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| Five out of Five Stars |
Now before you write off the book as a macho-man’s attempt
at infusing pop culture into the Bible, I should point out that this book is
inspired by Puritan reformer John Owen’s works on mortifying (or putting to
death) our sin. He doesn’t even mention James Bond. In fact, he says in his
acknowledgement, “I have been selective with quotes, but the substance of
Owen’s thought, the structure of his arguments, and even some of his phrases
run through this book like rebar through concrete.”
I for one am grateful to Hedges for this book on two
accounts. First, it is a great guidebook for dealing with sin in our lives. How
we think about sin and how we act in regards to sin have to proceed from the
word of God, and Hedges does a first-rate job of it. I think of my own
struggles now and my struggles early in my Christian walk and I wish this book
had been available to me in my teenage years. Second, I am grateful because
Hedges has helped bridge the thought of Owen with our world today. Too many of
the “classics” turn off modern-day readers because of archaic expressions and
language. Licensed to Kill gives
readers access to a theologian many would otherwise not have ever interacted
with.
Throughout the book Hedges holds up the Bible as our font of
wisdom and knowledge for dealing with sin. He says, “When we meditate [on
Scripture], we’re not simply pondering propositions. We are setting our minds
on God himself in his glories, attributes, works, and ways.” God’s word and
prayer are the foundational tools we have at our disposal for waging war against
the sin in our lives, and this book is all about waging war on our sin. As the
subtitle says, this book is “A Field Manual for Mortifying Sin.”
I highly recommend this book because it is Scriptural and
practical. Hedges says, “Sin’s death is like a crucifixion: slow, gradual,
painful, and eventually final.” Through each chapter of Licensed to Kill he takes his readers through the process of
mortifying sin. This process is founded squarely on the provisions and promises
set forth in the gospel, and his end-of-chapter application questions give these
truths some feet to walk on. Highly recommended.
I received this book from Cruciform Press for the purpose of
review.
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