Why the Cross Can Do what Politics Can't

Rating:
Summary: You Can Impact Your World!
Review: Erwin Lutzer asks the very provocative question: Can a Christian's involvement in political and social causes really change the world? And it is a vital question in light of current events and events which may yet become reality. Pastor Lutzer has tackled this subject before, only in a different way in his book "Hitler's Cross" which is an excellent treatise on the cross, the flag, and loyalty to Christ.

In this book, he examines The Cross and its relations to Culture-Clash; the Flag; What God Thinks of the Cross; What Man Thinks of the Cross; The Cross, the Suffering of God; The Cross of Reconciliation; the Cross, the basis of moral sanity; The Cross standing out in the world; and the Triump of the Crucified. In explicit and wonderful ways, depending on your point of view, he demonstrates a great deal of wisdom by putting for the proposition of "what does the Cross mean for us, and in particular, the Christian?"

In any interesting commentary, on page 142 of the book, he states: "Many Christians think it is easy to find the villains who are responsible for America's moral demise: Hollywood, the pornographers, liberal judges, and the radical pro-abortionists and gay rights lobbies, all supported by the ACLU. Many of us assume that if we villify these obvious offenders and vote for authorities who think like we do, then we can 'take this country back.' Not only is such a diagnosis superficial, but so is the prescribed cure. As the church, we should think more carefully about the cause of our problems and pursue a biblical response."

There are many really good sections of this book, but one which I found to be incredibly intriguing and convicting was from his chapter on The Cross: Standing out in the World, and he asks this question:

"Who is Christ for us?
. the unborn child and the terrified teenager who knows not where to turn;
. the single mother who needs someone to give her son a male bonding experience;
. the biracial child who is ridiculed because of his or her features;
. the homosexual who is so overwhelmed with guilt that he is contemplating suicide;
. the inmates in a local prison who have no one to visit them;
. the poor in our inner cities?"

All great questions, but "...these are Christ to us today," he says, "but so is our alderman, the president, the mayor, and the cab driver. Everyone whom we are quick to criticize is Christ for us today."

This is an excellent read, and I spent some time mulling and examining my own heart as I read, and I expect I'll read it again. You cannot go wrong with the teaching from this servant of Christ, and I can't recommend it highly enough!

Rating:
Summary: You Can Impact Your World!
Review: Erwin Lutzer asks the very provocative question: Can a Christian's involvement in political and social causes really change the world? And it is a vital question in light of current events and events which may yet become reality. Pastor Lutzer has tackled this subject before, only in a different way in his book "Hitler's Cross" which is an excellent treatise on the cross, the flag, and loyalty to Christ.

In this book, he examines The Cross and its relations to Culture-Clash; the Flag; What God Thinks of the Cross; What Man Thinks of the Cross; The Cross, the Suffering of God; The Cross of Reconciliation; the Cross, the basis of moral sanity; The Cross standing out in the world; and the Triump of the Crucified. In explicit and wonderful ways, depending on your point of view, he demonstrates a great deal of wisdom by putting for the proposition of "what does the Cross mean for us, and in particular, the Christian?"

In any interesting commentary, on page 142 of the book, he states: "Many Christians think it is easy to find the villains who are responsible for America's moral demise: Hollywood, the pornographers, liberal judges, and the radical pro-abortionists and gay rights lobbies, all supported by the ACLU. Many of us assume that if we villify these obvious offenders and vote for authorities who think like we do, then we can 'take this country back.' Not only is such a diagnosis superficial, but so is the prescribed cure. As the church, we should think more carefully about the cause of our problems and pursue a biblical response."

There are many really good sections of this book, but one which I found to be incredibly intriguing and convicting was from his chapter on The Cross: Standing out in the World, and he asks this question:

"Who is Christ for us?
. the unborn child and the terrified teenager who knows not where to turn;
. the single mother who needs someone to give her son a male bonding experience;
. the biracial child who is ridiculed because of his or her features;
. the homosexual who is so overwhelmed with guilt that he is contemplating suicide;
. the inmates in a local prison who have no one to visit them;
. the poor in our inner cities?"

All great questions, but "...these are Christ to us today," he says, "but so is our alderman, the president, the mayor, and the cab driver. Everyone whom we are quick to criticize is Christ for us today."

This is an excellent read, and I spent some time mulling and examining my own heart as I read, and I expect I'll read it again. You cannot go wrong with the teaching from this servant of Christ, and I can't recommend it highly enough!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Great book for any Christian interested in politics. Lutzer puts the focus of Christians back where it should be: on the cross, not on a political agenda. He gives historical, logical, and biblical examples to support his claims. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and benefited much from his insights.