Friday, January 1, 2016

A Graceful Uprising by Jonathan Jones II

Jones has written a good commentary on Romans with an emphasis on grace. Grace is essential, he reminds us. “God's grace is the driving force behind Christianity.” (9) Embracing the power of grace unleashes revivals, transforms lives, and changes everything. Hence his emphasis on grace.

Jones takes us through Romans paragraph by paragraph. His comments are well thought out and are very readable. He includes little reflections on Greek words from time to time but it is not a scholarly work. It is a good general commentary for the lay person.

There were several topics in the book I really liked. One was his exploration of the spiritual gifts. He refers to Don and Katie Fortune's work and recommends it. I have always thought their book was the best on spiritual gifts so appreciate Jones referring to it.

I also liked his take on politics. “We must realize,” he writes, “that Christians have a greater mission than getting entangled in political affairs. Our mission, when fulfilled, will have a greater impact on the world than politics ever could.” (130-1) He reminds us that early Christians changed the society of the Roman Empire by living grace filled lives and being gospel neighbors.

I liked his emphasis on grace, Jones does a good job of challenging us on receiving grace and giving grace to others. He explores what it means for Christians to live under grace and how it transforms us when we allow it to do so. He invites us to let grace be unleashed in our lives and to let it reshape us.

This is a good book for new Christians and for seasoned Christians who need to be reminded of the essential nature of grace. It is also a good general introduction to Romans.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jonathan Jones II has a bachelor and two master's degrees from Freed-Hardeman University. He is the preaching minister for the Maryville Church of Christ in the foothills of East Tennessee. He and his wife have two children.

Start2Finish Books, 168 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through BookCrash for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

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