Roughly four years ago I did a book review on Brad Jersak’s A MoreChristlike God, which was a fantastic work that destroyed the false images
of God we have constructed that look more like Zeus or Mars and revealed the true
picture of God to us as seeing in Jesus Christ. In this follow up, Brad fleshes
out what it looks like to walk in Christ’s footsteps.
To be a good chef, one needs to know more than how to prepare a tasty
meal, you need to know what ingredients to combine to best bring out the
flavours but it also needs to be presented in an aesthetically pleasing manner as
well. Brad, with a pastor’s heart and academic mind, is like a master chef who
has successfully managed to bring his readers to the Lord’s Table
and say, “taste and see that the Lord is good”. Even though I am well
acquainted with his work, I was worried that this may turn into a performance
driven, do better and try harder inspirational message that comes out of so
many pulpits today. Fortunately that is not the case, using a metaphor from the
book, true deconstruction (a word that can make me nervous), is not just about
disproving truth claims but about learning to slow down, and be mindful of the way
that we use language and the ways in which we discuss and practice truth and
meaning. An analogy is used in the book with the way that one would go about
restoring a priceless work of art, it may take years of careful work to remove
what was not part of the original and bring out what was, but the goal is to
restore it, to uncover its original beauty once again.
A More
Christlike Way does that by identifying four counterfeit ways and then through
exploring seven facets or aspects of the Jesus Way. The Jesus Way is one that
is rooted in love, it is self-emptying (kenosis), cross-carrying and
Grace-energized and fleshed out for us in the Sermon on the Mount. A personal standout
point for me is the author’s use of the word grace in a much more personal way,
he uses it as a name for the Spirit much as many of us are used to using Word
as a name for Jesus. Grace has become a more practical word for me because of
it, it is not just about been nice and patient with someone but about learning
to abide and walk in the Spirit of Father’s divine love. For example, learning
to walk in grace and learning to walk in Grace would or could be two different
things. This book will help you to walk
that path, one of surrender, peacemaking and more in a way that encapsulates
what it is to be fully human, embracing the way and participating in the life of the new Adam.
You can find Brad Jersak’s new book, A More Christlike Way on Amazon
over here.
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