"The church faces her biggest challenge not when new errors start to win but when old truths no longer wow."
Now, there's a first line to start a book.
When's the last time you responded with "WOW" to the gospel?
Was it during communion, listening to a worship song, while reading a passage of scripture, or after hearing a testimony of saving grace?
There's a reality of human nature that we become bored and unsatisfied when things become familiar or routine. Our Christian life can be similar - we can begin to lose the awe and wonder of how God has saved us through the work and person of Christ. Trevin Wax writes The Thrill of Orthodoxy because he's convinced that our spiritual sleepiness is a result of our lost "confidence in the truth and goodness of the Christian faith."
Would you say that has been true for you?
This book is for when...
ministry becomes about numbers and programs and we forget WHY we are there and WHAT we are sharing
we wrestle with culture, acceptance, and taking God's Word as true
we become fascinated with our emotions and experiences instead of the goodness of the gospel
when our spiritual slumber needs awakening, not to something new but the truths of old
we need to remember that the gospel is enough.
As he talks about orthodoxy, he's referring to the foundational truths of the Christian faith through the ages, which are consistent with the scriptures and have been agreed upon, highlighted through the Nicene, Athanasian and Apostle's creeds. He argues in chapter two that unless we are clear with what we believe, we will make assumptions and therin lies the floatie we drift away on.
In the next chapter he argues for our confidence in doctrinal truth. So much of our culture today tells us that truth is our own to determine or that answers cannot be found. But scripture teaches us we can know God, therefore we can have answers and he refers to this as an adventure. He expands on this in chapter 4 where he discusses how theology and doctrine are connected to our daily lives: our behaviors, our decisions and how we treat others.
"The simple desire to "live like Jesus" depends on our theological reflection of who Jesus is and what he demands of us"
Chapters five and six help us acknowledge the discomfort we may experience when the Christian faith seems narrow, especially in light of our culture's perspective, and how our desire to accommodate robs the truth of its beauty. So, in the next two chapters, we're reminded of the unity we have as we collectively cling to biblical truth which manifests in our love for each other and our pursuit of sanctification.
"The church is a hospital for sinners, but it is also a school for saints"
The last two chapters conclude with a reflection on the beautiful truth of the gospel to help a hurting world. If we don't hold fast, we have nothing to offer. We must learn again by returning to and loving the beautiful, gracious gospel.
If you're wrestling with Christian beliefs in the midst of an accommodating, secular culture that accepts and includes everything, OR if you've just lost the thrill of saving grace, this book helps you rediscover why the gospel is good news and why it's worth holding onto.
Quick Stats
# of pages: 240
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
My Rating: 4 stars
*A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review!