From The Lighthouse: A Review - Crucifying Morality

"The Beatitudes are a profile of the Christian. They are a description of people who would never dream of turning the characteristics God has given them by grace into a list of moral commands because they know Jesus as crucified even their best attempts at self-centered, self-propelled morality on the cross." - R.W. Glenm, Chapter 1: "Jesus Crucifies Morality as You Know It," Crucifying Morality

Overall Impression

Before I get into my review, I need to confess something. I chose to read this book for three reasons. First, the title caught my attention, even though I knew little about the premise. Second, I saw the author was from my home state of Minnesota, and he's about 20 miles from my home. Third, it was endorsed by a few speaker/authors I greatly respect.

Am I glad I read this one! This book transformed my approach to Sermon on the Mount. As someone who grew up in the church, I have tended to see The Beatitudes as a moralistic to-do list...and I've been condemned by them time and time again, as, so often, I fall short of living up to the standards established in the Sermon on the Mount. Crucifying Morality helped me to see the purpose of The Beatitudes clearer.

Approach

Glenn's approach helps reorient a person's approach to the Beatitudes. While laying out the argument that this is a picture of a biblical life, Glenn convincingly filters this through the redemptive work of the Gospel. Quickly it becomes clear that living out the Beatitudes is the product of a transformed life, not the path to a transformed life.

Glenn sets the entire tone for the book early on. "Think of the Beatitudes as a gospel litmus test. They show how much (or how little) your faith is in the gospel of grace." This is a theme he returns to again and again from various directions. In some cases he helps the reader evaluate his own life. In other cases he assists the reader examine how the reader views other believers. Throughout, Glenn effectively guides the reader on a journey to evaluate his own faith walk.

This book oozes with the redemptive message of the gospel - that we are sinners, unworthy of the grace of God, who are redeemed by His atoning sacrifice - and, while rebuking, it was such a gentle rebuke that I felt encouraged to press into the grace of God. By making the gospel the central point of the book, it clearly lays out the purpose of the book: as Glenn says, "the fundamental character of the Christian faith is that you live conscious of your utter dependence upon God."

Application

"Crucifying Morality" is all about discipleship, and I will be adding it to my short list of resources for that purpose. But that doesn't mean it's simply for young believers. These are deep, probing topics, and it makes for deep, prayerful reflection. For the young believer, it lays out a model for Christlike living...and the pathway to emulating Christ. For longer-term believers, it's a reminder of the work of the cross and a test of our submission to the finished work of Christ in our lives.

At the end of each chapter, Glenn add a four-part section, with the same headings, that help process the themes of the chapter. These headings are:

For Your Head.
For Your Heart.
For Your Church.
For Your City.

These series of questions make for great reflection questions (especially the first two sections) and discussion questions (the second two sections). As a tool, this book would be great for a small group, and the four sections help guide the processing of each chapter.

I highly recommend Crucifying Morality. This book was a great help for me, and it will make a great tool for my future discipleship groups and those I'm mentoring.