★★★★★ 5
Highly recommended!
“How people Change” is the second best book I have read this year (the first being “The Gospel according to Jesus” by John MacArthur). There is indeed a “gospel gap” (as the authors call it) among Bible-believing Christians today. We believe the gospel for our past forgiveness and future hope, but often forget that the gospel applies to present everyday living as well. They focus our problem on heart idolatry - we have replaced Christ with something else! They put it this way – “The heart is the steering wheel of every human being. Everything we do is shaped and controlled by what our hearts desire. That is why the Bible is very clear that God wants our hearts. Only when God has your heart does he have you. As much as we are affected by our broken world and the sins of others against us, our greatest problem is the sin that resides in our hearts. That is why the message of the gospel is that God transforms our lives by transforming our hearts.” And again, “Even though life is hard, it is not the hardships that cause us to respond as we do. Our responses are shaped by the thoughts and motives of our hearts (Heb. 4:12).” The authors also remind us that in Christ and His gospel, we have a new record, a new power and are set free from the enslaving power of sin. They write, “With the new record and new power we have received, we are set free from the enslaving power of sin and the condemnation of the law. We are dead to the world and we have power over the Evil One who tempts us with worldly Christ-replacements. We don’t have to be controlled by them anymore! We are now free to live, act, think, and believe in new and surprising ways.” The authors also remind us of our marriage or union to Christ, and how God designed heart change to take place in the context of community (the church) – something we conveniently ignore in our mostly individualistic culture! The latter part of the book focuses on four themes: Heat, Thorns, Cross and Fruit. “Heat” is the pressures of everyday life and includes blessings, temptations and difficulties. “Thorns” is the ungodly response to the daily situations of life. “Cross” is the resources available in Christ to every believer. “Fruit” is the Godly response to the situation resulting from God’s work in the heart. With sharp Biblical insight and relevant everyday stories, the authors present a mirror in front of our souls, so that we see the hope & power of Christ and His gospel for everyday living. Heart change is possible! Read this book and apply its truths! I hope to do the same.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2016


