Hayley Dimarco and Michael Dimarco have written a short, witty and uncompromising book about the concept of burying your self in Christ. Much like a reiteration of the themes of 2 Corinthians, the DiMarcos pull no punches when writing about the life that a believer is called to live, foregoing the more luxurious for the more practical. Even more, the book is a real call to die to your self as the master of your own fate and 'say yes to the promptings of his Spirit" (15). For far too long Christians have tried to put one foot in the door of faithful living and one foot in the well of 'atta boy' I'm doing alright in my own corner of the world.
In the first chapter, Death is the new Life, the DiMarcos give the reader a mini-lesson in the story of the Bible by going from the Garden to the Cross. They focus on the fact that the death of Jesus destroyed the power of death over you (22) and gave you life. Yet, as they go on to write about, the death of the Savior was meant to be an antidote for the way in which Christians face life each day. In other words, "your sanctification means the death of the part of you that clings to things that God rejects" (31). What comes along with putting to death the sins that Christ already paid for is a life of stopping to small voice that tells us we must muster up some good works to outweight our dark deeds to win God's approval. Wisely the Dimarcos point out tha it is usually in times of great hardship that we look up from our rock-bottom state to desire the strength of God.
Before we look at another part of the book, I wanted to note that the layout of the book was a bit confusing at first with going back and forth from gray to white pages, from a snippet by Hayley and then by Michael. Yet, as I begin to read on, I appreciated the candor and honesty of both of them, being able to look themselves right in the mirror and seeing shades of grey and black (their faults, sins, and missteps). I think this book is great for the younger crowd who is able to digest small chunks of teaching all the while getting a dose of the authors' experience.
My favorite chapter was the chapter entitled Red is the New White. The Dimarcos are writing here about Jesus bearing our sins upon the cross by his blood to make us white as snow. Later in the chapter, the authors remind the readers that the atonement that Christ brought for his people not only procures their salvation but removes our guilt and cleanses our consciences. They write, "When we die young we die to our right to hold onto the memory of our sins, holding them tightly in our arms, crying over them, unwilling to let them go because of the sheer magnitude of them all" (170). A prayer for healing can be as simple as Psalm 51:1-2 being spoken, reminding us of God's gracious forgiveness. Memories of past deeds of failure, regret, and trouncing God's law only serve to drive us to the pit of despair, thinking that God will be appeased in we counter with acts of righteousness. Yet, as the Dimarcos point out, God isn't interested with payment, he made the payment through the death of his Son and his shed blood. This fact frees us to die to thoughts of despair and failure and rest in the tender mercy of God.
This book will be of great service to small groups, youth groups and those interested in living out the call of burying ourselves in Christ. In many ways, the book is counterintuitive because it calls us to see the paradox of faith in the end as freeing us up for true living. For it is when we die to self that we find true freedom in the Savior. This book should go a long way in furthering the discussion about the way up being down.
Much thanks to Crossway for the review copy of this book.
In the first chapter, Death is the new Life, the DiMarcos give the reader a mini-lesson in the story of the Bible by going from the Garden to the Cross. They focus on the fact that the death of Jesus destroyed the power of death over you (22) and gave you life. Yet, as they go on to write about, the death of the Savior was meant to be an antidote for the way in which Christians face life each day. In other words, "your sanctification means the death of the part of you that clings to things that God rejects" (31). What comes along with putting to death the sins that Christ already paid for is a life of stopping to small voice that tells us we must muster up some good works to outweight our dark deeds to win God's approval. Wisely the Dimarcos point out tha it is usually in times of great hardship that we look up from our rock-bottom state to desire the strength of God.
Before we look at another part of the book, I wanted to note that the layout of the book was a bit confusing at first with going back and forth from gray to white pages, from a snippet by Hayley and then by Michael. Yet, as I begin to read on, I appreciated the candor and honesty of both of them, being able to look themselves right in the mirror and seeing shades of grey and black (their faults, sins, and missteps). I think this book is great for the younger crowd who is able to digest small chunks of teaching all the while getting a dose of the authors' experience.
My favorite chapter was the chapter entitled Red is the New White. The Dimarcos are writing here about Jesus bearing our sins upon the cross by his blood to make us white as snow. Later in the chapter, the authors remind the readers that the atonement that Christ brought for his people not only procures their salvation but removes our guilt and cleanses our consciences. They write, "When we die young we die to our right to hold onto the memory of our sins, holding them tightly in our arms, crying over them, unwilling to let them go because of the sheer magnitude of them all" (170). A prayer for healing can be as simple as Psalm 51:1-2 being spoken, reminding us of God's gracious forgiveness. Memories of past deeds of failure, regret, and trouncing God's law only serve to drive us to the pit of despair, thinking that God will be appeased in we counter with acts of righteousness. Yet, as the Dimarcos point out, God isn't interested with payment, he made the payment through the death of his Son and his shed blood. This fact frees us to die to thoughts of despair and failure and rest in the tender mercy of God.
This book will be of great service to small groups, youth groups and those interested in living out the call of burying ourselves in Christ. In many ways, the book is counterintuitive because it calls us to see the paradox of faith in the end as freeing us up for true living. For it is when we die to self that we find true freedom in the Savior. This book should go a long way in furthering the discussion about the way up being down.
Much thanks to Crossway for the review copy of this book.
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