We truly live in a lost world. We live in a world that has rejected God. The problem is that worldliness has infected the church. Our churches tend toward looking like the world, rather than the authentic Christianity of the New Testament. Melvin Tinker in his new book, A Lost God in a Lost World, tackles these issues in a clear and effective way.
The solution is to make less of the world and to make more of God. In that vein, Tinker addresses a number of problems that exist in the church and the solution that is rooted in God. He begins by addressing the weightiness (the immense glory of God) and why that should root out the problem of idolatry in our lives. Tinker articulates key points on the necessity of the cross, of Gospel proclamation, of grace, and of being heavenly minded. In sum, Tinker offers us a mini-systematic theology complete with the problems that exist in sinful man (and in sinful churches) and the solution rooted in various points regarding who God is and how God operates in the world.
David Wells in the forward writes, “If our vision of God is clouded, or our knowledge of him is deformed, living in a hostile cultural climate becomes an unequal contest.” Surely, we live in a 1 Peter context with a hostile culture around us. The solution is not to mimic that culture but to live out a unique culture rooted in the supremacy and majesty of the Triune God. To get there, Tinker simply reminds us of the beauty and majesty of God from the Word and reminds us of it’s significance for serving as our framework for life and the church.
If you’re like most in the church, you’re concerned by the lack of growth; both in our own lives, and in our churches. Tinker will remind you the solution is not in fads or programs or in mimicking the culture, but instead is in a bigger picture in our hearts and minds of God. While some more detail on how that would look (rubber meets the road) would be helpful, overall, he sets a good foundation for us to work on in each of our contexts. Highly recommended.
Working out Salvation with Fear and Trembling 