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54 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Passionate Defense of The Gospel, October 9, 2003
If you've been involved with any major religion for longer than an hour, you'll come away with its basic message: be good and chances are you'll get to Heaven. It's a wonder why so many are fed up with the church. Andy Stanley begs the question that plagues those stuck in institutional religion. How good is good enough? Stanley takes us to the heart of the very un-religion--Christianity. He speaks with a clarity rare among evangelical preachers, boldly proclaiming God's truth as the only truth while also clearly defining the parameters of our faith. His conversational tone takes us through the main arguments for works-based religion and refutes them with the statements of Jesus and simple logic. Not only is this book great for seekers, tired of performance based faith, but it would also be an excellent primer for Christians who still wonder if they are saved or not. Lastly, Stanley cuts to the heart of the great debate within the church, refuting the arguments put forth by Lordship Salvation proponents and clearly stating the foundation of the Gospel: by faith alone in Christ alone. Plus or minus nothing. I would highly recommend this book--its a simple, yet profound read. And it may just shake your thinking when it comes to the most important issue in life.
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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Introduction, September 16, 2004
It takes a brave man to write another book geared towards convincing unbelievers that being good simply isn't enough to earn God's favor. There are so many similar books available and most unbelievers have heard the arguments so many times that they simply fall on deaf ears. Andy Stanley, though, wrote How Good Is Good Enough? to cover this topic one more time and he covers it admirably. The book is based around the premise that every religion other than Christianity is based on the premise that good deeds can earn us a favorable place in the afterlife. This, the world's most popular theory about heaven, falls flat when examined in depth, and Stanley examines it thoroughly. He asks the usual questions ("if you were to stand before God and He were to ask why He should let you get into heaven, what would you say?") and uses the familiar arguments ("Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic or exactly who He said He was") yet somehow avoids making the book fell like it is filled with nothing but cliché. Perhaps the fact that it is written conversationally, almost as if Stanley was sitting in a room with you and just sharing his faith, makes it feel different. It is filled with examples from his own life and ministry, giving it a sense of genuineness. The book is divided into two sections. The first speaks about common understandings of God, the afterlife and how we can secure a place in heaven. The second section presents the Christian alternative to the arguments of other religions. Stanley shows, for example, how a common objection to the reality of heaven and hell is that sending people to hell is not fair. To counter this, he presents God as merciful rather than fair, for fairness would condemn us all to hell. The book concludes with a prayer and the author is careful to point out that faith, not a prayer, is what saves. The prayer covers sin, the fact that we deserve punishment and the reality of Jesus' substitution. Theologically the book was solid, and examining it from my Calvinist viewpoint I found no significant shortcomings. Especially noteworthy was that the author used a solid Bible translation throughout and did not "dumb down" the message of the gospel and neither did he rob it of its power by giving only half the story. This is the good ol' fashioned gospel presented honestly and powerfully. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and recommend it as a gift for a friend or family member who does not believe. It is easy to read, short (a mere 92 pages) and covers the topic as well as any similar book I've read.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How Good is Good Enough, February 28, 2005
A superb presentation of Christianity's answer to this question. If you wonder about God, the Bible, or Heaven; this book is a must read. For Evangelical Christians, this is an excellent book to give to people who are searching, wondering, questioning spiritual areas of existence. This is simply written, a quick read (1-2 hours) and presents the Bibles response to the question posed in the title. An excellent precursor to other written material that provides more in depth information on what the Bible says, such as The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus by John R. Cross, etc.
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