Offensive Christians

It’s been a while since I said I was going to cover this book. I’d intended to give any interested reader a chance to get a copy of the book so we could discuss it together. Here is a link to Amazon if you’re interested:

The book is subtitled: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change. So far, it’s apt and applicable to my life and hopefully yours as well. I can think of no greater cause than to help each other become more like Christ. We look to Him as our Redeemer and it is His example that we must follow if we are to serve others.

Tripp begins by going to the best news - “The reason to get up in the morning” This truth is that Jesus has come and not only has He redeemed us through substitutionary atonement, but He has brought His kingdom with Him and has made real change possible. He makes real change that comes through repentance possible. Jesus’ sacrifice for us makes it possible to turn from sin and turn into something new. All other paths and hopes are in vain. Jesus truly is the way. Our message of hope must reflect this. When we are faced with the trials and overwhelming pains that come from living in a fallen world, we must turn to Jesus and His example. When others come to us with their horrific stories of pain and suffering (we’ve all either lived them or heard them - the loss of a child, the relative wasting away from cancer, our own diagnosis of a terminal disease…) we must point them to the Savior. Tripp specifically addresses the difficulties we face in this thing called sanctification - the struggle to kill sin in our lives and live as we have been taught by God’s Word.

Its hard. The path is narrow and many fall away. We, as instruments in the Redeemer’s hands must point ourselves and others to the hope that is in Jesus for true change and true repentance. Tripp says that we must not offer a system of redemption but a Redeemer. How true.

We Christians must become tools in the hands of God and be used to rework our own lives and the lives of those we touch. People are suffering everywhere. I pray that we would offer our lives to serve the saved and the lost alike and be used in a way that glorifies our God. `