"The Gospel Driven Life" - a must read!

Mike Horton is fast becoming one of my favourite authors - ever. And for good reasons. He is an outstanding thinker, writer, apologist, communicator and theologian.

In fact, his latest book “The Gospel Driven Life” confirms what I strongly suspected whilst reading his previous book, “Christless Christianity” (one of the best books I’ve ever read over my 30 years as a Christian); that this guy has Biblical discernment by the bucket loads.

“The Gospel Driven Life” is must reading; books like this aren’t actually in abundance today.

Unlike Horton’s previous book (written with a certain amount of ‘heat’), this book is measured and well constructed.

As the title suggests, this book is all about the “Gospel” and how we should correctly understand it. The “Gospel” is a message about ‘God’s victory over sin and death in His Son, Jesus Christ.”

OK; but what about us? Where do we fit in? And what about our programs, activities, Christian living and evangelism? Aren’t we ‘the Gospel’ as well?

Horton rightly explains that we are certainly not and he has a lot to say about the other things mentioned above as well. Yes, a lot! But back to the ‘Gospel’.

The ‘gospel’ is a message about Jesus Christ, not us. And being a message about Him – it’s Good News. Being News is significant, and Horton cleverly uses the ‘news’ metaphor to drive home what he perceives as the Gospel and how various Christians, and schools of thought, react to it.

If you read this book, you will be forced to define (or re-define) the gospel and you will be forced to see yourself in relation to the gospel. Be prepared to think.

In some places in the book, this can be uncomfortable as Horton puts the blowtorch on the current evangelical scene. It’s not all good, and in some cases it is really, really bad!

“The church is the world’s largest news agency. The gospel created, preserves, and continues to create the church as it expands throughout the world and beyond every earthly empire.

So we do not really know who we are, much less who God is; we are confused even when we are confident that we know what we need. God just needs to take the microphone away from us. The one-man show simply is not working. Only when we come to this banquet do we really begin to understand the story of our own lives: its purpose, our failures to realize it, and the redemption that makes us forget our failures and join the celebration. We do not need better ideas and suggestions; we need to repent. We need to change our mind about everything that really matters. We need to burn our script and receive a new one. This does not happen when we just sit and reflect. It is not the result of introspection. It happens only when we enter another world; the theater of grace that God has established amid our comedy of errors – and hear something truly, wonderfully, and bewilderingly new (his emphasis; pp 214-15).

The gospel, to Horton, is the church’s lifeblood. No gospel, no church; no gospel; no growth; no gospel; no worship and no gospel; no preaching.

He makes the critical observation that some Christians view the gospel in the past tense. That is, they know that they became Christians because of the gospel, but now the gospel is something to be left behind (it’s viewed as only a message to convert prospective believers). A snake sheds its skin; a new convert sheds the gospel.

To Horton, having adopted this past tense perception is fatal. Why? Because every Christian needs the gospel every day of their lives. Why? Read the book.

I know this is going to get me into trouble but I can’t help that this book is essential reading for my Pentecostal/charismatic brothers and sisters.

Not that this book is not of immense value to evangelicals but I am convinced that Horton’s book can be a catalyst for Pentecostals and charismatics to behold their Lord and His Gospel in a very profound, and even life changing way. Especially to those “who are burned out on hype and are looking for hope” (p13).

How? Read the book!

“God has his own kingdom and his own politics for building and expanding it. It is not our kingdom, but his, and we are not only invited to the feast as guests but as the bride of his Son. Satan does not care id our churches are full, as long as people are not being clothed with Christ. Our own ideas, agendas, and efforts may create special interest groups, but only the gospel can create an international, intercultural community of the baptised who reach out to the world in witness and in service through their daily callings” (p.198).

Michael Horton is passionate about the Gospel and he is not ashamed of the gospel to truly convert via the Spirit.

To those of us who are immersed in a culture of self sufficiency and instant gratifications, this is an amazing read – so do yourself a huge favour. Get a copy of “The Gospel Driven Life” and read it!

Michael Horton is J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California.

A few of us CHRISTIAN FAITH guys listen to him often via the White Horse Inn radio podcasts which we highly recommend.

You can download and read a free pdf excerpt from the book HERE along with audio talks about 'The Gospel Driven Life'.

 This book was kindly donated to us by KOORONG BOOKS and is available for purchase: details HERE.

The Gospel Driven Life
Baker Books
ISBN 978-0-8010-1319-5

(I have posted this article whilst on holidays via Macca’s wireless internet. Now that’s commitment!! I’ll update this in a few days so watch this space! Much more to come!)

(UPDATE: back home and all done!)

(CHRISTIAN FAITH is a non-commercial site. Some companies very kindly donate products to us to be reviewed - at our invitation. Our reviews are our opinions; written in terms of how useful a product may be to you.)