For many years I have been aware of how many Christians see the Gospel as what they believed to become Christians and what therefore secures for them a place in God's eternal kingdom. However, they see little if any relevance the Gospel has for their daily life. What does the Gospel have to do with my coming home at the end of a trying day to be confronted with whiny kids and a frustrated wife? What does the Gospel have to do with helping me respond in a Christlike way to this situation rather than how I usually do, which is far from the way Jesus would handle it. This book by Paul Tripp and Tim Lane is a very clear presentation of how the Gospel bears on one's present life producing real substantive God-glorifying change. It is a very practical "practical theology" that is easy to read and extremely digestible in terms of showing the relevance of the Gospel to the present circumstances one faces. The authors unpack clearly how God's grace provides real change where we need it most - in our hearts. If you are interested you can find it at Westminster Bookstore. Here are a few more recommendations:
"Change doesn't happen overnight for the Christian. It's a lifelong journey. Paul Tripp and Tim Lane masterfully guide us along the biblical path that points us to the cross and a lifestyle of faith and repentance..." Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College
"This book is applied theology. It's about heat, thorns, the cross and fruit. It's about present grace. In sixteen short and well illustrated chapters, the wonderful prospect of change for the good is held out for the reader. We are called to consider our circumstances and our responses to them, and beneath that to examine our hearts' desires and to turn afresh to Christ's cross."
Mark Dever, Pastor, Capital Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC
