Book
Review – Dying to Live
The Paradox of The Crucified
Life |
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Author — Clive
Calver
Publisher - Authentic
Publicity - B &
BMedia
Review by Tom Gilbert — © June, 2009
 One
of the challenges of being a Christian in today's society where
there is such an emphasis on ambition, performance and consumerism
is that the message of Jesus Christ gets watered down, if not
lost altogether.
Dr. Clive Claver has written a book that calls us back to the
focal point of following Jesus. Dying
to Live: The Paradox of the Crucified Life (Authentic
Publishing) addresses the hunger that many Christians feel.
This hunger is for the real substance of Christ. Many new believers
are joyful and excited for a time, but it wears off because
they are not taught, or somehow miss, the message that following
Christ means dying to self and taking up your own cross (see
Matthew
16:24).
From my own walk with Jesus I recognize the challenges of this.
Calver correctly identifies the obstacles we face. We shy away
from making the sacrifice of giving up what we want. Many of
us suffer from a sense of entitlement. However, it all really
begins for us when we start to view life from the cross. Then
we must die to our self-centered way of living, sacrifice our
selfish ego desires and become willing to let Jesus live in
and through us. That is true discipleship.
One of the criticisms I've heard to choosing this way of life
is that people fear they will lose their sense of identity.
They worry they will become a "nothing" or a zombie,
and that they will no longer act responsibly or with any self
discipline. However, that is a failed understanding of the crucified
life. What can really happen is that Christ will live and act
through you! On our own power we cannot live with complete love
and forgiveness for all. We simply lack the power. But God will
come and inhabit our very being and transform us. A life filled
with the Holy Spirit has unlimited possibilities, for everything
is possible with God. This life is not lived without our participation;
but we must let go of being the sole director. It is a serious
choice and the result will be an exciting roller-coaster ride
when we make that choice to let go and let God.
Calver goes into depth in each chapter to better explain how
to embrace the cross and go beyond it to live a resurrected
life with Christ. In the first chapter he explains how he will
take you deeper. You will read about the need for true surrender,
what discipleship entails, the importance of making a sacrifice
of your life, giving to others in service, the fruit of a transformed
life and how living this way is the destiny, the purpose, God
has for you. This is a bold and refreshing reminder, particularly
when so many books on Christian living shy away from the tough
truth and paradoxical call of "surrender to win".
All of this may sound exciting, but don't take it lightly. In
order to "die to live" you have to be broken. That's
painful. We prefer not to accept the necessity of brokenness
because that goes to the heart of our preference to live our
own lives. As long as we hold on to that preference we will
not completely give ourselves to God and we remain trapped in
the sin of self. God lovingly breaks us when we surrender and
then molds us into something new and better.
The tone of this book is not heavy-handed preaching. On the
contrary, the author shares his own journey with insight and
compassion. He also uses examples of other everyday people he
knows who've chosen to lovingly live the crucified life. The
book has given me renewed insight into my need to let go of
my personal agenda and recognize the daily choice I have to
take up my own cross and follow Jesus.
More info:
You can purchase Dying to Live: The Paradox of the Crucified
Life at Amazon.com
Dr. Clive Calver has authored twenty books and has been published
in many national and local print media. He is currently the
senior pastor of Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, Connecticut.
Before that he spent seven years as president of World
Relief, traveling extensively and ministering to the
poor, and working with churches. He also was a major spokesperson
for the Evangelical Alliance of the United Kingdom and commented
on current issues on major media outlets such as ABC's Nightline,
CNN and National Public Radio.
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| Tom Gilbert writes articles
and reviews about the Christian life and maintains the e-ministry,
Living the Solution (www.livingthesolution.com) |
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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973, 1978,
1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout
the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks
of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for
the offering of goods or services requires the prior written
consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,
New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used by permission
of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189, USA. All
rights reserved.
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