The Naked Gospel: The Truth You May Never Hear In Church (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
4.5When I was about a quarter of the way through this book I was angry - not at the content, not at God or myself but because I had not heard this stuff before having grown up in the church, attended a Christian high school and gone to Bible college for three years! Indeed, this is gospel message you don't ever hear in church (or anywhere else either from my experience).It's interesting to observe people's reactions to this book. I understand Farley's warning in the beginning of the book now having been able to share the content of this book with various people. Like you would intuitively expect from the gospel in its most stark and thus radical form, this book is controversial. It has a way of showing who is still relying on a "mixed gospel of old and new." I would even liken this book to Jefferson Bethke's "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus" video as far as the general message and the reaction it will draw from people.Having grown up in the church, there has been a lot of things I've had to unlearn about God. I owe a lot to authors like Donald Miller for showing me a much more authentic, relational and honest expression of faith in Blue Like Jazz. I also owe Brennan Manning for introducing me to grace (something that only got lip service in church) in The Ragamuffin Gospel and also restoring my faith in God to a large degree through it. More recently, I owe John Lynch and his coauthors for writing The Cure. I mention those to say that all of them helped me believe in and understand grace. They illustrated it well. However, in The Naked Gospel I have been shown exegetically why I can trust in grace, the gospel and the Spirit.In a way, this book mostly reads like a sermon. There is a lot of scripture used which usually follows some illustration (personal or otherwise). The use of scripture (not, surprisingly, in a way that makes you gloss over) does a lot for the book and makes it stand out from the formerly mentioned books. Truly, this book has made me see the Bible in a different way because it has helped me see its Author in a different way through the Bible.As a personal testimony, I will just say that after reading this book I have not been able to shut up about it. And isn't this the response hearing and understanding the gospel should have for everybody so that sharing it is not an obligatory Christian duty but an uncontainable joy because of what it's done for us? Honestly, as I reflect on the Christian culture I've grown up in, having heard the gospel like this now, I end up wanting to save believers from Christianity (as least in the "mixed" way it's so predominantly taught).Another personal note: I always used to feel like I was trying to "put on" Christianity, but it never really fit, like clothes that were the wrong style or size. It's different now - understanding the law's place (or really, any good "Christian rules" or law we make in order to grow or mature) and the Spirit and the flesh in the nuanced way Farley lays out has helped a lot.I must admit that I am still personally trying to integrate the views and message contained in this book. I'm processing through people's objections an pushbacks and whatnot (as well as my own questions too). I have thought over and over that this message is too good to be true and that someone is going to exegetically refute everything Farley says. Maybe the truth is somewhere more "in the middle" - but maybe it's not and maybe we've been missing out on the joy and rest the gospel can give us. I'm still processing it all. What I can say is that this message has changed me and that I understand its Author and read the Bible very differently now. Well, first off the book is easy reading, like a stroll down a gradual hill, personally I like it when books can communicate their ideas, without me having to stumble, crawl over, walk around and climb while reading, due to their rough writing style.I read quite a few other books similar to this one, but Farley made a little more of a scriptural case on aspect of the grace message and covered a few things that I don't recall being touched on in other books I've read. I don't like writing negative reviews, because I am sure many of my reactions are do to misunderstanding or not understanding where he is coming from. As he writes, he sees the whole and therefore, as he shares the parts, the parts make sense to his mind and also to those who see things like he does. But i see things from a different perspective, so i struggle to make all the parts to make sense and fit together. Its like he has the puzzle box and I don't, so its easy to spot pieces that don't seem to fit, and yet if I were to talk to him, I am sure he could show me how they do. But with that said. I'll go ahead and share some of my reaction to the book.So of course he makes his first attack on the law, insisting that all the law is to be discarded, not just the irrelevant ceremonial laws, but also the moral-code, and not only that but all the extremeness that flowed from the lips of Jesus. This is because it was directed to people under the old covenant, and the only purpose of his preaching law was to stir up sin in them, so they might come to the end of themselves and embrace the naked gospel. But yeah, Farley gave me the impression ALL ethics are bad, any good advice is trying to add on to the gospel. That morality only pollutes, law only burdens people down and makes people more sinful, etc... so we're to somehow just close our ears to all of it, and just be lead by the Holy Spirit and go by how we feel. Maybe I heard him wrong. But yeah, in the real world, on the national scale, there is no liberty without law, law has greatly reduced evil and has increased freedom. On a individual level, God who knows how we were designed and how we're meant to function, was kind enough to share with us design requirements and we ignore this to our own determent. After Jesus died and raised again, his followers, including Paul filled the latter half of their books, with TONS of thou shalts and thou shalt nots. A Mammoth portion of the New Testament is telling us what to do and what not to do. So yeah, I would need to have a conversion with Andrew Farley, because he talks down on all law, insisting that its Jesus plus nothing (Whatever that means), yet what on earth does he do with the freaking New Testament? how on earth does he and the other grace-thumpers see what is staring them in the face? (I am sure they have some way) Do they think us Christians are stressing out, miserable and are overwhelmed with guilt, because we're trying to follow the OLD TESTAMENT law? Heck no!!! people aren't depressed because they can't wear pants with mixed cloth, or because their worried they've not kept the Sabbath day holy. No! they are shaking under the weight of the New Testament, yes all the commands of Paul, Peter, James and John! These guys set a standard so absurdly high we shutter and it is written to Christians! Yet the ethic they present is beautiful and even if I was an atheist I still would want to live by it. But the problem is, dang it, we can't live up to it even though we've been given all things pertaining to life and godliness. Even though we have the Holy Spirit, some reason He refuses to be this external power source, some reason instead carrying us all the time, he wants us to stumble, stagger and fall, I mean... learn to walk.My question is how does the Holy Spirit work? Does He use natural means? What if one of the ways he wants to instruct us in how to live is from the scriptures? And what if one the main ways He brings about change is through natural means? We may be driven to love people, but if we have a warped understanding of how to love, we can cause a lot of damage. Wisdom, understanding, and applying those godly principals (Which he also calls "law") are necessarily if we are to truly do the highest for God, others and ourselves. If the Holy Spirit is our Fuel, the New Testament laws are our map. You cannot wisely just tell people to do what is right in their own eyes. Which I feel is what Farley is communicating. One of the problems in the world is that people are doing this very thing, full of good intentions and pure motivations, yet mucking everything up due to their ignorance and lack of understanding concerning reality. I am just not sure how much the Holy Spirit will override our messed understanding of how to do things, because well, sadly I don't see the holy Spirit doing this very often.Farley, uses a lot of scripture and a lot of it does seem to imply his point, but I suppose I notice the scriptures on the other end of the spectrum which causes me to wonder, is there a balance of sorts, sort of like we're walking a tight rope, and if we're holding a balancing stick that has a weight one side and an equal amount of weight on the other side, well, then we walk the line.Let me use an analogy, we have a boy in kindergarten who thinks phonograms are to hard, he whines that he can't do it, that its impossible. The law (which is he HAS to learn his phonograms) is a heavy burden to the boy, its making him miserable, causing him to hate life. Would it be a good idea for the teacher to approach the child, try to boost his self-esteem and tell him how smart he is and then say, you're free! You don't have to learn if you don't want to! Your not under the law, go play in the play ground if you want, have fun!!!! Oh yes, the little boy will love his teacher for this, finally he'll be freed from the horrible law, and now carefree, he is having the time of his life!!!! Oh wait, until several years down the road, when his not being able to read has part in screwing up his life.There is a more balanced way, I would suggest. So yeah, first off, the teacher should never condemn or put down the child, but she also can't lower the standard, she must remain strict with him. Both the teacher and the child need to understand its a process! There a lots of things that the child is capable of learning, but is quite literally unable to do at the present. Yet with effort, perseverance and help, these things can be conquered. Paul talked about being extremely disciplined, he said he beat himself black and blue and was disciplined in ALL ways, comparing himself to the one preparing for the Olympics and then he has the audacity to command us to do the same. Moreover he said, he was not just boxing the air, aimless, running in who knows what direction. But he has a plan, he has a goal. Its like he was not lifting weights to be accepted before God, but that he could better serve him.Oh man, as i flip through the book again, there are SO many things that I want to respond to. But I suppose i would need to write a whole book to response to all of it. but yeah, I'll mention a few other things and then finish my review.So yeah, he insist that we are born sinners and that who we are has nothing to do with what we do, this really bothers me, he thinks its biblical, but I beg to differ, we read "Adam sinned and brought death into the world, and death spread to all mean BECAUSE ALL HAVE SINNED." Adam was an example and all have chosen to follow in his tracks, so all are guilty and responsible for what we have done and we're not punished and guilty because of what someone over a 6,000 years ago did. But of course the reason he mentions this, is that we are perfectly set and can be at ease, because just like we were born a sinner, once we are born again, we are a new creature and it does not matter what we do. Now what I sort of get the impression of from Farley and even more so from other grace preachers, is that "God can't see our sin" which implies He does not care about it, its a non-issue, its gone and we can live care-free happy lives and the only sin is to feel guilty for sinning, because we are eternally secure and in Christ. But what about the countless times throughout the New Testament that we are told that we're set only IF we endure to the end and for us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling and all the warnings and exhortations and threats. I don't like all of these scriptures, but dang it, they are there and none of the grace books address them.As far as it being unbiblical for Christians to ask for forgiveness for there sins, I was like, wait! What about 1 John "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us..." Well, finally Farley got to that, and claims that John is writing to non-Christians, because he starts of by addressing some of the gnostic heresy. But yeah, I am translating 1 John right now in Greek class, and leading up to this verse, John says things like "We write these things that you might CONTINUE having fellowship with us and the Father, and Jesus, etc..." So if these are pagans John is writing to, its interesting he is saying they are already having fellowship with him and God and He wants them to continue. So I am not convinced. But yeah, nevertheless, it was an interesting case Farley made here. Of course the "Lord forgive us" part of the Lord's prayer is Old Covenant stuff which does not apply to us. But hey, Farley has a point that the teaching that Christians are to ask forgiveness when they sin, does not have much scriptural suppose outside of 1 John. But my problem, is even if Farley is right, that its a sin to ask forgiveness for our sins. Then what does this do to relationship? Does God really not care at all what we do? Does our sin not hurt him? Does our sin not produce in him any grief? How can he insist that sin has not affect to our relationship with God? Are we in fellowship with God while looking at porn or getting drunk, or while exploding in anger at a family member? Are Christians in fellowship with God when they fornicate? I know of to many who have done this very thing. Causing great pain to themselves and to others. Yet God never saw it because he only could see the spotless Christ? They should never even tell God "I'm sorry?" Does this make God indifferent? I have a hard time with this. Surely God is sensitive to the destruction our choices cause ourselves, his people and his creation. I wonder if its like we are Forgiven with a capital F. But its still like we need to allow Jesus to wash our feet, because we walk in the world. Jesus made it clear to Peter, if he didn't allow him to wash his feet (Even though he just told him that he was clean) that he could have no part with him. This implies, keeping short accounts is important in our relationship with God. Its important in ALL relationships. If everything was as magical and simple as Farley seems to makes out, i am wrong. But I fear we are a mixed bag of desires, motives and wants. And the fact of the matter is we don't always want to do right. Oh how I wish God would write his laws (His new testament laws) upon our hearts, and make it were we continually wanted to do as we ought.Now finally, though I could go on and on about so many other things. I'll finish with this. So yeah, He says when we want to sin, its not us, but sin in us, this mysterious something in us that is causing us to sin. And yeah, this idea is based on Scripture, but what about the brain? A lot is due to the fact we've hard-wired our brain through bad choices to naturally act in a certain destructive ways, and the only way to fix this problem is through a long process of actually changing the physical brain. Maybe this is why Paul wrote, "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind". So yeah, a lot has to do with the brain, and a lot of the change is going to happen there. And though we are born again, and through trial and error, learning, diligent, exercise and effort can grow and mature and become more Christlike, at the moment we're not there yet, its like we're still babies. A human baby has all things pertaining to life and humanness and can mature to do what adults do. Likewise, we are are given all things pertaining to life and godliness, but we're still in the baby stage and must grow. There is lots we presently CAN'T DO.Farley does not really reflect on much of the relational aspects, much more is legal, and absolute standing and all. But yeah, God promises to scourge every son (This is in the New Covenant!) he reserves and to discipline and chasten, a fact of life is that God often test us with silence and hiddenness, every now and then, God does convict one of sin. And yeah, on and on I could go. But yeah, this is way to long as it is.Though, much of my response were negative, there were parts I did agree with. And yeah, I thought he did a pretty good job at presenting his ideas. Towards the end of the book, i would read things that seemed inconsistent with the first half of the book, meaning most likely he has more of a balance view one things then earlier parts of his book suggest, it is just i am not reading the book from his eyes. Its clear he does not want to give license for people to sin and the reason he presents what he does, is because he firmly believes this is the only way to be free from sin.
What do You think about The Naked Gospel: The Truth You May Never Hear In Church (2009)?
this is a very theologically thought provoking book. Still reflecting on some of it's content.
—missb3
review coming...I wrote a great one and lost it accidentally. UGH!!
—hebm
