Christians because a demoralized army will never gain ground.
What’s the remedy for fear and discouragement that can so easily live in the church? James again calls us to the biblical story to find solid hope in Christ. She writes that “it’s wrong to be paralyzed by pessimism in the here and now… Christ’s final command to His disciples was that they should go to all nations,” with the promise of His continued presence and universal authority (p. 256). The last chapters of the book are full of optimism regarding the power and spread of the Gospel, which will have its final fulfilment in the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth after the second coming of Christ. Gloominess and lament about the prospects of God’s kingdom betrays a failure of our faith. “With God’s people in every age we are to live by faith and not by sight” (p. 258).
So, how are we to live as Christians? “Be Prepared!” Follow the example of the early Christians who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire (1 Pet. 1:1; 4:12). They were abused and rejected for their lifestyle, but they were not shocked by this and did not retaliate (1 Pet. 3:9, 14-16). Prepare your hearts, and keep a clear conscience by fearing the Lord! The only comfort and foundation in both life and death is to know that you belong to the faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. This gracious Saviour calls you in all your fears and failures to come to Him and find lasting hope. But then, “having prepared our hearts, we also need to prepare our minds” (p. 271) and be informed about the predominant worldview that is taking over our culture. Primary is knowing Scripture and live courageously as Christians with a humble heart.
This is a wonderfully helpful and instructive book that can help you find true hope in the midst of our fear-filled, fallen world. Not only are its contents helpful, but also its simple teaching methods, such as summarizing each chapter, giving examples of current events, supplying brief historical accounts, listing references for further reading, illustrating with helpful graphs, and interspersing facts with real life anecdotes and stories. By adding a bibliography, lists of authors and subjects, this book is actually a “world-view course 101,” very suitable for young adults and anyone who is troubled and baffled by what is happening in our Western culture.
Where do you find hope in our fear-filled, depressed world? This book helps you see how a biblical worldview relates to the nitty-gritty details of life and helps reframe our fears in the blessed light of fearing the Lord.
THE LIES WE ARE TOLD, THE TRUTH WE MUST HOLD by Sharon James. Published by Christian Focus Publications, Ross-shire, Scotland, 2022. Softcover, 302 pages.
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- This is adapted from Mrs. Ricky (Frederika) Pronk’s book reviews in The Messenger. She is a member of Grace Free Reformed Church in Brantford, Ontario and, together with her husband Rev. C. Pronk, is involved in Reformed Book Services