I have already come to a point in my life where I dismissed tired church doctrine of manmade origins such as the trinity, blood sacrifice, once saved always saved, eternal damnation, virgin birth and all other such paganism repackaged as "Christianity". I no longer celebrate Christmas and Easter. I have been ridiculed by family and my old pastor and dismissed by friends but I have stuck to my guns. Having an open mind while reading this book was EASY for me. But for those of you still holding on to the blended religion of Christianity and paganism, which comprises most if not all denominations today-you will have a hard time accepting the ideas presented in this book.
I had already deduced a long time ago that my own experience with God was far more important than reading a book by someone who has translated the Dead Sea Scrolls backwards and forwards or someone who has rigidly and scholastically combed over the Scriptures with a fine tooth comb and can be considered an "expert" on the word of God. But are those people more of an expert than God himself? Can they give you forgiveness in your darkest hour? Will they stand face to face with you when your life is over? I already know that reading the word of God, or reading interpretations of this verse or that verse- is in addition to my personal walk with God-and does not replace it or even come close.
If you walk away with one thing from this book let it be the belief that God is not found in the Scriptures alone, nor is he found in a church pulpit or pew, nor is he found in a book. He talks to you when you listen, he walks with you when you invite him and he hears you when you call out to him, even if it is in just your darkest hour. He never abandons you. If you have ever called out to God in your darkest hour of pain and self loathing, after you had done something so hideous and despicable or someone has done similar to you, and felt him embrace your very soul and scoop you up in his arms and take over the burden of your pain and help you to move forward-then you know that of which I speak and you ought to know those moments shape your faith more than any translation of the bible, any single verse, any sermon, any doctrine or any book chalk full of so called exegesis.
Who are we to limit his love for ALL humanity? Who are we to dictate to him who he will save? Who are we to demand or even suggest that some of his own children suffer eternal damnation? Would you allow someone to tell you how to punish your child? Would you allow someone to tell you to murder your own child and leave them to suffer in a firey pit of hell for all eternity?
I find it increasingly arrogant that so many so called Christians think they can speak for God day in and day out and use Scripture to support this behavior. I really don't care how many verses in the bible contradict eachother and how many support your view or the author's view or a combination of both. I'm tired of the verse gymnastics so many Christians feel compelled to thrust at you everytime you have a differing theological opinion from them. All that time arguing and bickering and shoving your nose in some self righteous book put together through "scholarly exegesis" would be better spent in quiet reflection with God and "listening" to Him and loving him with all your heart as a child would-with an open mind, open heart and no preconceived notions and hang ups and personal biblical translations. God is not the bible and the bible is not God.
In summation this book is an excellent reminder to those of us that cherish our personal experience of God in our lives more than we do alleged biblical inerrancy or the supposed divinity of Christ, fear of hell or even the enticing though that our enemies will suffer one day. It is a reminder that only God has the power to forgive and give his grace and nothing we can do will ever cause us to lose that grace. Our relationship with God is one of mutual and unconditional love, not based on fear of eternal damnation or rejection. True obedience to God and faithfullness to him is born of the love you feel from him, not from the threat of a buring fire pit and eternal suffering. God does not coerce you to come to him, but once you come out of love you are less likely to stray than one who comes from fear of the unknown. We no longer fear God and because of that we can open our hearts more deeply to him and accept his grace, even if we have trouble reconciling it with how evil the world is today. Enjoy the book for what it is-an affirmation of God's limitless love, forgiveness and grace. Like the author's say, you will not be punished for overestimating God's love!
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