Sunday, February 10, 2013

Book Review: Comforts from Romans

Comforts From Romans: Celebrating the Gospel One Day at A Time by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick. 2013. Crossway. 160 pages.

I love the concept behind Elyse Fitzpatrick's newest book, Comforts from Romans. As Christians, we need the gospel every day. It is wise to preach the gospel to ourselves every single day. This devotional book helps reminds believers of the gospel as it focuses on the first eight chapters of the book of Romans. There is such richness--profoundness--in Romans; there is plenty of goodness to cover all thirty-two days in this devotional. It does just focus on the first eight chapters, it doesn't cover the entire book--for better or worse. (I wouldn't mind devotional coverage of chapter twelve. It is SO rich. One could ponder on its layers for a good long while.) 

I would definitely recommend this one. And I would definitely hope that it inspires you to preach the gospel to yourself every day! My February project is reading Romans thirty times, and it is AMAZING. I definitely agree with the Luther quote below!!! 

From the introduction: 
Martin Luther called the book of Romans, "the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes."
From Day 4
On any given day, what thoughts float through your mind about who you are and what God thinks of you? Do you ever think, "I hope that I obey today so that God will love me"? Perhaps you don't say those exact words; maybe what you feel is something more akin to an uneasy sense that the Lord is just a tad irritated with you and waiting for an opportunity to set you straight. Yes? You're not alone. As I've spoken to Christians around the country--and observed the workings of my own heart--it seems that rest in God's absolute love and welcome doesn't come naturally to us. It's interesting that Paul introduces his masterpiece on the gospel with this thought: "You belong to Jesus Christ. You are loved by God. You are saints." (27)
From Day 6
You see, salvation is by works after all, just not our works. Salvation is by the works of Jesus Christ, who was patient in well-doing and earned "glory and honor and immortality," "eternal life," and "peace" for us. For thirty-three years he was perfectly patient in well-doing, earning a perfect record for us. Then, on Calvary he received the "wrath and fury" and "tribulation and distress" we deserve. He died in our place, as one who was "self-seeking" and did not "obey the truth" but was rather "unrighteous" and "evil." He received in his person all God's wrath and fury for all our sin and wickedness. He died the death we deserve at the hands of the Father, who loves him and would have delighted in bestowing upon him the glory, honory, and immortality he had earned. (37)
From Day 7
He approves of you because you are covered with the righteousness of the beloved Son with whom he is well pleased. You please him. His commendation, welcome, acceptance--yes, even his praise--are yours! Is that enough? Pray that it will be as true for you today as it already is for him. (42)
From Day 29
Jesus Christ is our propitiation. What propitiation means is to make an atoning sacrifice for another. Jesus is our wrath bearer. In his person he received the entire weight of all God's wrath for all our sin. In three hours he received all the wrath we would have knwon had we spent an eternity in hell. All of God's wrath for all of our sin--not just the sin that we committed before we came to Christ, not just the sin that we have committed since our conversion, or not even just the sins we've committed today. He received God's wrath for the sins we will commit tomorrow and through all our tomorrows until we finally die. He paid for all our sin. We will never be recepients of God's wrath and condemnation because he's already borne it all. If Jesus bore all of God's wrath for all of your sin, how much wrath does God have left for you? The answer is none. Go ahead and believe that. Say it out loud: "God has no wrath left for me!" Believe it. Jesus Christ has fully, irrevocably, unequivocally, and freely granted you freedom from all the wrath you deserve. (131)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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