In Jerry Bridges book, The Gospel for Real Life: Turn to the Liberating Power of the Cross…Every Day, he shows how the gospel “is the very lifeblood of our walk with God day by day.” He makes a “compelling case that the riches we seek are in Jesus Christ crucified and then tells us how to receive those riches by faith.” This book is found on the library shelves under the number 248.4 BRI.

I enjoy all Jerry Bridges' books and this was no exception. He had a great way of simplifying theology for the lay reader. This is not one of his best books: it is an overview of the Gospel message seeking to help readers to apply Gospel truths to their everyday lives. However, I found some of it a little repetitive and some of the examples he uses seem to be slightly off topic.

Bridges main focus in this book is to dispel the myths surrounding our relationship with God as believers. He wants Christians to understand that they really are justified by faith alone. He quotes Richard Lovelace:

Many Christians below the surface of their lives are guilt-ridden and insecure and draw the assurance of their acceptance with God from their sincerity, their past experience of conversion, their recent religious performance or the relative infrequency of their conscious, willful disobedience.

There are some great quotes addressing how God views us. These are things which are widely misunderstood in the church today. If we truly understand God's hatred of sin (and sinners) then it actually enhances the Gospel message and makes it more incredible that God chose to save us "whilst we were yet sinners."

When Paul described us as God's enemies, he was not at that point describing our sinful hatred of God but rather His righteous hatred of us because of our sin. Because of the sinful connotations we associate with human hatred, it is difficult for us to conceive of God's holy hatred towards people. But God's hatred is simply His just and holy revulsion and His holy antagonism toward those who rebel against Him. More important than His use of the word wrath, however, are His frequent references to hell as the ultimate, eternal expression of God's wrath. (Matthew 5 vs 22, 18 vs 9, Mark 9 vs 47, Luke 12 vs 5)

It is for this reason that:

We should never cease to be amazed that the One who established the Law and determined its curse should Himself ransom us from that curse by bearing it in our place.

I recommend this book which also has a study guide at the back. However, if you are new to Bridges then start with Trusting God or Respectable Sins. I'm about to also re-read The Pursuit of Holiness so that I can do a comprehensive review.... ( )

This is one of the few books that I recommend to every believer, and it is required reading for anyone who wants to be an officer at our church. ( )

Bridges is always an excellent writer. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the gospel and its power. ( )

When I first read this book I kept saying to myself this is a would be a great book for prison ministry. Thus it became the 1st book of 4 in a discipleship class I developed for just that. The class became my best in overall participation and consistent attendance. I had a couple of students remark it was one of the best books they've read and in prison one reads a lot. Through word of mouth there is a waiting list for the next time the book will be taught (God willing).

I will begin teaching it in a second prison in a could of weeks and am looking forward to the feedback from a couple of inmates who i've interacted with in the past and are very mature in their faith. I too gained insight in my second read that I did not get the first read.

Jerry Bridges has risen to the top of my lists as one of the best authors on discipleship and will be looking forward to teaching the second book in the class also by Bridges, "Growing Your Faith; Maturing in Christ"

I give it 5 stars not because it is amazing, I feel that is the wrong adjective but I give it 5 stars for it being solid in holding to scripture and solid in teaching the fullness of the Gospel, something that is not taught in a good number of churches today. It is not a book that focuses on how one improves their life through improving themselves but through the love, mercy and grace of God through HidSon Jesus Christ ( )