I’ve yet to meet a Christian who isn’t, at one point in their lives or another, reminded of their sin and feels guilt and shame. There are also Christians who feel powerlessly wracked with guilt that they doubt they are even a Christian in the first place. Satan knows how to remind us of our past transgressions and the daily battle we face against temptation, he knows how to plague us. But, if we are in Christ, we are forgiven. If you’re looking for a book to solidify that truth in your mind, this is it!
A Dozen Things God Did with Your Sin (And Three Things He’ll Never Do) isn’t only for a small subsection of the Christian church, but I believe that it is a book that everyone can benefit from, why? Here’s what Sam Storms says in his introduction…
“all of us, both new believers and seasoned saints, will be confronted regularly with disquieting concerns that perhaps we’ve failed once too often and have pushed God to the limits of his grace. There’s no getting around the fact that this is why so many blood- bought, redeemed children of God continue to live bereft of the joy and peace that are two of the blessings Christ died to secure for us. We just can’t bring ourselves to believe that God really loves us.”
The reality is that many Christians have a superficial view of forgiveness and the atonement of Jesus that we don’t realise the full extent of what it means. This book teaches you, as the title says, twelve things that God did with your sin and three things He will never do. The 12 things are;
- He laid our sin on his Son, Jesus Christ. He has forgiven us of our sin.
- He has cleansed us from our sin.
- He has covered our sin.
- He has cast our sin behind his back.
- He has removed our sin as far as the east is from the west. He has passed over our sin.
- He has trampled our sin underfoot.
- He has cast our sin into the depths of the sea.
- He has blotted out our sin.
- He has turned his face away from our sin.
- He has forgotten all our sin.
Each of these things is a chapter that focuses on the passage that communicates that truth. Sam Storms brings his years of pastoral experience to the table and helps us see the magnitude of the forgiveness that Christians have in Christ.
Not only does this book touch on forgiveness and the atonement, but it touches on much more, for examples, the character of God, what the gospel is, how easy it is to think that God is angry at us when we sin and why our minds and hearts are so easily pulled away from such life giving truth and we buy the lies of guilt and shame.
My one criticism (if you can call it that) is that the book is repetitive. However, I think it’s intentional. We are a people who easily forget, especially things that we don’t find easy to believe or experience. So in that sense I think it’s helpful that Storms repeats some key themes throughout the book and that there is so much overlap in a few of the chapters.
If you’re a Christian who is struggling to reconcile your past sins with the truth of Scripture, if you’re finding it hard to really believe that you’re forgiven, this book is for you. If you’re discipling someone who is wrestling with those thoughts and feelings, this book is for you. If you’re a pastor who wants to be able to give people confidence that their forgiveness is granted through the completed work of Jesus, this book will help. Sadly the book is only coming out on March 18th in the UK, but I highly recommend you pre-order at least one copy.
*** I received these books from the publishers in exchange for honest reviews. This does not change the way I rate the books. My views are my own. ***
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