the Explicit Gospel

On my bookshelf in the basement I have a section set aside for the books that have had significant, long-lasting impact on my faith and/or how I view or live my life. In the past few months I have added two books to that shelf. 

If you know me at all, or read much of my writing, you know that I have a certain disdain for the often thoughtless language we use in the Christian community (including when I use it). We tend to throw around many words that simply identify us as being part of the group or make us sound “spiritual,” but the way we use them often betrays the true meaning of the words. Often we simply mimic the use of words as we have heard them from others in our Christian group, but we haven’t taken the time or made the effort to understand the implications of what is being said. If we were to look carefully at the “Christian” language that we use, I suspect that we would find our language reflects our ignorance - the direct result of our unwillingness to read, to study, and to seek understanding, or sometimes the more subtle result of understanding our faith through the tainted filter of American culture.

One such word that is often used loosely, is the word “Gospel.” Both the word itself and the implications of the word are frequently misunderstood, even amongst long-time Christians and/or misused in our conversations and statements about our faith. Sometimes this misunderstanding and misuse is out of ignorance, but sometimes it is a reaction of dissatisfaction with the church and how it has traditionally responded (or not) to the gospel. Trying to react in a more appropriate way to the gospel may be well-intentioned, and have a powerful impact on those involved, but the end result sometimes distorts the true meaning of the gospel. The response to the gospel is not the same as the gospel itself.

If we are not careful, all of this can lead to a bit of confusion about the gospel and what, exactly, the gospel message is about. It can cause us to act in well-intentioned ways, but confuse our actions with the true gospel itself. Breaking through the cloudiness of this issue is Matt Chandler’s book, the Explicit Gospel. In a readable, methodical, precise way, Matt Chandler details the message of all scripture which culminates in gospel. Along the way he touches on the dangers of overemphasizing certain aspects and responses to the gospel at the expense of the others and dispels misuses and misunderstandings.

The Explicit Gospel has opened my eyes to my own misunderstandings and has caused me to re-orient my thinking and my response to the gospel. It filters out the catch phrases and the pollution of American culture (which we don’t even realize has so greatly influenced our thinking) to explain what is the very basis of our faith. It confirms in the reader correct belief while surgically removing error. It encourages appropriate response for the right reasons. It reminds us of the reason to have hearts of gratitude. It refreshes a thirst to do what brings glory to God. 

All of this makes the Explicit Gospel one of the most important, must-read books of recent time and it will cause you to read scripture with eyes that are more open to the truth before you.