"Irresistible Faith" (Scott Sauls)

TITLE: Irresistible Faith: Becoming the Kind of Christian the World Can't Resist
AUTHOR: Scott Sauls
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2019, (224 pages).

The Christian Church is in the midst of challenging times. In fact, the way that the world view the Church has not changed a lot. The Church and Christians remain quite a rejected bunch of people in many societies. One of the reasons is what author Scott Sauls say: "the people of Jesus often have not represented him well." Many of us know that Christianity is about Christ. Yet, there are many who are disappointed with the behaviour of Christians, which in turn leads them to reject Christianity altogether. This is a pity but also a common reality. Mahatma Gandhi once commented about Christians: "I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." He is not the only one who says things like that. Many non-believers are aghast at the way some Christians are politicizing religion; having hypocritical behaviour; and doing things that are perceived as "holier-than-thou" attitudes. Such cultural climates, rightly or wrongly, are what believers have to go through these days. Safe to say, if believers were to practice according to the teachings of Jesus, they might be seen in a better light. Having said that, historically, believers no matter how pious or charitable they had been, criticisms have never subsided. Even Jesus Himself had been persecuted. This is unavoidable. What author Scott Sauls has proposed is a good posture of resilience and optimistic response.


Society nowadays, rightly or wrongly, discredits the entire Christian population, albeit unfairly. One should not generalize the entire Christian faith on the basis of a section of Christians. Yet that happens a lot. The challenge before us is this: How do we move from this state to becoming a community where people would find us and our faith irresistible? Three things: 1) Abide in Christ; 2) Belong to an irresistible community; and finally, 3) becoming an irresistible Christian.

Sauls makes several pertinent observations. The problem with the negative image about Christians is both external and internal. Externally, it is because the behaviour of Christians do not reflect enough of Christlikeness. Internally, it is due to Christians' flawed understanding of Christianity. He embarks on a positive journey to remind us of the great achievements of old. In spite of opposition, Christians have started hospitals, universities, contributed positively to the arts and the charities; etc. They have helped society to flourish at that time and we ought to continue our witness in our present times. At the same time, we are urged to avoid adopting any "holier-than-thou" behaviour or to politicize our beliefs. We should do our part to shape culture.

In Part One, Sauls begins with Christ. No matter how impossible it is, any optimism must stem from abiding in Christ. That means recognizing that Christ accepts us as we are. He makes a good observation, that even when Jesus felt forsaken when He was at the cross, we are given much grace that even in the midst of struggle, we could even question God: "My God, why haven't You forsaken me?" That is a comforting thought. At the end of the day, it is all about God loving us and we living for approval by God. Having said that, Sauls takes us through the journey of struggling to read the Bible. Many struggle with boredom, confusion, and lack of focus. That is why we need to depend on the Holy Spirit to help us get our heads straight. The journey to savouring Christ needs divine guidance, more than mere human perseverance.

Part Two brings us to the effects of abiding in Christ. A community is about relationship. Without the foundation on Christ, Christian community loses its meaning and identity. Sauls shares several examples about the need as well as the impact of a transparent, kind, intimate, and compassionate community. In our world, it is common to be showered with thousands of praises, but all it takes is one criticism and we can get shaken. An irresistible community will not only cultivate an atmosphere of safety, it helps us be ourselves. Not only that, we help one another grow beyond our negativity in a beneficial way. That said, we also need courage to stand up for what we believe in, rather than to shirk back at the first signs of opposition. Even when we admit we are a mess, that does not mean we should quit altogether. After all, the gospel is for hypocrites from all walks of life! As long as we learn and respond humbly, there is no preventing us from reaching out. An irresistible community also embraces hope and helps one another to do the same.

Part Three puts all the discussion we have so far into action, especially about personal testimonies to becoming an "irresistible Christian." First, learn to treasure the marginalized, especially the poor. They are often ignored. Once we have learned to deny ourselves, identifying with the poor becomes much easier. We are not self-accomplished individuals. We are nothing without God. With God, they believe that God's blessings are to be shared, not hoarded. This attitude of sharing and caring are practical steps toward blessing our neighbours. The work we do should not just be making money or to make ends meet. It is a mission for Christ. Once we have this as the reason for work, going to work need not be purposeless or monotonous. As new creation people, we ought to seek to leave this world a better place than before. Sauls exhorts us to cultivate and live out a "love-driven, life-giving" community, even when such communities are increasingly a minority in many parts of the world.

My Thoughts
First, I thank the author for reminding us once again that there is hope and excitement in the proclamation of the gospel in words as well as in deeds. Faith without works is dead. Work without faith is meaningless. We have many reasons to be optimistic and hopeful. Sauls has given many reasons for such hope throughout the book. Some of the ideas would take sometime to sink in, especially the part about "being ok with not being ok." As people have said, the longest journey is from the head to the heart. The gospel reminds us that we need to abide in Christ and to let Christ abide in us. For without Christ, we can do nothing. Hopefully, readers will get a good sense of this truth as they read this book. It is easy to plunge into the more "practical" part of the book, but I would advise against that. Every work and activity needs a firm foundation. With patience, we would get there.

Second, don't for one imagine that there will be no resistance. There are obvious limits to any forms of optimism. I am sure the author writes this book with the best of intentions and the highest of hopes. Unfortunately, it may be too idealistic to think that practicing all the good we could automatically result in being "irresistible" to the world of opinions. Jesus has said clearly that those who follow Him will be persecuted. Scriptures are full of reminders to believers not to be discouraged when the world reject us. Christians are not of this world, though they are in the world. In other words, in spite of the optimism that Sauls puts into the book with regard to becoming the people the world cannot resist, I think the opposite is more true. The more we be like Christ, the greater the rejection rates. It is an unfair world, so we should not deceive ourselves into thinking that we can change the world's thinking.

Finally, a reminder that our objective in the Christian life is not about becoming "irresistible" in itself. This is a byproduct of something bigger: Christlikeness. We are called to Christ and this means called to holiness. We can try to become as attractive as possible to the world, but that again is a red herring, a futile exercise in itself. What really matters is how we love God and love people. This is a lifelong journey of perseverance in our pursuit of God. For Jesus has reminded us that blessed are those who seek after God's righteousness, for they shall be filled. This is a promise that we can take heart in. Don't give up on the tasks before us. Don't give in to discouragement surrounding us. Don't give away the hopes we have in Jesus. Stay

Scott Sauls is senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He was formerly a lead and teaching pastor at New York City's Redeemer Presbyterian Church. He also teaches homiletics at Covenant Theological Seminary.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Nelson Books and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.