Each chapter of Death by Love is a personal letter written by Driscoll to someone he has dealt with as a pastor of Mars Hill. You will feel deep anger to some of the recipients of the letters and deep compassion to some of the recipients. Driscoll applies the truths of the cross to both the rapist and the rape victim. Here sin’s offensiveness toward God is not a lite fat free version that is pleasant our contemporary palate, nor has the offensiveness of the cross to the wisdom, power, and righteousness of man been watered down. Driscoll will still be sure to upset many though in a different way. The humor and sarcasm are absent, but theologically many will disagree with him over some finer points. I would advise them upon these finer points to follow Driscoll’s example and not elevate them to the same level as the core message of the cross. I highly recommend the book but would advise you that the discussion of sin and sins victims are frank and heart wrenching. Yet this is the very reason I think many of the readers of this blog should read it. In our little world called the Bible Belt everything is sanitized, including sin; and it would do us much good to see the horrors, devastating effects, and sorrows of sin freshly.
…there is no such thing as Christian community or Christian ministry apart from a rigorous theology of the cross that is practically applied to the lives of real people.
[Commenting on I Corinthians 15:1-4] Here we see that the gospel is continual, in that we must continually be reminded of it; proclamational, in that it must be preached to us often, including preaching it to ourselves; essential, in that we must continually cling to it alone for the assurance of our salvation; central, in that it is the most important truth in all the world; eternal, in that it is passed on from one generation to the next without modification by religion; Christological, in that it is about the person and work of Jesus Christ alone; penal, in that the wages for sin – death – was paid; substitutional, in that Jesus’ death on the cross was literally in our place for our sins; biblical, in that it is in agreement with and the fulfillment of all Scripture; and eschatological, in that the resurrection of Jesus reveals to us our future hope of resurrected eternal life with him.
This may shock you, but of all the things you have ever done, I believe thinking you are good enough to pay God back with a few tears, apologies, dollars, and kind deeds is the most offensive.
So, rather than arguing whether or not it would be cruel of Jesus to torment you justly, you should thank him for suffering so that you do not have to.
Your questions can be answered only in Jesus. Your longings can be satisfied only in Jesus. Your sins can be forgiven only in Jesus. Your life can be transformed only in Jesus. Your prayers can be answered only in Jesus. Your eternity can be enjoyed only in Jesus.
No Other Boast 