Can't Change the World? You Can Still Be Faithful.

Sometimes our Christianity can come to feel like a burden instead of a blessing. We are freed in Christ from the eternal penalty of our sin, but the process of sanctification continually reminds us of the weight of our continued sin. John reminds us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 Jn 1:8)

We are sinful people and yet Jesus calls us to “be perfect, as [our] heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5:48) As the reformers noted, we are simul iustus et pecattor––at once justified and a sinner.

How do we respond to this tension in our spiritual existence?

Kevin DeYoung’s book, Impossible Christianity is intended as a help to those who feel like living the faithful Christian life is really an unachievable burden. That isn’t the way this life ought to be. As Jesus reminds us, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:30)

To Change the World

In one of the most famous sermons in the modern missions movement, William Carey called on his hearers to “Attempt great things [for God]” and to “Expect great things [from God].” The rhetorical power of his message was such that it set in motion a global effort to get the gospel to the ends of the earth.

When we combine that sort of rhetoric with the idea that the Great Commission (Mt 28:16–20) is the duty of all Christians, we can look at our lives and wonder if we’ve failed God. After all, most of us spend the majority of our time trying to keep our families moving. We aren’t leading missions organizations, living in a grass hut on the gospel frontier, or distributing tracts to everyone we meet. Are we failing?

DeYoung’s subtitle is freeing: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time. There is a place in the kingdom of God for those seeking to glorify God through our imperfect obedience, even when we aren’t platform people, world changers, or leaders on the frontlines of a great social or spiritual movement.

None of this, of course, exempts us from seeking to faithfully evangelize, to live in a way that glorifies God in our daily existence, or to pursue perfect holiness. But DeYoung offers a reminder that “Well done, good and faithful servant” isn’t reserved for those who get the biggest return. It’s a message to those who steward their gifts and opportunities in a way that recognizes the goodness of the master. (Mt 25:14–30)

An OK Book

Impossible Christianity is a short book at 128 pages in a small, gift-book format. For those who have read DeYoung before, there is little new ground covered.

As he notes himself, there is a sense in which “every author really has only one book.” Though he hopes that isn’t true, he notes that the theme of Impossible Christianity “has been an implicit theme in many of my other books” (7). He is correct in his sentiment.

This latest book isn’t DeYoung’s sexiest work. It is clearly and solidly written. It can be read in a couple of hours or subdivided to be consumed over a few days. It tends to be more sermonic than ground-breaking. Nevertheless, it is a good and helpful book.

This is the sort of book that would be a great gift for the struggling parent of young children wondering how the treadmill of dishes, laundry, activities, and meals could matter in eternity. This is the sort of book that can serve as a reminder to those who are not leading ministries that their contributions are vitally important. Impossible Christianity offers a kind word for those who are struggling to find meaning in the repetition of daily life. As such, it is a valuable book for the church.

Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time

By DeYoung, Kevin

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NOTE: I received a gratis copy of this book from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review.