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Review: The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together by Jared Wilson



Review: The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together
Jared Wilson
Baker Books
2017

Cover ArtI had to read this one just because of the audacity of its title.  A disciple that couldn’t get their act together?  The other disciple type books I’d picked up didn’t put it quite that way at all.  In fact, I really can’t remember this addressed directly.  Wilson pretty much filled that empty space in my reading with this book.  

This is not a discipleship book in the usual sense of the word.  In fact, he says, “The essential message of Christianity isn’t ‘do’ but ‘done’.  The gospel is news, not instruction, and it announces to us not ‘get to work’ but ‘it is finished.’”.  (67)   He arrived at that conclusion after a time of beholding, i.e. looking intensely, really seeing, Jesus Christ, not just taking a quick look on the way to supporting a point.  Now he’s ready to talk about the road forward.  He in no way advocates sitting under a tree staring off into the distance as discipleship, nor does he support the do it yourself approach.  

I liked his forthright comments about the discipleship trail he had been taught and tried to follow earlier in his life. And does he ever go take on all the self-help books available that have a Christian veneer.  So, is this just a rant?  Not in my opinion.  Does he offer any help for those of us who can’t get it together and are near forgetting the whole idea?  Yes, he does.

Above all this book encourages and who doesn’t need that?  That’s why I liked it and would recommend it to you if you meet the title qualifications.  No silver bullet or however many steps to success, but this book does help.  

I received this book from the publisher in return for a review. 
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