Title: The Church in Babylon: Heeding the Call to Be a Light in the Darkness
Author: Erwin W Lutzer
Series: N/A
Genre: Christian Living / Contemporary Issues
Publishing Date: August 7, 2018
About the Book:
How do we live faithfully in a country becoming more and more hostile to our faith in Christ?
Like the Israelites in Babylon, we must find a way to maintain our faith in the midst of a pagan culture. But that requires we answer two crucial questions:
How did we get here?
How do we prepare for the dark and difficult days ahead?
In The Church in Babylon, Dr. Lutzer answers both of these questions. He will walk you through the many parallels between the church in America and God’s people in Babylon, and embolden you to be a gospel witness. You’ll be encouraged not to compromise your faith even when under constant pressure from all corners of society. And more than all this you will have a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ, as you consider the biblical role of those in exile.
About the Author:
Erwin W. Lutzer is senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago. A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Loyola University, he is the author of numerous books, including the Gold Medallion Award winner “Hitler’s Cross” and the best seller “One Minute After You Die”. He is also a teacher on radio programs heard on more than 700 stations throughout the United States and the world, including “Songs in the Night,” “The Moody Church Hour,” and the daily feature “Running to Win.” He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area and have three married children and seven grandchildren.
My Review:
You don’t have to look very hard to see that the state of the world is going downhill at an alarming rate. While some may declare “progress” others are able to see the foothold Satan has on the steady decline of morality. But how are we as Christians intended to respond to this and where do we go from here? This book is an incredibly useful tool in taking a look at how we can reach the lost without giving-in to their desires.
One quote I absolutely have to share is from page 102. It reads:
“Here is the irony. The censurers, who are all too ready to deny freedom to those who disagree with them, are perceived by our culture as “tolerant,” whereas those who express differing views are “intolerant.” In other words, the philosophy of the left is preach tolerance, but practice intolerance against anyone who has the courage to express an opposing point of view.”
I couldn’t have worded this any better myself, but it rings incredibly true of the way things are today. Sin is not only accepted by many, it’s often glorified and people are praised for their willingness to open up about it. No one wants to be told that what they are doing is wrong or sinful, and the world is turning into a place where it’s literally becoming illegal to do so. So how do we operate in a world that is so adamant to silence the truth?
As Christians we have a difficult balance to attempt. When Jesus walked this earth he spent his time with sinners. He loved them and told them to turn from their ways. He didn’t accept the sin, but he loved the sinner and commanded them to turn from their sin. Jesus is the perfect example of how to reach the lost. But how does that look for us today? How do we reach unbelievers in love to turn them toward Christ? If we attack then we will immediately raise their defenses, but if we accept their sin then we aren’t showing them their need for change or their need for Christ. How do we balance living in the world without being of the world, while still reaching the lost?
This book speaks about so many relevant issues that we as believers face when being in the world today. While we may feel like what we are experiencing is something entirely new, the Bible would tell us otherwise. Sure, the church has faced many obstacles throughout history, but at the core you will find the same opponent: Satan. Satan wants to silence the church and the gospel message. But knowing who our adversary is and how he operates can help us in the battle. We have God’s Word to help us. This book aims to show us from a biblical perspective how to react and respond the the changing world we live in.
There are many different uses for this book that I could recommend. It could be used for personal study, but I also feel that it has a lot that would be good to discuss with others. It would be great for a small group or Sunday school. There’s a lot to think and contemplate over in the book and I consider it a highly useful tool.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Moody Publishers. I was not required to give a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
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