“The only person in this world that really matters is me”. This common concept hidden in our lives today, though we might not be to crass to proclaim it out now, it lies deep within us. However, when we become christians someone else takes this place, and He is our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
So this really is a book about how we can be absent-minded about ourselves, because we are preoccupied with who Christ is. Timothy Keller in this small booklet, explains what 1 Cor 3:21-4:7 have to say about this topic.
In the first chapter, Keller brings us to examine our hearts, namely our ego. Keller shows how man will always strive after the never-ending pursuit of excellence, significance and purpose, yet never be able to reach it, since there’ll always be a fear of not being able to keep up, or another person to measure against with. Then Keller moves to how our view of ourselves can be transformed by the gospel. First he shows how Paul portrays that transformed view of self, then he quotes from Lewis and shows how they made the same point in their books, essentially, Christians can be self-forgetful, totally focused on others.
Impossible, some would say. And that’s what Keller wants to show the readers in the third chapter, how to get that transformed view of self. And this is how you get it — when you understand how God sees you, and that is what it really matters. Essentially, if you are truly justified by faith in Christ, then you can, no, you must be self-forgetful. It doesn't matter what others think or say about you now, the cross tells and gives us a radically new identity, one free from the pressures of this world, one that this world can never take away.
One could only wished that Keller would have expanded on this topic and written an actual book on it. I highly recommend any christian to read this book, in our day and culture where we are constantly evaluated by people offline and online, it is easy to succumb to such pressures. This book will be a helpful antidote for christians against it.
Rating: 4.25 / 5
If you're interested you can get it here, and here (free international shipping), Kindle.
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