Author Jeff Distad takes on a big theological concept here- attempting to explain in understandable, layman's terms that our works do not contribute to, or earn, our salvation, or our entrance into Heaven. It sounds simple enough to those who are familiar with Jesus's finished work on the cross and the fact that faith in Jesus alone is the pathway God has laid out for salvation. In practice, it's not always so simple, since the Bible also warns us that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:17) and that "a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). I'm not going to attempt to delve into that theological concept in this blog post, as it rapidly can become a friendly debate, even among professing believers within the same circles. Instead, I'm going to explain my impression of "To Be Saved" as this is a book review, after all. |
One day, when I was talking to God, He told me something scary. He told me that because He is God, and He is holy, only the righteous (those who are without sin) can be with Him for all eternity in heaven. I need to be holy to go to heaven and join the celebration of His glory with joy and peace forever! That means that I deserve to go to hell for my
sins forever.
I don't often suggest changes to a book, but this line was a bit like a punch in the gut. "I have no excuse, because there is nothing that anyone has ever done to me that is worse than my sins against God." Perhaps it is intended this way, for the reader(s) to realize how awful their sins are. It's true, we all sin (doing things we know are wrong, and things which go against God's will and desire for us), but the book hasn't explained what sins are. Hold that point though- the reason this punched line punched me in the gut was because I know multiple people who have been victims of physical and/or sexual abuse during their childhood. To suggest to a child or adult who has lived through this type of trauma that their own sins are worse than the abuse they endured is not sensitive. I'm not sure the author considered this situation, I would assume the intention was merely to point out the gravity of sin in one's own life.
That being said, I believe it is the Holy Spirit's job to convict people of their sin. If you want to explain to someone how bad or dangerous sin is, I think more context is necessary. To an unbeliever, the word sin may not carry any weight at all. Knowing that you've hurt someone's feelings may or may not have a grand impact in the scheme of life. If you hurt an employees feelings by selecting a different person for a promotion, well, as long as your behavior and decision were ethical, professional, and courteous, you don't have to feel guilt that their feelings were hurt. If, however, you hurt your dearest loved ones feelings by saying or doing something unkind or untrue, that's an entirely different story.
My point is, without the context of knowing our relationship to God, how can we attempt to explain sin against Him? This book doesn't attempt to explain sin, so anyone reading it to a child would do well to be sure the child has an awareness of the Creation account in Genesis. Children will need to know they are created by God, they are loved and precious in His sight, that God used to walk side-by-side with Adam and Eve and He gave them the most amazing garden to live in with very few limits/rules, which were for their own safety. Adam and Eve chose to disobey those rules and the resulting sin caused a change in how God related to them, they were cast out of the garden. When we know first Who He is and how dearly He loves us, then it becomes apparent why our refusal to follow His guidance is a negative decision. I digress, back to the book...
The character declares he doesn't want to go to hell and wonders what he can do to prevent such a fate. He thinks of finding a good church and going often, but God tells him this will not erase his sins. He thinks of giving money to the poor, traveling the world as a missionary, volunteering, serving others, celebrating communion, forgiving others, and finally repenting and confessing, being baptized, and God tells him after each of these that he still deserves to go to hell. To quote the character's summary:
Money, hell.
Volunteering, hell.
Serving country, hell.
Helping country, hell.
Taking communion, hell
Repenting and confessing, hell.
Being baptized, hell.
You still deserve to go to hell." Ouch. Harsh. I mean, the reality is that the road that leads to destruction is wide and the path to salvation is narrow, right? (Matthew 7:13-14)
The character, Jeff, cries out to God, begging to know what he can do to get to Heaven. God responds telling him there is nothing he [Jeff] can do, because people get into Heaven based on what Jesus has done. There's an explanation that God loves Jeff unconditionally and has erased his sins of yesterday, today, and tomorrow because of the sacrifice of God's Son, Jesus.
The book wraps up on a slightly more positive note as Jeff explains that now he trusts Jesus, and he does all of those good works/things he mentioned earlier for God's glory, with joy, and with confidence that he'll spend eternity in Heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 is printed as the conclusion.
I agreed to review this book because I loved the idea of a book which explained to children, to anyone, that our efforts cannot get us into Heaven. I wholeheartedly agree. We cannot work, earn, buy, or grow our way into Heaven. The execution of the book disappoints me, however. Not because the overall feel of the book is "you're not good enough," I understand. We aren't good enough. We could never do anything good enough to deserve to be in God's holy presence for eternity. What disappoints me is that the overall way that God is portrayed throughout the book is as a judge, pointing a finger, criticizing, and rejecting. While it is true that God is holy and just, and that He does punish sin and it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, (Hebrews 10:31) I do not personally think this is the most beneficial manner to evangelize or educate children or adults. Most of us know we are no-good or at least not-good-enough. We don't all know we are loved.
I'm sure the author had the best of intentions, and there was likely a time in my life where I wouldn't have found so many concerns in the text of this book, but as I continue to live and learn, I am ever realizing the value of relationship. A more balanced view of God's character would've possibly helped readers to grasp how dearly they are loved, how much was sacrificed for them, and how vital a relationship with Jesus Christ is.
I would recommend the books "The Priest with Dirty Clothes" and "The Prince's Poison Cup" by R.C. Sproul to introduce the concepts of salvation that isn't by works to children. These books are treasures to adults as well. If you're looking for a shorter read, or something for young kids to read to themselves, I highly recommend getting a package of "Charlie's Ants" or "Kura's Ants" cartoons from Chick Publications. Order an extra couple packets to hand out at Halloween while you're there!
****In the interest of full-disclosure: I received a PDF copy of this book courtesy of the author for the purpose of reviewing. I wasn't required to give a positive review, my opinions are genuine. None of the links in this post are affiliate links.