"Overall, Jesus Is captures aspects of Christ’s character but falls short of yielding a reliable, rounded portrait of who he is: Being a Christian is not about being good. It’s about relationship. About grace. About Jesus. (96) I share Smith’s passion for grace over legalism. However, I believe these kinds of statements may open the door (especially for uncritical and/or theologically untrained readers) to replace legalism, not with the gospel, but with licentiousness. The tone of the New Testament is not “You are justified, so don’t worry about fighting for holiness!” but rather “You are justified, so how could you live in sin anymore?” Pursuing relationship with Christ isn’t at odds with pursuing righteousness in daily life; in fact, it’s impossible to have one without the other. That’s why Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Second, I worry this book portrays Jesus as too “nice.” For example, in his laudable effort to express the tenderness and intensity of Christ’s love for believers, Smith sometimes uses sentimenal and mushy language. At one point he asserts, “Jesus is crazy about you. He is obsessed with you. He is proud of you” (78). Later he remarks that “Jesus is head-over-heels in love with you” and calls him “your biggest fan” (156). I fear this kind of language, combined with the book’s lack of emphasis on Jesus’ authority and lordship, could give readers the impression that Jesus is never anything other than kind and gentle. He is there to be our buddy and to bless us and to cheer us on—but he doesn’t seem to be the kind of person who would ever reprove or rebuke, chide or chastise, discipline or damn. He isn’t merely to be loved and appreciated; he’s also to be worshiped and fearfully obeyed. He isn’t merely grace; he’s also the glory and grandeur of God himself.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:27:12 +0000
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