Review of "Experiencing
God" by Blackaby and King
The page numbers in these notes apply to the
book version copyrighted in 1994 with study questions copyrighted 1998. See
additional notes for the workbook, appended.
I finished reading through the book
"Experiencing God" by Blackaby and King this morning. It is at
the same time a most excellent book and consistently in substantial error.
Thought you might be interested in a few observations. The most excellent
parts:
- The book focuses substantially on personal
relationship with God (what could be better than that?).
- There is no question but that Lordship is
essential and clearly presented.
- We must give up our own plans, desires, and
aspirations and be willing to make God's desires and plans for our lives
our own. God's will is taken seriously. I sure like to see that part.
- A servant's attitude is encouraged.
This is certainly a good message.
- Obedience is encouraged and disobedience is
discouraged at ever stroke.
While reading through the book, I found myself
saying, "Yes!" and "Yes! Yes!" to much of what was
presented. At fairly regular intervals, though, I winced and groaned at
the errors that were presented alongside the really "good stuff":
1) Old Testament Law is routinely handed out
as applicable currently to those in the church, even though Scripture makes it
clear that we are no longer under the Law (Romans 7:1-6, Galatians 2:19,
etc.). This is a very serious problem, since Paul's reaction to the Judaizers
(those who would put Christians back under the Law) in Galatians was to
pronounce a curse (Galatians 1:6-9)! He called the Galatians foolish for
returning to the Law (Galatians 3:1). We are to live by faith in the Son of
God, so that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. He does
not say, as do Blackaby and King (pg 249), to live by the Ten Commandments
(are we to observe the Sabbath?).
2) The book frequently draws on quotes from
Moses and the prophets that are directed specifically to Israel and applies
them directly to the church without discretion or qualification. If Christians
do this, we could end up thinking that our primary responsibility as believers
is to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (just read Haggai) or kill all the
people in Jericho (Joshua 6)! There are some instances of taking New Testament
verses or passages out of context, but the authors' pattern of applying Old
Testament passages specific to Israel to the church is real frequent.
3) On pg 187 the authors state that, "The
Bible is my guide for faith and practice". This is the standard
phraseology of those who take the Bible to be inerrant in the areas of faith
and practice (spiritual matters), but not inerrant in matters of history,
chronology, origins, etc. (e.g., Fuller Seminary, American Scientific
Affiliation). To be fair, the authors don't specifically state anything
beyond, "The Bible is my guide for faith and practice".
4) For all the good things one could say about
the book dealing with one's relationship with God, it never seems to
"zero in" in terms that the Apostle Paul uses such as in Galatians
2:20: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
There is little (if any, to my recollection and review of the book's index)
mention of "walking in the Spirit." With all the Old Testament
focus, frequent quotes from the Law, etc. one gets the impression that the
authors don't know the difference between leading someone to walk with the
Lord (in the New Testament sense) and simply making them into good Jews.
Indeed, the last scripture quote before "Closing Remarks" is from
Psalm 119, referring even more about statutes, law, and the commandments (pg
276). I could say more, but the above gets some of the key points across.
Though this book has had great marketing, press
and circulation, and even many who claim to have changed lives as a result of
it, I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone. That's too bad, because what it
claims to do is something the church needs desperately.
Keep working on your discipleship materials,
Art. Looks like believers still need it in a big way!
In the love of the coming Lamb,
Vern
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