Monday, March 12, 2012

Book Review: From the Resurrection to His Return

From The Resurrection to His Return: Living Faithfully in the Last Days. By Don Carson. Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2010. ($4.99 Print, $3.99 Kindle—Amazon)



««««« (five out of five)
This little book is a superb example of powerful and biblical exposition of Scripture, specifically 1 Timothy 3:1-4:8. The book is based on his sermon notes from a message titled “How Should We Live Responsibly in the Last Days?” and a PDF version is available on The Gospel Coalition website as well.

This is not a how-to guide to go along with the Left Behind series. This is practical and godly instruction for living in the last days, which extends from the first century until Christ consummates His reign on the earth.

I found this book to be helpful and encouraging to me on many levels. Let me indicate just two:
  •       Preaching. Though not a pastor myself, I get the opportunity to preach fairly regularly and my main goal is to be faithful to the author’s meaning. It is easy to sermonize, taking my own preconceived ideas and then finding passages of Scripture that I can use to back them up. Carson presents a helpful example of solid text-based preaching, first identifying what the passage says and then drawing out the implications for modern-day readers.

  •       Practicality. As Carson points out from the beginning, we are living in the last days. That means a message on how we are to live in the last days is immediately practical. I didn’t read the book feeling like I knew what was going on in Paul’s day but wondering what that means for me in my day. The book is not an academic exercise, but a real aid to the Church. Carson hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to shepherd the people of God.
The book description reads in part,
“To live in the last days is not to hang on in quiet desperation but to boldly take the word of God and apply it to every situation knowing that it will meet every need just as it has throughout the two millennia since Jesus promised to return again. That is how to live in the last days!”
Amen to that! This is a great resource for those who take the Bible seriously.


I received a Kindle version of this book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

1 comment:

Christian Focus Booknotes said...

Andrew,

Thank you for giving 'From the Resurrection to His Return' 5 stars. We appreciate your review.