Book Review: Horton, Michael, The Gospel-Driven Life, Grand Rapides, MI, BakerBooks, 2009, 266.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF AUTHOR

Michael S. Horton (PhD. University of Coventry and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford) is J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminister Seminary California. He hosts the White Horse Inn radio broadcast and is editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine. He is the author or editor of more than fifteen books, including Christless Christianity.

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS

Introduction: The goal of this book is to reorient our faith and practice as Christians and churches toward the gospel. The gospel is the story of God’s victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ. God is the author and He writes us into the story. By looking up in faith the Spirit working through the gospel brings about a new creation. The book is divided in to two sections. The first six chapters, Looking Up, Looking Out:Breaking News explores the news from heaven. The last four chapters, Looking around, Looking Ahead: A Cross-Cultural Community focuses on the community that the gospel creates.

Chapter 1, The Front-Page God: Each day we check out the latest headlines in the news. In the church we follow the latest fads until a new one comes. The central message of the gospel that tells the story of Jesus and his teachings take second place to the latest church fad. The Law gives us God’s will for our moral life that was placed on our hearts in creation but was lost in the fall. The fall of man caused us to be unable to live by the Law. The gospel is told to us so that we can be reoriented to the law. The good news is not our inner voice. God stands outside of us telling us the good news in the gospel that transforms our life by transforming our darkened way of thinking.

Chapter 2, The Real Crisis: The meaning of the crisis in our lives is viewed through two perspectives. One perspective comes from our inner selves while a second perspective comes from the perspective of God. God created humanity in His image for His glory. Humanity gets joy from serving God, but Humanity sought to have its own glory. Humanity lost their happiness when they listened to the serpent who told them that they could have their own way. The real crisis for us is that we are unrighteous and God has become our enemy.

Chapter 3, The Big Story: The greatest story ever told is that of the incarnate Christ, His death, and His resurrection. Jesus died to redeem us. He was resurrected for our justification. Jesus Christ is Lord. This is a historical fact and this is the Good News that the Pharisees and the Romans objected to. The Gospel is the story of what Christ has done to secure our salvation. God justifies the wicked, thus morality and personal improvements are only added benefits of having received a righteousness that comes from Christ.

Chapter 4, Getting the Story Straight: We must get the message of the gospel out correctly to ensure credibility. Jesus gave Himself to save sinners, and the gospel offers us a relationship of peace with God instead of being enemies of God. The Good News is not what we do when we hear the gospel; rather it is about what Jesus has already accomplished for us in His crucifixion and resurrection.

Chapter 5, Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There: The message of the gospel is able to transform our lives. The method of the gospel is preaching so that people can hear the word of God. Hearing requires faith that gives us hope. We can discover our true selves only when God introduces us to His interpretation of reality. The Spirit convinces us of sin by the law; the gospel leads us to faith in Christ. The church is not the Good News. Rather, its ministers proclaim the good news that Jesus is the headline story in our lives.

Chapter 6, The Promise-Driven Life: We are wired for law. We need to know the difference between God’s commands and human wisdom. God declares us righteous when we believe His promise. The same word that promises also speaks the promise into existence. Today, Christians are paralyzed by grace and Christian entertainment masquerading as worship. We are being taught that since we are saved by grace apart from the law we have no obligation to follow the moral precepts of God’s moral law in the new covenant.

Chapter 7, News Of War And Peace: God’s Politics For A new Creation: Since the time of emperor Constantine the church has seen Christianity as representing what should be the cultural norm. The commission to Christians is simply to announce the kingdom of God. Christ alone will rid the world of evil by His wisdom. Radical forgiveness now or radical judgment when Jesus returns is the message that we are to bring to the world today.

Chapter 8, How The Good News Creates a Cross-Cultural Community: With His blood Christ purchased a kingdom that include people from every social status; creating a cross-cultural community. Preaching, baptism, and communion generate a church that keeps its focus on Christ’s presence. No marketing of the church or any mission activity of the church can substitute for the preaching of the gospel and the sharing of the sacraments in building the community of those both near and far away.

Chapter 9, The Health Page: Feasting In A Fast-Food World: In the United States, only a generation ago, three quarters of its food expenses were spent on home cooked meals, while today half is spent on restaurants, and mostly fast food chains. We are becoming a malnourished society. Today, our churches place value on our personal experience in worship instead of receiving the voice of God as Israel did at Mount Sinai. The feast is for pilgrims who respond to the invitation from hearing the Good News.

Chapter 10, Today’s Headline: The Church In Exile: There are two kingdoms or cities, and ultimately both are ruled by God. Believers live and work with the secular world on things of common interest, but they cannot be at home with the world. The church loses its identity as believers in God when it identifies with the Christendom promoted by the world. Cultural changes do not change the truth of the Word and Sacraments, and the methods by which we proclaim the Good News.

CRITICAL EVALUATION

In the Gospel-Driven Life, author Michael Horton effectively makes his argument that the Christian church has lost its effectiveness as an organism created to change the lives of people living in a dark world. I totally agree that the central message of the church is to be the good news about who Jesus is and what he has done for us in His death and resurrection.

I became really excited when Horton pointed out that the church markets itself and its charismatic leaders as the model for living. In doing this the gospel is no longer the message that leads to a happy life. The church is the norm for the culture and God is invited along to give the church a helping hand. This position flies in the face of the words of Jesus in which He tells us our priority, “But seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33, NASB).

This book can help all believers to orient their lives to the gospel. Pastors and church leaders that read this book and accept its premises will be challenged to rethink how they worship and do ministry.