clear truth about how the gospel is the remedy... for everything. if you aren't sure that's true... read it. if u are sure that's true.... read it. i took this book slowly to chew on each chapter... lots of notes & highlights... a few new notecards for reminders. ( )

Very practical application of the gospel to our every day life. Every bit as good as *Idols of the Heart* also by Elyse Fitzpatrick. ( )

So much of Christian counseling focuses on life-change and thinking-change without returning to the foundation of all change - the gospel. From chapter one, Fitzpatrick's book talks about how to apply the gospel to all problems and situations. Since the time of its publication, this book has become greatly loved by many women in our church. ( )

The gospel motivates burdenless obedience

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It drives home the gospel to practical real-life situations that 'we are more sinful and flawed then we ever dared believe, but we are more welcome and loved then we ever dared hope'.

You say, "Yeah, I know that; I don't need this book." But this book will test how much you really do know it. That's kind of how I started--hoping for encouragement, but nothing entirely new. Well, it wasn't entirely new, but it was more than just encouragement!

Main thesis: Joy in the gospel and love for Christ is what motivates change. Therefore, counseling ought to show people how loved they are in Christ, since our love is responsive--it is not just about discipline and 'put off', 'put on', it is about inner transformation.

And this is anything but theoretical to them. I would have agreed with this statement before reading the book; but now I understand it more deeply and love it more dearly.

Their distinction between the "Happy Moralist" and "Sad Moralist" is also very helpful to distinguish how different types of people respond to God's declarations in the gospel. These are very helpful categories to think in and show up throughout the book.

Again and again, in presenting case studies, they pause and ask you, "What would you say to this person?" "What do they need?" Then they walk through the points of the gospel: sinless life, cross, resurrection, ascension, and apply it to that person. Almost every chapter ends with these case studies. They really tests your understanding and elucidates the way to apply these truths to yourself / others.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians--whether seeking to learn better to preach the gospel to yourself or to others. ( )

I'm ridiculously overdue with this review, but there's a good reason. I really READ this book. I mean, seriously. I picked it up to review it and was in tears by the end of the first chapter. Just then, my husband (a pastor) and I were facing some daunting personalities and conflict at our church, and I went from absolutely discouraged to "I need to read more NOW" in the space of about 5 minutes. The Gospel does that for a person, and the authors do a fabulous job of explaining not just the Gospel OBLIGATIONS, but just as important, the Gospel DECLARATIONS. The former tell us what to do; the latter, which MUST come first, tell us who Christ is, and who we are.

The authors write for the counselOR, but address the reader much of the time as a counselEE, which I found eminently helpful. COUNSEL, in the title, can be taken both as a verb and as a noun. Their work does remind the counselor how the Gospel can be applied to every category of "issue" you'll encounter in the counseling room, but it first counsels the counselor, helping the reader apply the Gospel to what they're facing right now. Early on, the authors explain the two sides of the "Gospel-deficient" coin: "Sad moralists" apply the Gospel obligations without any of the declarations. They get trapped in legalism and, eventually, begin to deceive themselves that their obedience gains them favor with God. They see most often how far their practice deviates from the perfection God seeks to build in them, and only end up discouraged and defeated by their sin and pride. On the other side of the coin, "happy moralists" remember many of the Gospel declarations, but don't follow through with the Gospel obligations. They rejoice in who they are in Christ, and think that position is "enough," and that their practice doesn't need to change. These get trapped in license and a lack of understanding of what it cost God to give them that position. As one of my counselees puts it, they "trample on grace." Everyone fits into one of these categories (most of us will swing back and forth according to our individual areas of sinful bent), so the authors spend the rest of the book applying the Gospel to these two extremes in the "big-box" arenas of emotions, relationships, growth in Christ, and life purpose and focus.

I picked up COUNSEL FROM THE CROSS to read through it quickly enough to get a sense of it and write a knowledgeable review, and realized I needed to slow waaaaaay down. I needed to let the truth of the Word soak into my spirit, warm me, recharge me, kick me in the pants a few times, and remind me of the goodness and unfailing love of the God I serve. As a Biblical counselor and teacher, I've already been using the material, and look forward to getting this book into the hands of the women I meet with on a regular basis as soon as possible, beginning with going through it (again) with a counselee this winter. I highly, highly recommend that you allow Mrs. Fitzpatrick and Dr. Johnson to offer you "counsel from the cross."

Read the full review, and others, on our blog: www.vangorden-vm.blogspot.com ( )