Jesus + Nothing = Everything

by Tullian Tchividjian

It's so easy to forget what the Christian faith is all about. We struggle so much, work so hard, and fail so often that we frequently sense something in the equation of life must be missing.

Tullian Tchividjian argues that what we are missing is the gospel--a fuller, more powerful understanding of Jesus and what his finished work means for everyday life.

During a year of great turmoil, Pastor Tchividjian discovered the power of the gospel in his own life. Sharing his story of how Jesus became more real to him, Tchividjian delves deeply into the fundamentals of the faith, explaining the implications of Christ's sufficiency--a revelation that sets us free and keeps us anchored through life's storms.

Ultimately, Tchividjian reminds us that Jesus is the whole of the equation as he boldly proclaims that Jesus plus nothing really is everything.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Christianity, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Faith, Religion

168 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Tchividjian is the grandchild of Reverend Billy Graham & Ruth Bell Graham & the son of Gigi Graham Tchividjian.


William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin) was the Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A Florida native, he is a visiting professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and a grandson of Billy and Ruth Graham. Tullian was the founding pastor of the former New City Church which merged with Coral Ridge in April of 2009.

Reviews

[Joshua Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read my full review at Quieted Waters.

I feel required to start my review of Jesus + Nothing = Everything with a justification of my three-star rating. At the time I write this, all thirteen customer reviews on Amazon have given this book five star ratings. Let me say at the outset that I respect Tullian Tchividjian. I have a strong appreciation for the work he has done at Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Fort Lauderdale. I view his theology, as pictured in this book, as consistent with the Bible, and I do not doubt that his sermons serve as welcome calls to return to the Gospel. Please read other reviews to gain a deeper picture of Tchividjian’s theology and of all this book’s strengths, of which there are many. I write this review simply to give another perspective.

I give this book three stars not because of its theology or its author’s faith. I give this book three stars for what I deem to be its excessive repetition, both internally and externally.

[Nathan White · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit redundant and reductionistic, but helpful nonetheless. Pros include: he loads his arguments with scripture, he rightly emphasizes justification, specifically the active + passive obedience of Christ as the heart of the gospel and the heart of a believer's sanctification, he is clear and easy to read, and he understands the Christian culture (moralism) in America very well. But the cons: he is extremely repetitive. Really, you get the book's thesis in the first few pages, and all he does is repeat it over and over again. Other cons: I think his view of sanctification is quite reductionist. Essentially, he argues that our sanctification consists of our increasing understanding/awareness/knowledge of our justification. And while our sanctification is rooted and grounded by our justification, I don't think his argument represents the complexity of the biblical doctrine of sanctification. I would only recommend the book to Christians who have struggled with guilt, despair over sin, legalism, self-righteousness, and perhaps to new believers.

[J.S. Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recent trend of Gospel-centrality has fueled the young Reformed movement and a host of new books by well known bloggers and pastors. It's not so much a "trend" as it is a reawakening to the major truth of the Bible. Tullian Tchividjian (cha-vi-jin, rhymes with religion), the grandson of Billy Graham, is one of the best voices of this re-introduction to the Gospel.

I had the privilege of seeing Pastor Tullian preach the content of this book before it became a book. It was one of the most stunning sermons I have ever heard, even scandalous, because of Tullian's unrelenting focus on grace. In just a few sentences he crushes legalism. In a few more he will make you uncomfortable with how much Jesus loves us.

The book's thesis will be familiar to those who have been drenched in the Gospel-driven Reformed preaching of pastors like Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, and Tim Keller. Since our full acceptance and security is found in Jesus's work alone, we no longer need to measure up to the world: Jesus measured up for us. It's not about our performance for him, but about Jesus's performance for us. Tullian also tells the story of his most painful year in which he had to learn this truth as if for the first time.

Tullian rips apart the narcissistic Christian life that looks to "spiritual progress" and accountability, which leads to morbid introspection and despair, or pride. It's only when we stop trying to be better that we actually get better; we must fix our eyes on Jesus and not our own progress. Jesus's grace is not merely to get us in, but keep us in. This seemingly subtle distinction of Jesus's substitutionary work illuminates a whole new dimension of application for our daily lives.

The last half of the book, as other critics have noted, suffers from bad pacing and repetition. Tullian writes the same way he preaches: with commanding power but he tends to get wordy and goes in circles. On one hand this is good if you're a slow reader to recap, but will frustrate faster readers. He does use many quotes and hymns, but I found he did this tastefully. You may be inclined to browse through some of the heavier biblical exegesis, which while good, may be too much information the first time around.

Another common problem with Gospel-centered books like this one is it can make Jesus into an enigmatic theological mystery instead of a real person, and it's hard to love a concept. I'm still waiting for the Reformed writing that portrays Jesus as a king, priest, prophet, and brother.

Bottom Line: You can tell Pastor Tullian is a passionate pastor who loves Jesus and strives dearly for the reader to feel freedom. While it drags in parts, Tullian is such a good writer that you will certainly feel the force of the liberating Gospel throughout the pages of his painful, poignant journey.

Note: If you look up Resurgence on iTunes, you can download Pastor Tullian's sermon of the same title as the book for free. It's over an hour long but quite a heart-changer.

[Pauline Creeden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book by Tullian Tchividjian had a great start, a great premise,and a great title. I mean, with a Title like that, who wouldn't pick this up? For me, the equation sums up everything, if they made a T-shirt, I'd buy it, because this is exactly how I feel.

I came into this book hopeful, and the first couple chapters went along fairly well. Mr. Tchividjian is obviously well educated in both the scriptures and in the commentaries on the scriptures. He quotes everyone from St. Augustine to Pascal, and most were my favorite quotes. So with this solid foundation, I was hopeful for the remainder of the book.

But as the book went on, I felt that I was being bumbarded with additional quotations and lists of facts. There was hardly a sentence that I could quote as from "Tullian Tchividjian" himself. Most of the good stuff was by someone else. Additionally, I do better with personal application rather than lists of information, so I found the read a bit dry and boring. Some may find this to be a very informative book on the chapter of Collosians, but I could hardly make it through without falling asleep. The info was good, the presentation, lacking.

[Kevin Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally when I write a book review, I have a firm opinion of whether or not I liked the book. However, this book still has me puzzled and thinking. I guess you could take that as the sign of a good book. One thing is for sure, Tullian Tchividjian is an excellent writer. In this book, Pastor Tullian weaves the story of his difficult times at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (and his near ouster as pastor) together with a running commentary on the book of Colossians. Whether you agree with his theological conclusions or not, all must agree his keeps it interesting and thought-provoking all at the same time. This is not a book you will get bored with.

The premise of the book is that the Christian does not find security in his performance or perceived performance by others, but the Christian is to rest in the finished work of Christ on our behalf. Our life of obedience and good works is not founded on the notion that such things must be done to gain God’s favor and acceptance rather such things flow from a heart of gratitude because we already are favored and accepted by God. In other words, works are the result of God’s favor, not the basis of it.

Now, if you are like me, my first reaction was, “Won’t that just lead to antinomianism? Won’t that just allow people to be as sinful as they want?” This sounds great, but there’s that voice in the back of my head that wants to temper such ideas with just a little bit of law, to keep us honest. However, Pastor Tullian counters that reaction with this thought, “The biggest lie about grace that Satan wants the church to buy is the idea that it’s dangerous and therefore needs to be kept in check.” – page 44 (page numbers on my Nook e-pub may differ from other versions)

He also adds, “When it comes to drawing near to God and pleasing him, legalism insists that obedience precedes acceptance – that’s it’s all up to us. But the fresh breeze of the gospel freedom announces that acceptance precedes obedience – that once we’re already approved and already accepted by God in Christ, we can freely follow God’s lead and grow in his will out of genuine gratitude for his amazing grace and without any fear of judgment or condemnation when we fall… C.S. Lewis observed that what most distinguishes the gospel from legalism is that legalism says God loves if we are good, while the gospel tell us God will make us good because he loves us.” – page 77

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, there are still parts of this book I am working through. There are still issues I am struggling to justify. For example, one wonders where the imperatives of Scripture come in. In other words, there are commands all throughout Scripture. If we were to break one of these commands, our relationship with Christ would suffer to some degree. While I certainly agree that our acceptance is not found in works but in Christ – doesn’t my sinful disobedience disrupt (but not break) that relationship?

This is radical. However, I am convicted by the constant reminder of grace. My temptation is always to add to grace, a sort of “grace, but…” of some sort. How can I add to Christ’s work? How can my meager attempts at holiness somehow garner the favor of the one who is infinitely holy and perfect? Again, still issues I am working through. This book has been a tremendous aid in this thought-process.

Here are just a few quotes I thought were worthy of your attention:

“In fact, when it comes to Christian life and experience, many of us have understood the gospel as the thing that gets us in, while then the thing that then keeps up in (we assume) is our own effort and performance.” – page 34

“In our bones, we know that God hates unrighteous ‘bad’ works; we’re not nearly so convinced that he hates self-righteous ‘good’ works just as much, if not more. In fact, the most dangerous thing that can happen to you is that you become proud of your obedience.” – page 40

“I believe it’s more theologically accurate to say that there is one primary enemy of the gospel – legalism – but it comes in two forms. Some people avoid the gospel and try to ‘save’ themselves by keeping the rules, doing what they’re told, maintaining the standards, and so on. (I call this ‘front-door legalism’). Other people avoid the gospel and try to ‘save’ themselves by breaking the rules, doing whatever they want, developing their own autonomous standards, and so on (‘back-door legalism’)…There are two ‘laws’ we can choose to live by apart from Christ: the law that says, ‘I can find freedom and fullness of life if I keep the rules,” and the law that says, ‘I can find freedom and fullness of life if I break the rules.” Either way, you’re trying to ‘save’ yourself, which means both are legalistic because both are self-salvation projects.” – page 43

“Idolatry, according to John Piper, ‘is a suicidal exchange of infinite value and beauty for some fleeting, inferior substitute.” – page 64
“Luther said, “God doesn’t need our good works, but our neighbor does.” – page 97

“Paul says that when we divorce obligations from gospel declarations, then our obedience becomes nothing more than behavioral compliance to rules without heart change. But when God’s amazing grace in the gospel grips out hearts the motivational structure of our hearts is radically changed, and we begin to obey out of faith, not fear, gratitude not guilt… When I begin analyzing and evaluating my own heart and the motivations behind what I do, I begin to discover a lot of moralistic tendencies. That’s why, as I’ve said so often, we need to be making a beeline for the finished work of Christ every day, because only the gospel can crush the moralistic tendencies that are the natural default mode of our hearts.” – page 117

“Only after he makes that huge point does Paul say, ‘Therefore walk in him. [Colossians 2:6-7]’ Notice, he doesn’t say ‘walk to him’ – as if we were on our own, separated from him and needing somehow to get to him by way of our own obedience. He says we’re to walk in him – to walk in Christ, in his strength.” – page 119

“I’m not saying the Christian life is effortless; the real question is Where are we focusing our efforts? Are we working hard to perform? Or are we working hard to rest in Christ’s performance for us?” – page 129

The only real negative aspect I thought I should mention is an over-reliance on the works of Michael Horton. I love Horton. I own several of his books and frequently listen to the White Horse Inn. However, Pastor Tullian seems to quote him on ever other page of this book. Gets a little old…

In short, buy this book. Begin your own theological quest to grapple with these great struggles! What I appreciate most in these pages is the constant reminder of God’s grace and work on our behalf. You will walk away glorying in the Lord and revealing in HIS righteousness. No wonder the last chapter is just one praise after another… You won’t want to skip the end, trust me!

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tullian Tchividjian's Jesus + Nothing = Everything examines the fundamental truth of the gospel and how to embrace Christ's finished work for believers. I would not describe it as an exposition of Colossians, but Colossians features prominently. I would not describe it as a spiritual memoir or a particularly personal work, but occasional details of Tchividjian's difficult year transitioning through a church merger and feelings of inadequacy provide a thread for readers.

Readers can think of Tchividjian's Jesus + Nothing = Everything as a way to recalibrate and assess our functional beliefs and ask ourselves if we are adding anything to the gospel. There are many good books in this stream right now, and I find that a good thing. Like this book asserts, the gospel is not the first step of the Christian life, it's the hub. We must constantly remind ourselves of the fundamental truths, we never grow out of them. And so reading this book and others like it (Steve Brown's Scandalous Freedom comes to mind) from time to time is a good exercise for all of us, because we are prone to "think of the gospel as God's program to make bad people good, not dead people alive" (pg 116.)

Though Jesus + Nothing = Everything is focused on fundamentals, there is a great deal of meaty content to ponder. For example: "Our performancism leads to pride when we succeed and to despair when we fail. But ultimately it leads to slavey either way because it becomes all about us and what we must do to establish our own identity instead of resting in Jesus and what he accomplished to establish it for us" (pg 46). "The gospel alone empowers and emboldens us to press on and strain forward with no anxiety over gaining other people's sanction or good opinion--even God's! All the care and love and value we crave--full and final approval--we already have in Jesus" (pg 92.)

The book moves backwards from Everything to Nothing to Jesus, and then forward again. The structure is not bad in itself, but Tchividjian is fairly repetitive. This is a good trick for preaching, to repeat sentences that summarize your point well, but in writing it can feel poorly edited, (e.g. he said that exact same thing three pages ago.) It wasn't a huge distraction, and it did help me not to miss any critical points, but it was quite noticeable.

Overall, Jesus + Nothing = Everything is a helpful read for any Christian. I'd particularly recommend it for those coming out of more legalistic traditions and trying to overcome those tendencies. As we walk in faith, it is easy to stray into moralism. This book is a reminder of the simplicity of the gospel - that Jesus himself, his life and his work, are worth everything. Nothing in our hands we bring, simply to the cross we cling. May we not forget.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

My initial review of this book was glowing. Five stars. But having revisited it and now seen the wreck the author had made of his life I came back to the book and I see the folly of this book. It had too much of the antinomianism that I briefly mentioned, but to be fair a book can be good in spite of an author falling from grace I just see too much of a connection between his theology and his fall. I have kept the earlier review below.

Now this book is good little book. I struggled with how to write this review because of some I the controversy involving antinomianism (look it up on Theopedia.com if you are not familiar) and to be honest I don't know where this book comes down on it. He seems to think that our justification assures us of our sanctification. Which in one way is true in that God is who makes us holy but it also seems to slide towards the aforementioned antinomianism, but I think we can get a lot from this book whether it is antinomian or not especially with how much the focus is on the gospel and justification. On that level the book is great. But to be honest go listen to the sermon series by the same name preached by the author it is an amazing series especially the last five sermons where he applies the living out the gospel daily! Incredible stuff! You could do a lot worse than this book. Enjoy!!

[Christie Hagerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems so simple, so straightforward. I have to admit, though, that I struggled through it. I had to read in small bites and process it, because much of what I read pertained to me. The premise is that all we need is Jesus, and we don't have to add anything to what He is and has already done, in order to have all we need. Sure, every Christian can say we believe that, but how many of us live that out? Despite how far God has brought me out of legalism, this book brought out more spots where I was trying to earn God's gift, not able to accept freely the work of the cross.

While reading this, I had to overlook some style issues, such as how the author quoted other people so much that it started to seem more like a compilation than his own work. I did feel like it got a bit bogged down and repetitive at times, too. However, the nuggets I found to chew on were worth plugging through the dry spots. My copy is full of notes and highlights, and I am sure I'm not done reading this book. I'll be digesting it for some time.

NOTE: I received this free e-book for review from Crossway via netGalley.

[Daniel Parkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tchividjian writes, "When we are living by this legalism--trusting in our rule-keeping, our abilities, our performance--to sustain our little safe and self-controllable world that we're addicted to, someday it will all start to crumble. Our kids will spin out of control, or our marriage will, or our finances, or our career. And it's devastating. We've tried so hard to hide our frailty and weaknesses, building our self-esteem on our success at that, then suddenly those faults can't be hidden any longer. We feel hopeless."

Instead of living by or own regime or set of values, we live and breath in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must do this by faith. I appreciate all that Tchividjian wrote, and though some chapters were better than others, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the challenges and reminders he sets forth. I particularly liked this quote, and I will end on this: "THE HEART OF THE HUMAN PROBLEM IS THE PROBLEM OF THE HUMAN HEART." Please read and be encouraged!

[Daniel Threlfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review first appeared on my blog, www.danielthrelfall.com

The blog almost ruined my wife’s life.” These were the words of Tul­lian Tchivid­jian when reflect­ing on a painful time as the newly-installed pas­tor of Coral Ridge Pres­by­ter­ian Church. A ton of peo­ple didn’t want him in the church, and they were try­ing to oust him, malign­ing his wife, and key­ing his car. They even started an anti-Tchividjians blog. It was a good ol’ fash­ion evan­gel­i­cal Chris­t­ian free-for-all church fight (in the worst pos­si­ble sense). As God grew him, Tchivid­jian emerged from the fray with a greater real­iza­tion of the char­ac­ter and work of Jesus Christ.

Tul­lian Tchividjian’s book, Jesus + Noth­ing = Every­thing are the lessons he learned dur­ing this time of trial. The point of the book goes like this, our strug­gle for ful­fill­ment and our propen­sity for fail­ure as Chris­tians stems from an incom­plete under­stand­ing of what Jesus accom­plished for us — in all its daz­zling com­plete­ness and full­ness. Jesus’ all-sufficiency lib­er­ates us from the bondage of our insuf­fi­ciency, and enables us to live with true hope and joy.

I real­ize that 19 mil­lion other peo­ple have reviewed this book already. I also real­ize that I can’t spell the author’s name with­out look­ing it up. I wanted to write a review, though, because the book was pro­foundly help­ful for me. I am grate­ful. It’s not often that I read a book that guides me to up a bib­li­cal vista that just takes my breath away. This was one such book. It’s not like a the-biggest-secret-you’ve-been-missing-out-on kind of a Chris­t­ian suc­cess book. It’s solid the­ol­ogy — a big arrow that points straight to Jesus, show­ing him for who he is…and how that real­ity changes us.

Many peo­ple have crit­i­cized the book. I have read some of the crit­i­cism. To (overly) sim­plify it, the con­cern goes like this, “If the Chris­t­ian life — sanc­ti­fi­ca­tion — is all about God’s grace, then what do we do? Where’s the human respon­si­bil­ity part?” Here are a cou­ple thoughts:

1. Grace as demon­strated in sal­va­tion and sanc­ti­fi­ca­tion is mind-shatteringly para­dox­i­cal, and I don’t even know if “shat­ter­ingly” is a real word. The para­dox is this: On the one hand we’re involved. On the other hand, God does it all. We think that there has to be some­thing more to do — some way of earn­ing it, deserv­ing it, receiving it, or enjoy­ing it. But to do so is to despise the very essence of such grace. We just can’t get our heads around this.

2. We have a respon­si­bil­ity. Of course. The Chris­t­ian life involves work, toil, pain, dis­ci­pline, prac­tice, and striv­ing. The New Tes­ta­ment is full of such words in rela­tion­ship to our walk. To dis­miss these as involv­ing noth­ing of human respon­si­bil­ity would be to over­look the neces­sity of true obe­di­ence. And yet I feel that para­dox com­ing back again, because the enabling for this respon­si­bil­ity all comes from God.
Some of the crit­i­cisms hurled at the book cen­ter on the lack of atten­tion that Tchi­vid­ian gives to per­sonal respon­si­bil­ity and effort. Per­haps greater care could have been given to this sub­ject, but I’m not sure that was his point in the book. Tchivid­jian rightly exposes legal­ism and works-centered sanc­ti­fi­ca­tion, giv­ing rise to a book that meets a def­i­nite need.

Jesus + Noth­ing = Every­thing is both deeply con­vict­ing and incred­i­bly lib­er­at­ing book. I am thank­ful that through read­ing this book, God allowed me to get more of a glimpse into his glory in salvation.

Dis­clo­sure of Mate­r­ial Con­nec­tion: I received this review copy for free as part of the chris­tianau­dio Review­ers Pro­gram of christianaudio.com. I was not required to write a pos­i­tive review, even though I did…this time. The opin­ions I have expressed are my own. I am dis­clos­ing this in accor­dance with the Fed­eral Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Con­cern­ing the Use of Endorse­ments and Tes­ti­mo­ni­als in Advertising.”

[Bryan Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful. Helps me understand all that Christ has already done for me. I view the world in a different way after listening to Tullian's messages and reading this book.

Here are some of my favorite parts:
Jesus + Nothing = Everything - Tullian Tchividjian
December 26, 2011

1. p 27 “You made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Augustine

2. p29 - “If I find a desire in myself which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” CS Lewis

3. p41 - “How is your present disappointment, discouragement, or grief a window on what has actually captured your heart.” - Paul Tripp (Calvin - “Our hearts are idol making factories.”)

4. p46 - Legalism happens when what we need to do, not what Jesus has already done, becomes the end game.

5. p48 - These self imposed strictures (legalism) that we devote ourselves to seem so right, so smart....With enough rules and regulations set up, we don’t need Jesus.

6. p63 - “I know no other way to triumph over sin long term than...to gain a distaste for it because of a superior satisfaction in God.” - John Piper

7. p75 - Contrary to what I had thought, I did not need easing circumstances, relief from difficulty, and distance from pain in order to be free. I was learning that the freedom Jesus secured for me is not freedom from pain and suffering here and now. Rather, it’s freedom from bitterness, anger, fear, resentment, self-pity, offense, and suffering; it is freedom from my burdensome sense of “I deserve better,” the encumbrance of entitlement. I was realizing that only the gospel can free us from the enslaving pressure to defend ourselves. That’s real freedom - God-sized freedom.

8. p94 - I used to think that growing as a Christian meant I had to somehow go out and obtain the qualities and attitudes I was lacking. What the Bible teaches is that we mature as we come closer to a greater realization of what we already have in Christ Jesus. The hard work of Christian growth is to think less of ourselves and our performance and more of Jesus and His performance for us. “To progress is always to begin again.” (Luther)

9. p97 - What most distinguishes the gospel from legalism is that legalism says: God will love us if we are good. The gospel tells us God will make us good because He loves us.

10. p153 - When we separate biblical commands from biblical declarations, then our obedience becomes nothing more than behavioral compliance to rules without heart change. But when God’s amazing grace in the gospel grips our hearts, the motivational structure of our hearts is radically changed, and we begin to obey out of faith not fear, gratitude not guilt.

11. p179 - If we would just stop and remember the gospel, we would realize that God really is what we want most, even in our worst moments, no matter how strong the temptation we’re battling.

12. p;182 - Accountability Groups - These groups usually focus on our sin and not on our Savior. It’s about cleaning up and getting right for God - personal improvement. I need to be told by those around me that every time I sin, I’m momentarily suffering from an identity crisis: forgetting who I actually belong to, what I really want at my remade core, and all that is already mine in Christ. I need my real friends to remind me of this - every day.

[Jennifer Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever felt as though every aspect of your life was under siege? That the work you were doing, the life you were living, and the way you were doing things were all somehow going wrong? I know I have; indeed, there have been days when I couldn’t seem to get my bearings – when it felt as though there was absolutely nothing certain, including gravity! In this book, Pastor Tullian relates how God used a period like that in his own life to draw him into the gospel in a deeper way.
As the pastor of a successful church that merged with another, Pastor Tullian experienced some difficulties that would usually seem more common in a corporate tower than a church sanctuary. And while he felt assurance before the merger that the bond was God’s will, after the fact, he couldn’t help but feel some level of discouragement in the way things were transpiring.
God had some amazing things to show him, though! Through a study in Colossians, Pastor Tullian found a clear insight into the gospel of Jesus, and how complete that is for Christians. Jesus said “It is finished” and He meant it – the gospel completes the transaction of sin for righteousness that all of us need for a relationship with Him. When we forget that, we begin to waver, and start adding other things to the gospel to improve what is already perfect.
This encouraging tome stays true to its title as Pastor Tullian shows through scripture (especially Colossians) that the sufficiency of the gospel for our salvation is as faithfully true as gravity. We don’t need to add legalism, accolades, service, or obedience to assure ourselves of that truth – we already have EVERYTHING through the life and sacrifice of Christ. This book is a great read, and one that reminds Christians, again and again, that resolving to soak ourselves in the grace and love of the gospel on a daily basis is the best way to grow our relationship with Him, and to spend fewer days despairing about being besieged, and more days celebrating the freedom that Christ has already promised, secured, and given.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

[Jay Miklovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tricky book to review. If I were reviewing it for theology alone I would probably give it 4.5 stars. It would lose .5 stars on that for a slightly unrealistic look at the continued struggle in sanctification that believers are called to and must face. I agree that the gospel is central to our sanctification, but sanctification is more than a simple struggle to believe, there is still war with the flesh that we wage. Tchividijan was absolutely correct that we fight that battle in an already forgiven state, and that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, including sanctification. Nonetheless, his message of grace is spot on and needed, especially in our day of 'moralism.'

The reason for only 3 stars is simply that this book offers no surprise, or nothing compelling beyond the first couple chapters. He simply lays out his premise and then rehashes it over and over again. There is nothing really creative going on, nothing that leaves you scratching your head. He is certainly airtight in his argument, but it is so airtight that it is a bit suffocating. It is one thing to write a book that is true, and he accomplishes that. However it is another thing to write a book that leaves you stunned, or thinking of its implications after you set the book down.

I suppose if I had never read any of the authors he quotes in this book, and if the concept was new to me I might have found myself hanging more on every page, but having read much of what he is drawing from in this book, it seemed more of an endless rehashing of one simple concept. Granted it is the most important concept in the world, I just think he would have done it more justice by leaving some mystery, or by being more concise.

I'd highly recommend this book to any fundamentalist who is obsessed with moralism, but for those who have already tasted this glorious Gospel, you will find yourself better served by spending the time you would spend in this book just reading Paul's epistles for yourself.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

Tullian Tchividjian

Jesus + Nothing = Everything is the equation that Tullian Tchividjian took away from a year of great trial and turmoil. He describes the bitter divisions that soured the beginning of his pastorate at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and the personal anchor that he found in the overwhelming power of the gospel. The book of Colossians forms the basis of Tchividjian’s call for Christians to rediscover the gospel and continually reorient their lives around Jesus.

Tchividjian insists that many who assume they understand the gospel fail to actually apply its riches to their lives. He takes particular aim at self-righteousness, which motivates moral behavior by fear and guilt. In contrast, the gospel of grace, with the radical freedom that it brings, provides the only sustainable motivation for Christians. This book delves into the profound theological truths of the gospel, yet the message is intensely practical—Tchividjian sounds the call for believers to lean hard on Christ in every area of every day.
This book was easy to read through and at times Pastor Tchividjian goes on so much with the title it is almost numbing and tiresome. His main point is well taken in that we bring nothing to our Lord when he bestows salvation on us and that anything we try to bring are filthy rags. The events that lead to this book are the same trials every believer experiences when they are doing the work of the Gospel. The world hates this message, there is no other way they could live if they did not do all they could to destroy the Jesus of the Bible. Which is the main point of any trial. Thank be to God that this trial was one that he was able to grow closer to the Lord.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Crossway Publishing, Inc. for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

My full review can be read at Blogging Theologically:

Do you ever feel like you’re just spinning your wheels in terms of your relationship with Christ? You’re trying, trying, trying to “go deeper,” to serve well, to do all the things that we’re supposed to do as Christians—and you’re just stuck? Why does this happen to us? Why do we feel this constant need to do-do-do, as if we’re trying to impress someone?

Is it because we are?

Tullian Tchividjian wrestled with this question when he was named the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presybterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, taking over for the late Dr. James Kennedy, the only pastor the church had ever known prior to his death. And the results of his wrestling are at the heart of his latest book, Jesus + Nothing = Everything...

[Eric Lazarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an excellent treatment of "walking in grace" take a look at this one. The style reminded me of Packer or Stott and he did a good job of looking at the relevant Biblical texts, using real-life illustrations from his personal struggles and from church history and tying them together in application. This is a Gospel-centered and Gospel-driven and Christ-glorifying work. It's written for a wide audience and he refrains from getting too theologically technical without overlooking some real issues that need to be dealt with.

His view of the balance of Law and Gospel is solid and he does a good job of working through Paul. The work could have been a bit longer, but his main point was made well, and we can always use a reminder about the power of the Gospel itself. If you have read Stott's "Cross of Christ" you will appreciate this one, and if you have read this, go back and look at Stott afresh.

[Sanjuro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I saw Tchividjian give a talk on it before the book came out, which was really good. But the book was mostly a let down. The core of the idea is really good, but the ways Tchividjian extends the arguments, particularly into the realms of morality and sanctification, are antinomian. He conflates justification and sanctification, a huge mistake, and draws application from Colossians not always granted from careful exegesis. The foundation of the book is mostly solid, but some of the ideas in the book are not only wrong, they're dangerous.

[Dave Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands down one of the best books on the "gospel" I have ever read. Articulate yet easy to read and comprehend, Tullian Tchividjian (the grandson of Billy Graham and pastor in Florida) opens a window to the pages of scripture to help examine the Gospel he personally encountered in the midst of his own life and some trying experiences.

For Tullian, he summarizes everything in to a simple phrase. Jesus plus nothing equals everything. The book then examines each part of this phrase first forwards and then backwards, showing us the Jesus the Gospels portray and then holding the act of His death and Resurrection against our sinful nature. What becomes exposed is our need and the power of Jesus to meet that need. The question that gets tabled though is the tension we find within Christianity on how exactly this need is met. The two sides that remain seemingly at war is law and grace, and for what seems like forever the Church has either chosen to camp on one extreme, or even more so give themselves to trying to control this tension by constantly shifting and balancing one with the other. Calling this the great (greatest) problem facing the liberation of the Christian life to live the Gospel fully and completely, Tullian argues that the answer must begin with recognizing that law and Gospel cannot be separated but best understood as a single entity. It is near the end that the analogy is given to picture law as a the railroad tracks and the Gospel as the only thing that can power us down the tracks. And perhaps most importantly what this unveils is a tendency for the Gospel to be misunderstood in a modern Christian culture that tends to emphasize obedience to law first and dependance on grace second. The clear truth of scripture is that we cannot save ourselves. The Gospel (Jesus) alone is the only thing that can both justify and sanctify us, and the Christian life is not so much a call to obedience to the law (that is, what we do and can do to save ourselves) as it is a call to trust and faith in grace (that is, what Jesus has done and who we already are in Him). The promise has been given that we are redeemed, we are victorious, and we are new creations IN Jesus. It is simply a truth that needs to be accepted and received.

With this as the basis of his book (and clearly the passion of his ministry), what becomes immediately obvious is that the biggest challenge we face is not so much in allowing this to become head knowledge, but rather in allowing it to become heart knowledge that is actively and practically lived out in the every day. What this truth about the Gospel does to us is it makes us secondary, and that is a tough notion for the best of us. It lifts us down and lifts Jesus up. And what it also does is exposes our tendency to add numerous things to the equation... Jesus plus... = everything. What we often think is that by adding things to the nothing we can still allow Jesus to equal everything. But it doesn't work that way. In fact, that is the biggest reason so many struggle to measure up in this world and struggle with their perception of themselves and being a failure, and why so many are driven and focused on success. True liberation through the Gospel can only come when the equation adds nothing, as all else takes our focus off of Jesus and puts it elsewhere. But it is our hearts that battle this every day, as we try and hold on to our sense of identity in this world and the allure of what the world has to offer. But until we allow Jesus to stand above this, these allures will forever hold us captive.

I will admit that for as much as I thoroughly enjoyed this book, there was a component I personally struggled with. And I know full well that this is still truth. But there are certain Churches that preach this theology of we are nothing and Jesus is everything to an extreme degree. My struggle is that it is so easy to hear this message over and over again (that we are nothing) it begins to eventually erode any sense of a personal Gospel. It becomes so easy in this formula for our relationship to remain one way and for our identity to be relegated to being non existent. And what happens over time, I find, is that when our identity is continually described as "in Christ" but not also "in ourselves as made by Christ", is that we begin to miss out on the practical joys of creation as well. We expect that we are intended to struggle and so we force ourselves to live each day as a struggle. It is my belief that while this equation is certainly a true and adequate representation of the Gospel truth, what is also true is that we are created uniquely and as people who are able to love, laugh, enjoy life, have fun, feel, be challenged, make choices, develop and discover our gifts. These things are all part of being human and being a unique individual intended for relationship. If this wasn't true, I might ask why anything that we experience on this earth in this life has any worth.

A big part of my struggle comes from my own eventual depression that came from sitting under this equation preached week after week without any attention given to how it looks in our personal relationship. I'm not sure that Tullian would go so far as to say that this equation leads to a depersonalized Gospel, but he doesn't really suggest either exactly how it works together with our every day life. He is not wrong in what he says, but I had that same feeling surface in reading this book as I did in my years under that similar teaching. Where exactly am I in this picture. I find it difficult to believe that everything that I have discovered about myself in my years of living needs to be set aside in order to obtain Jesus as everything.

That said, I most readily related to the sections that addressed issues of dependency and self worth. I have struggled with these things for years, and to hear that I don't have to do more law in order to be fully loved truly is liberating. And to hear that I am already made new, and can already know that the work has been done allows me to lift a load off my shoulders. And that is probably the best news of all.

[Christiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard about Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced "cha-vi-jin") a few year ago when I was introduced to the, then, new pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian church; I had been watching their show "The Coral Ridge Hour" (now "Truth In Action Ministries") every Saturday night and I enjoyed hearing what founder Dr. D. James Kennedy had to say. I particularly enjoyed his take on Christian apologetics. When Dr. Kennedy passed away, I heard that there was a new pastor coming in, but that there was some schism in the church over his "newer" approach to things as he began to merge his church with Coral Ridge's. In the book "Jesus + Nothing = Everything," pastor Tullian takes you on his spiritual journey into the Word of God; the book is an exposé of the book of Colossians, the portion of the Bible that God used to set this pastor free from the bondage that threatened to keep him hostage during that troubling time in his life.

The main point of the book is this: If Jesus is our everything, why are we settling for so many smaller things to try to fill the void? The author puts it this way: "... we're trying to find our rest in something smaller than Jesus. And the more closely we examine those points of restlessness -- the more light we shed on them -- the quicker we realize, 'On this particular issue, in this particular part of my life, I'm looking to something or someone smaller than Jesus to be for me what only Jesus can be.'"

This theme can be seen throughout the book as Tullian centers on the "everything" of Christ, first by examining our "nothingness" without Christ and then our fullness with Him. He draws a lot from the book of Colossians, as he emphasizes "the fullness of Him who fills all in all." He states, "For Christians, Christ's fullness means everything for everyone. As the apostle John expressed it in introducting us to Christ in his Gospel, 'From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace' (John 1:16)." A few pages later, this point is driven home more substantially: "Christ is all [see Colossians 3:11] -- and all we need. After seeing and hearing these things about Christ and how praiseworthy He is, to turn and live our lives for anything smaller than Jesus is the height of foolishness. No created thing could ever be for us what the Creator Himself alone can be" (words in brackets mine).

The book demonstrates clearly and effectively that Christ is everything we need to break free from our bondage -- and, in particular, the bondage of self-reliance (chapter 6). "The Father... has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light" (Col. 1:12). With this verse, pastor Tullian shares a personal revelation from God that I could appreciate: "Tullian," He [God] was telling me, "You're already qualified! You don't have to make the grade on your own or seek more approval from anyone. In Christ, you're in!" He shares that "God was assuring me that my identity, worth, and value had nothing to do with me at all. It had everything to do with the finished work of Jesus for me." While reading this, I was reminded of this truth: Philippians 4:13, a very well-known and often-quoted Scripture, states, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" -- it is not in our own power or strength, but entirely through Him that we overcome! This chapter also talks more about Tullian's struggle to merge the two churches and what God revealed to him through that incident; I was particularly happy to see more of his story brought out in this chapter, and this chapter -- as well as many others -- contained so many wonderful gems of wisdom and encouragement.

The Cons and Pros of this book:
There were a few things that I did not appreciate about this book. Personally, in a book filled with teaching and not many illustrations, it's easy to get lost as to what the author is trying to convey. This happened multiple times throughout the book (and especially near the beginning). It took me a while to read through this book so that I could slowly digest what the author was saying; that is to say that this is not the type of book that one can sit down and read like a novel. I was also a little disappointed that the author did not talk more about the experiences behind his teaching; this would have made it an easier read in my opinion. (However, it is understandable, considering that it was a very personal experience, and I am grateful for what the author did share as it is very encouraging.) Lastly, I may have detected a bit of Calvinist teaching sprinkled here and there in this book (the author does quote from Calvin a few times), and there were a few times when I found myself disagreeing with the author on minor points (while I agreed with his overall conclusions).

That said, however, I highly recommend this book for personal use and Bible studies. Throughout, I found that I could identify with much of the author's points. There were so many "nuggets" of wisdom, that if I allowed myself to highlight those portions that spoke to me, the book would be all marred up! The book is very encouraging for anyone who struggles with focusing so much on "performance" rather than on the finished work of Christ. For Tullian -- and for every Chrstian -- herein lies the answer: "I'd come to believe my identity was directly tied to what I could achieve, to who I could become, and to how well people thought of me. It was slavery.... Colossians 1:12 opened my eyes: 'The Father... has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.' Tullian, you're one of the saints in light. You've been united to Him... Because Jesus was someone, you're free to be no one. Here was my identity." Overall, this was a very good book filled with solid Biblical teaching.

This book was provided free in exchange for a review, courtesy of Crossway. All opinions are soley mine and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher or author.

This review can originally be found here: http://defendchristianfaith.blogspot....

[Harold Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been good at math especially the more difficult courses such as algebra or calculus; however, one does not need to be a math genius to read and understand the equation that is being taught by the author of Jesus + Nothing = Everything. The basic equation or premise of the book is very simple: Jesus + Nothing = Everything; another wards, Jesus alone completely, totally, absolutely and unconditionally saves to the uttermost and satisfies and we need not add anything to him or his finished work to enjoy an intimate relationship and eternal life with God and his son Jesus Christ. Nothing? That’s right, nothing! Not the accumulation of possessions, the attainment of social status, trying harder, doing more, going to church more, reading the Bible more, praying more or any of those things – as good as they are – can or will add anything to what Jesus Christ did on the cross. The author wants us to know and understand that a relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ alone can provide us with absolute joy regardless of our circumstances, perfect peace that passes all understanding, abundant life now and eternal life with God the Father and his son Jesus Christ…and that there is NOTHING ELSE we should want or need other than Jesus Christ. Halleluiah! What a Savior! Halleluiah! What a salvation!

The author clearly states in his book that we can bring nothing to God to merit his love, blessing, favor and acceptance. However, if we are willing to admit that we have nothing to bring to God and his son Jesus Christ and are willing to repent and submit to his Lordship he in return takes our nothing and gives us everything…everything beyond your wildest imaginations. It would be enough that he just gives us himself – his person, his presence, his power, his amazing love and his Word to help us make it through this world but he does not give us just that, and I am in no way diminishing or taking away from those blessings that God gives us…quite the contrary, God forbid that I should ever do so…no, he freely gives us all of that and so much more. For example, he promises to take care of our daily needs. He promises to comfort us in times of trouble and distress. The author in almost doxological (is that a word?) form writes about the supremacy of Christ and the many blessings that are ours because of our faith in him. And the author in Chapters 10 and 11 of his book gets really downright Biblically practical and shares with us as his reader what our response should be to such generous and lavish, and I might add, undeserved gifts from God our Father and his son Jesus Christ.

The author raises the bar of praise in his book extolling the supremacy of Christ and his finished work at the cross on our behalf in the final chapter of his book. In Chapter 12 the author will leave you in awe of God and his son Jesus Christ and rejoicing in the fact that if you will only believe…that’s right…if you will only dare to believe it is true…truly, truly Jesus + Nothing = Everything.

For information about this book or to order your own copy visit www.Crossway.Org.

I have received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher, Crossway Publishers, for reviewing it.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Jesus + Nothing = Everything
Author: Tullian Tchividjian
Rating: 4 stars
As odd as it is to say it, this book is sure to irk many Christians due to Tchividjian's emphasis on grace. The objection will be that we have to keep grace in check so that we don't take the position that we "continue to sin that grace may abound". Tchividjian does not relent on grace. He preaches it on every page of this book. However like Paul, Tchividjian answers the objection that preaching grace will lead to antinomianism not by pointing the believer back to the law, but rightfully pointing to our union with Christ. We are united with Christ, we bear His righteousness, and as a result, "how can we who are dead to sin walk any longer therein?" The antidote to our propensity to want to merit favor with then God is found in understanding the gospel; but we also have a tendency to want to add to the gospel. That is what this book is about. Differentiating between the effects of the gospel (a sanctified life) and the gospel itself (Christ crucified).

The basic idea behind the book, as explained chapter three goes back to C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters when he is laying out his strategy to Wormwood. Screwtape tells wormwood that his goal is to keep believers in the state of mind which he calls 'Christianity And'. What does this look like today? Christianity and modesty...Christianity and courtship... Christianity and Israel... Christianity and youth ministry . . . etc. We tend to take Jesus and add things which are very good and then make Jesus plus that good thing a part of the gospel. We do this in ways which would surprise us and we can recognize that this has happened when we find ourselves seeking affirmation (from others and from God) in whatever good deed we tend to focus on.

Tchividjian argues that Jesus alone is the essence of Christianity and all of these other things which are good things must be subordinate to Christ. This is especially true for the believer in his/her battle with ongoing sin. Rather than returning to the law for Sanctification, Tchividjian encourages us to return to the pure gospel of Christ which results in good works motivated by gratitude.

If I have any complaints about the book it is Tchividjian's style. He tends to be very repetitive, which is great for sermons but unnecessary in a book since the reader can go back and re-read something if they feel they missed a key point. He also tends to engage in hyperbole in order to illicit a reaction from those who might disagree with him (this insight was gained from a Reformed Pubcast inteview) and it is clear that he uses this tactic in the book. For what it is worth, I find that unnecessary and a bit distracting.

[Daniel Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not many books out there that are so simple yet, so effective to change our understanding of the Gospel. The book is not a theological treatise on the subject of the Gospel. But, Tullian does bring the Gospel into the here and now, into the practical implications of what Jesus Christ has done for us. He helps us as Christians apply the Gospel to very difficult experiences in the Christian life. He constantly bring us back to the finished work of Christ in the gospel and brings out from the text that the Gospel is not just the spark that ignites the Christian life, but it is also the to keep us going and growing as Christians.
As stated earlier, the book is not a concise biblical theology, so there are weaknesses in how he presents justification vs. sanctification. I think Tullian has beautifully and powerfully by the scriptures explained to us the meaning and power of justifications, but whenever he starts talking about sanctification he retreats back to root cause of our sanctification—justification—thus missing the point.
I like to remind myself and others that the only thing you contribute to your salvation and to your sanctification is the sin that makes them necessary. (Page 104)
I think Tullian misses the point here. In the letter to the Corinthians Paul shares with us a verse that helps us understand the nature of sanctification,
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10, ESV)
This verse teaches us that our sanctifications is Spirit powered, Gospel driven, faith fuelled, effort. We work and God works through us, I don’t think our work is something that should be excluded from sanctification.
We do not have justification without sanctification, and we do not have sanctification without justification. Justification does play a role in our sanctification, but it is important that they are defined separately while remaining dependent on each other. The best way I have heard it put was, Justification is like a judge, who declares us just, and sanctification is like a surgeon, who operates on our insides and works on making us just.
Overall I do wholeheartedly recommend this book. It presents the Gospel, it is full of lots of great quotes, and the books brought me into a deeper love for Christ and into a deeper appreciation for justification. I did really thoroughly enjoy the book and I will read it again and again, but for new believers I would encourage you to afterwards read a book on sanctification.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY REVIEW:

I try to pick out books that I know - before I even crack open the cover - will impact my heart and life. This is one of them. In my journey of wanting to grow in my understanding of the gospel and it's daily connection to my life I chose this book to read and it did not disappoint.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything is a lighter reading book (compared to Because He Loves Me or Counsel From The Cross) and has the feel of a friend talking with you, not at you. Pastor Tullian not only teaches in this book, but also shares from his own life and struggles. After reading other books of the same topic, I found this one tied up some of the loose ends for me and as I read I had lightbulbs in my head going off as I finally "got" various aspects I had read before.

The point of this book is to show you, not just tell you, that Jesus + nothing truly = everything. I walked away understanding better what that means and what that looks like on a daily, moment by moment, basis. It's not just a cute phrase that makes me sound more spiritual...it's truth en-capsuled into an easy to remember phrase.

From this book I learned:

1 - The power of the gospel is just as necessary and relevant after you become a Christian as it is before.

2 - We desire everything, but apart from Christ we will never have everything.

3 - I am filling my gaps...but with what?

4 - The most dangerous thing that can happen to you is that you become proud of your obedience.

5 - Jesus is mighty to save.

6 - The Everything became Nothing...for me!

7 - I need daily doses of the grace, not just a beginning booster shot.

8 - Does my life make others hope desperately that the gospel is true?

9 - My identity is in Christ, not in all the things I think it is in.

10 - I am expendable and He is sufficient.

11 - Preach the gospel to yourself and be who you are!

12 - Pray for a gospel riot and celebrate HIM!

I am confident that any believer who reads this book is going to be overwhelmed once again with God's grace and the power it holds for us in the now. I recommend this book to both adults and teens and urge you to buy your own copy, grab a pen, and read!

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really liked this book.

I must be honest, however, and though I did want to read it someday, I only read it now because I will be meeting the author soon at a dinner party. I figured I should read at least one of his books. But I really did like the book and I do think its message is needed for many.

Christian living truly is all about Jesus and our love of how glorious all he has done is. And these truths should be what motivate our love toward others. And this is not the case for so many of us. I see it in counseling and in casual conversations with friends. And I struggle with it myself. So the message is needed and I am thankful that there are many voices that have picked it up as of late.

If I am totally honest about this book however, I did struggle reading at about the two-thirds point. The first part of the book I blasted through, loving it! Then I started to slog. Maybe it is me being tired with non-fiction still. The concept was fine and it was not hard to understand or even relate to....but how many different ways can you say Jesus + Nothing + Everything without sounding redundant? So I had to push through the last part of the book. There were good illustrations and some great quotes throughout. The last chapter picked up again and I loved it. So 4 not 5 stars.

The parts I loved the most about this book were the ones where Tullian talked about his own struggles. I loved his openness and vulnerability that he wove through the book. I would have liked to see even more of how these truths worked into his life.

I would recommend this book to anyone as it is very easy to understand. It might be especially helpful for someone struggling with their own guild because they are worried about their performance more than rejoicing in all Christ is for them.

[Tim Michiemo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tullian Tchividjian is an excellent author and in this book he presents a beautiful picture of the gospel and how it needs to function in our lives. Tchividjian opens his book with a testimony of his revelation of the gospel and how truly freed him to live a life in service to God. Over and over again Tullian hits on the point of the freeing power of the gospel throughout his book and expounds upon it's implications.

Jesus+Nothing=Everything is an critique of man's proclivity to trust in his own ability to save himself. Tullian unpacks well that the "everything" that we often search for in life is "nothing", but that "everything" can only be found in Jesus. Through this he gives us a beautiful picture of the gospel that stirs our hearts and helps us recognize the foolishness of self-reliance. We gain a big picture of God and a small picture of us, and I finished this book loving the gospel in a new way.

Now, this book is nothing new in a long string of gospel books that are currently coming out. Even though this book is well written and holds so many amazing truths, it is merely another book in a list of many. But still I would recommend to pick this up to remind the self-focused heart of the freeing truths of the gospel. Also at times the chapters can become monotonous; Tchividjian hits on the same points several times throughout the book, many chapters could have been shorter.

But overall I recommend this book to any person struggling with self-reliance and understanding the truths of the gospel (which is all of us). No harm can be done to anyone to pick this book up and be stirred in the heart to love God deeper and to serve him more devotedly.

[Matthew Giesmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, Tchividjian is excited. He's found something thats worth being excited about... Something that most Christians agree on, but more often than not take for granted: The gospel of Jesus Christ is Everything.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything is not an uber-theological examination of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It isn't even a very coherently organised book about a point Tchividjian wants to make... He's got something that he just can't contain, and he more or less blurts it all out for 208 pages. He never slows down. I found that every section in the book was exciting and reinvigorating, but didn't necessarily see the link between sections.

Maybe that's overstating things... He expertly navigates hundreds of verses of scripture and uses pointed stories from a multitude of sources. But... he uses them with the excitement level of a thirteen year old girl talking on her cell phone. Tchividjian drives home the utter sufficiency of the gospel over and over and over again, it doesn't get old, and the reader can't help but catch the author's excitement.

I'd think I'd recommend reading this like a devotional... maybe a chapter a day. Tchividjian reminds us that the gospel is never stale, never old, never inapplicable. It isn't something we can't file away in out truth banks, but rather something that we must remind ourselves and each other of every day, every hour. Reading his book a chapter a day would be an appropriate way to get in that habit. Tchividjian doesn't use any overarching narrative or framework, but every chapter inspired awe in the total sufficiency of what Christ has done for us.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

TT preaches the Bible, but he is somewhat loose in his words. I may just say this because I read John Calvin and Matthew Henry's words. TT says things like "I can be no one, because Jesus is someone". I understand how this makes sense, in a sense. The book is good, but it is not the most clear and precise. The writer of The Marrow of Modern divinity said that there are two ditches into which Christians can fall: an overemphasis of grace, leading to antinomianism and an over-emphasis on the law, leading to legalism. TT says that you cannot over-emphasize grace. It just seems a little odd that I can remember very little of what he said about law. I would think if the law shows you how you can break yourself upon it, or you can through Jesus penal substitutionary atonement build upon it as a solid rock, you would give both equal time. I would have spent more time explaining how I was not an antinomian. But that's just me. This brings to mind some lines of logic that I seem to see:

1

Worship is a spontaneous response to God's grace through the holy spirit
↓
Logic Is cold, sterile, and clinical
↓
Preaching is a form of worship powered by the holy spirit
↓
.:Logic should not always be used in making sermons when you already
understand what the text means.



2

Worship is an emotional spontaneous response to God's grace through the holy spirit
↓
The fruit of the holy spirit during worship is effulgence of emotion
↓
If you do not show emotion during worship, you have grown cold
↓
.:The Sign of The indwelling of the Holy Spirit during worship is emotionality

I am not convinced that these premises are entirely sound.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have ready many books over the years of all types. Many of those have about the different aspects of Christian living. I can count on one hand the ones that have really made an impact. The ones that God used to change my life or at least see it differently. Jesus+Nothing=Everything is one of those. Recently my family and I have moved out of state to help start a new church, and after 2 years, returned back home. It was the most challenging, difficult, and rewarding experience I've ever encountered. This book helped clarify and further articulate who I am in Christ, and how God's grace works in us. However, this book is for everyone. He examines grace from many aspects, throughly making the point that we have all we need in life in Jesus. Some have criticized that Tchividjian is over redundant and perhaps so. But, an aspect of teaching in order to get a point across is repeat, repeat, repeat, and repeat again. That may take away points on a pure literary note, but sometimes the best messages don't fall 100% in line with any formula. In this case, good writing was 2nd to the message, but, In my opinion, the writing was just fine. I highly recommend this. I have recommended it. I will revisit this again in hopes to spread what the Holy Spirit gave me to others. I am grateful for this, and I thank the person who put it in my hand. Most of all, I thank God whose grace is truly amazing for continuing to prove to me how much he loves his people. All in all, I feel that I encountered the Father in a very intimate way through this work.

[Joel Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Jesus + Nothing = Everything” by Tulian Tchividjian is the type of book I intend to pick up at least once a year. It is a beautiful reminder of the all sufficient nature of the grace offered by God through Jesus Christ. Too often, as Tchivijian points out, the western church gets trapped in trying to earn our way into God’s favor. We pride ourselves in the size of our congregations or the amount of students attending our outreach event, forgetting that God’s grace draws us into His community for the mutual ministry of making disciples in His name. One of the most poignant ideas posited within the text is the idea that within the church we preach grace and still expect people to earn their way through their giving habits or attendance. Rather we need to preach grace and allow God to grant His grace in the measure that will draw people into lives of grateful living. The church needs to return to a Gospel centered vision, forgetting about all the expectations we place on people. As a youth minister, this text forced me to wrestle with requirements that I place on students in order for them to serve in ministry. Through grace students should serve and we need to allow God to shape their lives in His grace.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What will your life took like lived under the banner that reads. It is finished. However, during our life time Christians do not live their lives under this banner. They are adding to it or taking from it. Growth always happens in grace, not in our behaviour. We make the focus on ourselves not what Jesus as done. Which is what the Gospel is all about. Which is why we need the Gospel 24/7. We need a understanding of what the Gospel means so we can live our lives freely unto the Lord. The Gospel has never been about us, but about Jesus and what was done and who He is. The book starts with the pitfalls of "Christianity". You will feel the pain as you recognize yourself in these pitfalls. God's grace is deeper than the pit we fall into. If you are in these pitfalls, you probably are needing the Gospel stat. This book ended well with the Glory of God. I have to admit that in the middle of this book, I struggled with the balance of what was written. I probably need to read it again and see if I have the same struggle.