Finished Searching For God Knows What by Donald Miller this weekend.
On to a new book from Relevant Books – A Plain Account of Christian Perfection by John Wesley.
The book is basically a journal of the famous preacher’s thoughts on the idea of Christian perfection through renewal in Christ. So far, it seems that he proposes as reborn children of God, we should be able to attain moral perfection. I’m not sure yet if he fully believes this to be feasible, or if he’s speaking conceptually concerning the freedom from of our sin nature as Christians.
I know that I am not free from sin or its temptation in my life as a Christian. I was taken aback by the way Wesley described willful sin in a Christian’s life, as basically spitting in the face of your Savior.
Donald Miller dwelt on this same concept in his book, SFGKW. When you think of morality as an expression of your faith and your gratitude to your Savior in obedience, it takes on a whole new perspective than any moral code could convey. A moral code full of rules for living is much easier to break when grace abounds, than a personal obedience to someone you are in constant conversation with. That is why Donald Miller stresses a constant awareness and communication with God, rather than a heartless set of rules.
“I began to wonder if becoming a Christian did not work more like falling in love than agreeing with a list of true principles.“
I highly recommend Donald Miller’s book – Searching For God Knows What. One of those books like Blue Like Jazz, Irresistible Revolution, and Jesus For President, that really makes you reconsider your relationship with God and how to apply Christlike love daily, not just to follow rules, but to live more like Christ, and sadly, less like a conservative.
I’ll post more about Wesley’s book when I finish it. It should be a quick read – only 150 pages in a small format book. Relevant Books is one of my favorite publishers, because their cover art is so compelling! I’ve got probably 10 of their books now and can’t wait to get through more. This cover is no exception. Brilliant design, especially for such a classic work – to be able to make it, for lack of a less branded word, relevant. Very cool design. I’ll post the other covers as I read them.
