Tullian Tchividjian
Wheaton: Crossway, 2011 220 pages
$18.99
To follow Jesus and grow as a
Christian, to give up all the world offers us, we must see the overwhelming value of the gospel and what God has
done through Christ. We cannot truly change unless we understand the weight of
the gospel in our lives. This is the focused message of Jesus+Nothing=Everything.
Tchividjian uses this formula as
the backbone of the book; looking at each part, starting with everything and
working to Jesus, then backtracking to talk through it all again. This means
that he drives home his point effectively by giving us the time to digest what
he is saying because we hear it again and again. The main thrust of the book is
that our lives need to be gospel focused and centered and that it is only by gaining
a deeper and richer understanding of what Christ has done that one can truly
grow.
“The hard work of Christian growth, therefore, is to think less of ourselves and our performance and more of Jesus and his performance for us. Ironically, when we focus mostly on our need to get better, we actually get worse. We become neurotic and self absorbed. Preoccupation with our effort instead of with God’s effort for us makes us increasingly self-centered and morbidly introspective.”(95)
It is only when we believe and
trust in the new identity that God has given us, through the life and work of
Christ, that we can let go of our self and actually grow.
The natural question that arises
from all this talk of grace is, “What about the law and the commands of God?”
Tchividjian answers this way:
“Therefore, it’s the gospel (what Jesus has done) that alone can give God-honoring animation to our obedience. The power to obey comes from being moved and motivated by the complete work of Jesus for us. The fuel to do good flows from what’s already been done. So again, while the law directs us, only the gospel can drive us.”(192)
Considering this
topic is foundational to the Christian faith, the author doesn't expect his
book to be exhaustive on the topic. He provides a list of twenty-six books on
the gospel for further study. At the end of the book Tchividjian says, “So
relax and rejoice. Jesus plus nothing equals everything; everything minus Jesus
equal nothing.” This reminds us of what Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life
will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”(Matthew
10:39 ESV)
This book is also for those who are older in their faith and who need to remember "Christian growth does not happen by working hard to get something we don't have. Rather, Christian growth happens by working hard to daily swim n the reality of what we do have." Tchividjian has written a book that is readable and will make clear what the gospel is in a society that often confuses the gospel with moralism. As his title says, it is Jesus + Nothing that equals Everything. Not our good works, not our trying to live up to a standard. It is Jesus.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Ceska. I am one of those older believers that has had my life turned upside-down by the truth of the gospel.
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