How Good Is Good Enough? (LifeChange Books) (Hardcover)

by Andy Stanley (Author) "If you are like most people, you believe that everybody lives forever somewhere, that once you die, your soul goes somewhere..." (more)
Key Phrases: Old Testament, New Testament, Son of God (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Surely there's more than one way to get to heaven? Bestselling author Andy Stanley addresses this popular belief held even among Christians. But believing that all good people go to heaven raises major problems, Stanley reveals. Is goodness not rewarded, then? Is Christianity not fair? Maybe not, he says. Readers will find out why Jesus taught that goodness is not even a requirement to enter heaven - and why Christianity is beyond fair. Andy Stanley leads believers and skeptics alike to a grateful awareness of God's enormous grace and mercy.

About the Author
Andy Stanley is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and the pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He carries on a tradition of excellence in ministry with a youthful congregation of over 12,000. Andy is the author of The Next Generation Leader and the 1998 Foreword Book of the Year finalist Visioneering. He and his wife, Sandra, have two sons, Andrew and Garrett and a daughter, Allison.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 94 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (September 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590522745
• ISBN-13: 978-1590522745
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,134 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #4 in

  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Soteriology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Passionate Defense of The Gospel, October 9, 2003

By	Daniel Darling "Christian author and speaker" (Chicago area) - See all my reviews

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.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction, September 16, 2004

By	Tim Challies (Oakville, Ontario) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warning: This book is very convicting!, December 17, 2003

By	Richard K. Biggs (Gainesville, GA) - See all my reviews

If you're not a Christian, you're going to have a hard time with this book, but you should read it anyway. And if you are a Christian, you're going to reminded of your wise choice.

You see, every faith except Christianity is about a set of laws and trying to be good enough to live up to them. Jesus Christ, God's only Son, lived on earth for 33 years and taught us that Christianity is about grace, mercy and forgiveness because no one is good enough to live up to a set of divine laws as a means for going to heaven.

Andy Stanley gets to the heart of the Gospel (Good News) message by stating: "Christianity is the fairest possible system in a world that is irreversibly unfair. What could be fairer than this? Everybody is welcome. Everybody gets in the same way. Everybody can meet the requirement." The requirement is so simple it's easy to dismiss: Ask God to forgive your sins; place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior; and claim your eternal reward (see John 3:16).

The author concludes by saying that "the ultimate question
each of us must answer for ourselves is not whether Christianity is fair" but "is Jesus who he claimed to be?" I invite you to read this book, study the Bible and draw your own conclusions.