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Becoming Worldly Saints: Can You Serve Jesus and Still Enjoy Your Life?
Do you feel the tension between the pleasures of earth and the purpose of heaven? You want to enjoy life in this world--the beauty of God's creation and the rich love of deep relationships with others--yet you wonder if you were made for more. You long to be radically committed to Jesus, but you're not sure what that means for your everyday life.
Michael Wittmer explains how to bring your human and Christian lives together. When you grasp God's story, you'll understand that not only is it possible to serve Jesus and still enjoy your life, but it's the only way you can.
Written in a devotional style that is theologically rich and biblically accurate, Becoming Worldly Saints helps you understand who you are and why you are here. You can live with joy--free from false guilt--in a not-yet-redeemed world.
"It made me laugh out loud. This is popular theology at its best."--Al Wolters
Michael Wittmer explains how to bring your human and Christian lives together. When you grasp God's story, you'll understand that not only is it possible to serve Jesus and still enjoy your life, but it's the only way you can.
Written in a devotional style that is theologically rich and biblically accurate, Becoming Worldly Saints helps you understand who you are and why you are here. You can live with joy--free from false guilt--in a not-yet-redeemed world.
"It made me laugh out loud. This is popular theology at its best."--Al Wolters
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2015
38 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Michael E. Wittmer
21 books22 followersMichael Wittmer is currently Professor of Systematic Theology at GRTS in Grand Rapids, MI. He is the author of Heaven Is a Place on Earth, Don’t Stop Believing, The Last Enemy, and Despite Doubt. He and his wife, Julie, live in Grand Rapids, Michigan with their three children: Avery, Landon, and Alayna.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 24, 2019
In my experience, I am most impacted by a book when certain ideas are quietly brewing in my brain, and then a book comes along to give those ideas shape, depth, and refining. "Becoming Worldly Saints" is one of those books that, by being the right book at the right time, has had a substantial influence on me.
I first heard about Mike Wittmer when he spoke at a summer conference at my church, and he introduced some paradigm-shifting ideas about how Christians tend to think about "Heaven" and "Earth" (i.e. do we believe that our hope is to "leave" this corrupt, sinful world; or do we believe that God intends to redeem this good (yet corrupt and sinful) world and eventually return to make his home here?). I later picked up this book, where he teaches the aforementioned ideas and then works through more practical questions about how that influences the way we live. He also does some extremely helpful exegesis about verses which tend to be misinterpreted toward a "this world doesn't matter" perspective. I appreciate Mike's sense of humor, which adorns the fact the he is adamant about Christians finding joy and goodness in the world that God has created and given us to steward.
A key crux of this book is the tension of "how can *anything* besides 'mission' work matter if eternity is at stake?" Mike refuses to alleviate that tension, but instead digs into all sides of it to help you have a richer understanding of what this world is that God has placed you in and how you are to live out that mission.
I deeply appreciate what Mike Wittmer has shared in this book, and I'm thankful for the fruit it has produced in my life. It has increased my joy in the things of this world that God has given us, it has spoken soothing Biblical truth to the guilt and shame I can feel for seeking that joy, and it has enriched my understanding of the work of redemption that Jesus is performing and calling his church to join in.
I first heard about Mike Wittmer when he spoke at a summer conference at my church, and he introduced some paradigm-shifting ideas about how Christians tend to think about "Heaven" and "Earth" (i.e. do we believe that our hope is to "leave" this corrupt, sinful world; or do we believe that God intends to redeem this good (yet corrupt and sinful) world and eventually return to make his home here?). I later picked up this book, where he teaches the aforementioned ideas and then works through more practical questions about how that influences the way we live. He also does some extremely helpful exegesis about verses which tend to be misinterpreted toward a "this world doesn't matter" perspective. I appreciate Mike's sense of humor, which adorns the fact the he is adamant about Christians finding joy and goodness in the world that God has created and given us to steward.
A key crux of this book is the tension of "how can *anything* besides 'mission' work matter if eternity is at stake?" Mike refuses to alleviate that tension, but instead digs into all sides of it to help you have a richer understanding of what this world is that God has placed you in and how you are to live out that mission.
I deeply appreciate what Mike Wittmer has shared in this book, and I'm thankful for the fruit it has produced in my life. It has increased my joy in the things of this world that God has given us, it has spoken soothing Biblical truth to the guilt and shame I can feel for seeking that joy, and it has enriched my understanding of the work of redemption that Jesus is performing and calling his church to join in.
February 18, 2025
Joe Rigney mentioned this in a recent conversation on The Wade Show, though he misremembered some details—the author is Mennonite turned Baptist, not Dutch Reformed, though he does live in Grand Rapids, so that was a reasonable mistake. It came up because this book was published around the same time and on the same theme as The Things of Earth (Wittmer even quotes that hymn at one point).
Anyway, I hardly slept last night, so I ended up staying home from church and listening to this (and having to backtrack and find my place after dozing off...). Wittmer is an enjoyable writer with a fun personality and mostly good things to say. He made some pithy points that I'd've tweeted if I hadn't been quite so comatose. Of course I can't remember any of them now...just an overall impression of "Yes, this is good, I agree" to most of the book, which is just the thing you want for a sleepy Sabbath.
The narrator was not great.
Anyway, I hardly slept last night, so I ended up staying home from church and listening to this (and having to backtrack and find my place after dozing off...). Wittmer is an enjoyable writer with a fun personality and mostly good things to say. He made some pithy points that I'd've tweeted if I hadn't been quite so comatose. Of course I can't remember any of them now...just an overall impression of "Yes, this is good, I agree" to most of the book, which is just the thing you want for a sleepy Sabbath.
The narrator was not great.
June 2, 2015
highly recommend. Thought provoking, witty, and thoroughly biblical. a great book to balance out books like Radical.
March 1, 2015
Be in the world but not of the world. That is a statement anyone who has attended church for any amount of time has likely heard or read at least once. But what does it exactly mean and more importantly, how does the proper examination and understanding of such a statement impact our lives, both in service to God and in day to day life. Are we to shun all worldly pursuits for a more monastic lifestyle or is there a biblical balance God has in mind? These are the subjects Michael Wittmer explores in his helpful book Becoming Worldly Saints: Can You Serve Jesus and Still Enjoy Your Life?.
The title of this book is certainly catchy. Becoming a worldly saint is an approach I would venture to say many would think rather untenable. After all, we are commanded to think on things above, to store up our treasure in heaven, and to be holy as God is holy right? Is not this earth a cesspool of iniquity, a place we are merely sojourning through as aliens and strangers? Not so fast suggests Wittmer and rightly so.
In order to explore what it means to live on this planet while at the same time seeking things above, Wittmer divides his thoughts into three sections. These three sections follow the overarching theme of Scripture, namely that of creation, fall, and redemption. He aptly notes most have fallen for the trap of either spiritualism or naturalism, commenting “Naturalism affirms our present existence, but robs it of any ultimate meaning. Spiritualism leaves room for the existence of God and a heavenly purpose, but it shortchanges who we are and why we’re here.”
It is that piece of why we are here that garners the most attention from Wittmer and where the strength of this book resides. There is an element of Greek philosophy that has crept into our theology over the years, namely that this earth is evil and thus humanity needs to escape the terror that is planet earth. Such an approach to life on earth is not contained in Scripture and Wittmer does a great job of outlining the errors contained in such a concept. We were created by God and placed by God on this planet to have dominion, to be fruitful and multiply, and to do those things to the glory of God. Sin marred the picture; however that ushers in not an escape from planet earth to the heavenlies (a Greek mindset), but rather the promise of redemption and a new heavens and new earth (biblical mindset).
As we live life in this era of sin and death, looking forward to that time when God once again will dwell with His people on that new heavens and new earth, we are to have a balance between the things of God and enjoying God’s creation to His glory. Wittmer outlines what this looks like, namely the need to love God, love others, subdue the earth, rest on the seventh day, and to do what God has called you to do with the gifts He has given to all of us.
I appreciated that Wittmer address the issue of Sabbath rest as this command of God seems to have been stricken from the 10 commandments in the minds of far too many believers. Wittmer aptly notes “Sabbath is a gift because it is a day of enjoyment.” Since the Sabbath is a creation ordinance, then it precedes anything “Jewish” or “Christian” for that matter and thus is given by God as a means to rest in Him and to remember He is creator and sustainer of all things. It was good to see Wittmer even address the topic of the Sabbath, a subject far too many seem to ignore these days and he rightly notes that our freedom in Christ is not an excuse to neglect a day God set aside long ago for His creation.
So are we to enjoy life? Absolutely. The key as Wittmer saliently speaks to is we must do all for the glory of God. We can tend to our backyard garden, we can enjoy our hobbies, and we can enjoy “worldly” pursuits provided of course they do not become idols that lead us away from God who made us to enjoy such things. When we enjoy God’s creation, we can keep in mind that one day all things will be made new and God will dwell with His people.
This is a book I highly recommend as it strikes a needed balance between calls to be mindful of spiritual things and calls to enjoy life. Both can be pursued by the believer as long as God is the continual focus. Wittmer does an excellent job of walking the reader through what that looks like in practice and his approach stirs one to action in this life while looking forward to an eternity spent with God in a redeemed creation.
I received this book for free from Zondervan Academic for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The title of this book is certainly catchy. Becoming a worldly saint is an approach I would venture to say many would think rather untenable. After all, we are commanded to think on things above, to store up our treasure in heaven, and to be holy as God is holy right? Is not this earth a cesspool of iniquity, a place we are merely sojourning through as aliens and strangers? Not so fast suggests Wittmer and rightly so.
In order to explore what it means to live on this planet while at the same time seeking things above, Wittmer divides his thoughts into three sections. These three sections follow the overarching theme of Scripture, namely that of creation, fall, and redemption. He aptly notes most have fallen for the trap of either spiritualism or naturalism, commenting “Naturalism affirms our present existence, but robs it of any ultimate meaning. Spiritualism leaves room for the existence of God and a heavenly purpose, but it shortchanges who we are and why we’re here.”
It is that piece of why we are here that garners the most attention from Wittmer and where the strength of this book resides. There is an element of Greek philosophy that has crept into our theology over the years, namely that this earth is evil and thus humanity needs to escape the terror that is planet earth. Such an approach to life on earth is not contained in Scripture and Wittmer does a great job of outlining the errors contained in such a concept. We were created by God and placed by God on this planet to have dominion, to be fruitful and multiply, and to do those things to the glory of God. Sin marred the picture; however that ushers in not an escape from planet earth to the heavenlies (a Greek mindset), but rather the promise of redemption and a new heavens and new earth (biblical mindset).
As we live life in this era of sin and death, looking forward to that time when God once again will dwell with His people on that new heavens and new earth, we are to have a balance between the things of God and enjoying God’s creation to His glory. Wittmer outlines what this looks like, namely the need to love God, love others, subdue the earth, rest on the seventh day, and to do what God has called you to do with the gifts He has given to all of us.
I appreciated that Wittmer address the issue of Sabbath rest as this command of God seems to have been stricken from the 10 commandments in the minds of far too many believers. Wittmer aptly notes “Sabbath is a gift because it is a day of enjoyment.” Since the Sabbath is a creation ordinance, then it precedes anything “Jewish” or “Christian” for that matter and thus is given by God as a means to rest in Him and to remember He is creator and sustainer of all things. It was good to see Wittmer even address the topic of the Sabbath, a subject far too many seem to ignore these days and he rightly notes that our freedom in Christ is not an excuse to neglect a day God set aside long ago for His creation.
So are we to enjoy life? Absolutely. The key as Wittmer saliently speaks to is we must do all for the glory of God. We can tend to our backyard garden, we can enjoy our hobbies, and we can enjoy “worldly” pursuits provided of course they do not become idols that lead us away from God who made us to enjoy such things. When we enjoy God’s creation, we can keep in mind that one day all things will be made new and God will dwell with His people.
This is a book I highly recommend as it strikes a needed balance between calls to be mindful of spiritual things and calls to enjoy life. Both can be pursued by the believer as long as God is the continual focus. Wittmer does an excellent job of walking the reader through what that looks like in practice and his approach stirs one to action in this life while looking forward to an eternity spent with God in a redeemed creation.
I received this book for free from Zondervan Academic for this review. 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
February 5, 2016
This book really challenged me to appreciate and praise God for the good things He's given to us in this world, and not to dismiss this world as out of hand in favor of the next. His kingdom is both already and not yet. He helps swing the pendulum to more balance away from the one-sidedness of Radical by David Platt and Don't Waste Your Life by Piper (both helpful, but both which could be taken too far and inducing unnecessary guilt for enjoying this of this life). You can serve Jesus and still enjoy this life.
July 8, 2016
Aside from the truly awful cover art, this is a brilliant book. Eminently readable, thoroughly biblical, and wonderfully helpful. I can see myself coming back to this regularly, and recommending it to others widely.
February 4, 2020
A thoughtful, biblical discussion of the tension between "promoting the heavenly purpose of redemption while enjoying the earthly pleasures of creation."
As Wittmer writes,
And,
This is practical theology important for all believers, most of which any who have wondered if their "ordinary life is sufficiently Christian" (especially with many pastors and theologians preaching "radical" Christianity in recent years) or wrestled with feeling guilty or conflicted about spending time and money on normal things without direct eternal "significance."
I wouldn't have minded less cheesy humor—"[In the Garden of Eden, Adam] took a break even before he started to work (a practice still followed by Michigan road crews)"—especially if replaced with more practical application and implication, as well as more depth on the financial aspect specifically. Nevertheless, this book overall is thought-provoking, and freeing.
After all, one day Christ will return, and we will be resurrected and the earth restored. We ought to live (and, dare I say, play) in light of this future redemption, which (along with the original good and glory of creation) gives meaning and value to not only heaven but also earth.
As Wittmer writes,
"We must love God more than the world, yet if we truly love God, we will also love the world [and everything in it], on his behalf. God matters more than the world, but because he loves it, the world now matters."
And,
"Our love for Jesus and his world is not a zero sum game. Attention given to creation is not stolen from its Creator."
This is practical theology important for all believers, most of which any who have wondered if their "ordinary life is sufficiently Christian" (especially with many pastors and theologians preaching "radical" Christianity in recent years) or wrestled with feeling guilty or conflicted about spending time and money on normal things without direct eternal "significance."
I wouldn't have minded less cheesy humor—"[In the Garden of Eden, Adam] took a break even before he started to work (a practice still followed by Michigan road crews)"—especially if replaced with more practical application and implication, as well as more depth on the financial aspect specifically. Nevertheless, this book overall is thought-provoking, and freeing.
After all, one day Christ will return, and we will be resurrected and the earth restored. We ought to live (and, dare I say, play) in light of this future redemption, which (along with the original good and glory of creation) gives meaning and value to not only heaven but also earth.
"When people look at our lives, our families, and our churches, may they point their finger and say, 'Something like that. When Jesus returns, the entire world is going to look something like that.'"
July 1, 2022
Finally finished, really helpful perspective to have. He helped me think through how to balance the “already not yet” of enjoying the gifts of the world, while waiting expectantly for the new creation. If heaven doesn’t throw this world out and start over, then how do we not automatically see the world as evil? How do we not draw a black and white line between the world and godliness?
July 13, 2015
Noteworthy quotes:
There are two ways to ruin our relationship with the Giver of all things. The first is to ignore him and focus entirely on his gifts. This temptation to idolatry is ever present, and we must remain vigilant against it. The second way is to ignore the gift and focus entirely on the Giver.
Our love for Jesus and his world is not a zero sum game. Attention given to creation is not stolen from its Creator. The more we enjoy God’s gifts for their own sake, the more we can appreciate him.
There are two ways to ruin our relationship with the Giver of all things. The first is to ignore him and focus entirely on his gifts. This temptation to idolatry is ever present, and we must remain vigilant against it. The second way is to ignore the gift and focus entirely on the Giver.
Our love for Jesus and his world is not a zero sum game. Attention given to creation is not stolen from its Creator. The more we enjoy God’s gifts for their own sake, the more we can appreciate him.
August 26, 2015
This book is easy to read and challenging at the same time. Easy, in the sense that Wittmer is an engaging writer with clear and funny illustrations. Challenging, in the sense that he provactively tests some false assumptions that we have tended to make in evangelicalism, especially about the spiritual importance of the hear-and-now (creation) in light of inbreaking (redemption) and the up-and-coming (consumation). I learned a lot, but not enough. I need to re-read this one soon.
August 27, 2016
I'm not really sure what this book was about. I mean I know what it said it was supposed to be about but I don't think it hit the mark. There were some good sections but it felt a bit chaotic and I'm not sure why some sections were included and not other concepts and themes. Not bad but not awesome. Bit "meh".
September 4, 2022
After reading this book, I feel blessed, refreshed, well taught and well prepared to serve and enjoy. This book is filled with theology that is sound and deep, while remaining very readable and accessible.
When reading nonfiction, I usually choose one or two favorite chapters. I wasn’t able to do that with this book because each chapter was filled with wisdom, challenges, encouragement and so very much to think about.
From chapter 7, I learned how to better read, understand and take a deeper look at passages in the Bible. We must pay close attention to words and context in order to avoid the pitfalls of misunderstanding passages in the Bible.
So many good takeaways from this book!
My favorites were:
* We need to learn how to flourish with the tension so that we can embrace both earthly pleasure and heavenly purpose.
* Everything matters. Some things matter more than others, but everything still matters.
Every Christian should read this book.
When reading nonfiction, I usually choose one or two favorite chapters. I wasn’t able to do that with this book because each chapter was filled with wisdom, challenges, encouragement and so very much to think about.
From chapter 7, I learned how to better read, understand and take a deeper look at passages in the Bible. We must pay close attention to words and context in order to avoid the pitfalls of misunderstanding passages in the Bible.
So many good takeaways from this book!
My favorites were:
* We need to learn how to flourish with the tension so that we can embrace both earthly pleasure and heavenly purpose.
* Everything matters. Some things matter more than others, but everything still matters.
Every Christian should read this book.
February 19, 2022
More deeply theological than I expected, which was really good! Thorough explanations of all his points and plenty of things to make you think more deeply. I loved the added humor as well. Worth the time and may require two readings to thoroughly digest the content!
January 3, 2019
Can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life?
“It made me laugh out loud. This is popular theology at its best” - Al Wolters blurb for this book.
I couldn’t agree more with that statement. Very readable (and full of humor) yet dense with critique and thoughts that were addressing some of the pressing questions I’ve had related to justice, work, and practical living in the world as a Christian. He critiques popular theologians (Rick Warren, David Platt, John Piper, etc.) that I respect in a loving way. He draws much of his thought from Abraham Kuyper.
This booked helped me understand “the purpose of heaven” and the “pleasures of earth.”
He bounces from Plato to hymns in illustrating how we have misunderstood scripture, and because of his (and my) Baptist background, I resonated with so many of his examples. I understand my history and inherited theology much more clearly and objectively.
This book was so helpful to me. Highly recommended.
“Do whatever God is calling you to do, no more and no less. Do it with all your might; then go to bed”
“It made me laugh out loud. This is popular theology at its best” - Al Wolters blurb for this book.
I couldn’t agree more with that statement. Very readable (and full of humor) yet dense with critique and thoughts that were addressing some of the pressing questions I’ve had related to justice, work, and practical living in the world as a Christian. He critiques popular theologians (Rick Warren, David Platt, John Piper, etc.) that I respect in a loving way. He draws much of his thought from Abraham Kuyper.
This booked helped me understand “the purpose of heaven” and the “pleasures of earth.”
He bounces from Plato to hymns in illustrating how we have misunderstood scripture, and because of his (and my) Baptist background, I resonated with so many of his examples. I understand my history and inherited theology much more clearly and objectively.
This book was so helpful to me. Highly recommended.
“Do whatever God is calling you to do, no more and no less. Do it with all your might; then go to bed”
April 6, 2015
Can you enjoy life and also be a faithful Christian? That is the question. This book makes a great start in its discussion of the goodness but, also, brokenness of God's creation. Ultimately undermines its own assertions when it falls into the very dualistic thinking its earlier critiques when it speaks in terms of prioritizing the so-called 'evangelistic mandate' over above the 'cultural' mandate. The book is a pleasant enough read other than what has already been pointed out. The author certainly has a great sense of humor and uses it well. I also liked his earlier book, "Heaven is a Place on Earth," but that one, like the present book, eventually reveals its hand in adhering to the standard reformed line. For me, a bit too much head over heart & hands. But then, he's a systematic theologian and probably could't help himself.
December 14, 2016
Can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life? In this book Dr. Wittmer lays out the groundwork to show that you can, and in fact a flourishing Christian is the best advertisement for the gospel. He also ties in how one outside the commonly viewed ministry positions (pastor and missionary) are engaged in kingdom work too. Jesus is Lord of all, so no longer can you view Sunday as the Lord's Day and Mon-Sat as yours. Or the first 10% of my money is the Lord's and the other 90% is mine. God cares what we do Sun-Sat and how we use 100% of our money. Great book and worth your time reading it (especially if you have enjoyed books like Radical and Don't Waste Your Life).
July 1, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I appreciated Wittmer's frequent use of Scripture, personal illustrations, and great sense of humor. I wholeheartedly agreed with his valid criticisms of current popular Christian books that seem to be unbalanced, impractical, and even legalistic in their insistence on sacrificing everything, effectively taking the joy out of life. I concur with his assessment that “A flourishing human life is the best advertisement for the gospel.” What was most helpful to me was his concise synthesis of John 14 and Revelation 21, where he explained how Jesus is indeed preparing a place for us, and then will bring it all down here to stay. Highly recommended!
April 5, 2021
Great explanation between creation and redemption and how we relate to both. I particularly liked the theme of tension that Wittmer proposed, and the analogy of a sick person being given a life saving medicine. You take the medicine to save your life, which is analogous to the need for God's redemption to restore creation. Right now the redemption is more important than creation, but the redemption only has meaning because it restores creation.
April 2, 2015
Really good book. I learned a lot I did not know, things I thought were true, but didn't line up with the Bible. The author uses Scripture and church history to show that God created a good world, and expects us to live in it, not just pine for Heaven. Very readable, even though the author is a seminary professor (my son has been in his class).
June 13, 2015
Excellent
Mike Wittmer's experience reminds me very much of my own upbringing. This is a great book to remind us all to balance our lives, remembering to enjoy the ordinary and simple pleasures of Creation as well as commit to the ongoing, eternal values of Redemption.
Mike Wittmer's experience reminds me very much of my own upbringing. This is a great book to remind us all to balance our lives, remembering to enjoy the ordinary and simple pleasures of Creation as well as commit to the ongoing, eternal values of Redemption.
April 3, 2016
A good antidote to the books urging radical Christianity. Will dip into it in the future for its insights into the goodness of creation, and how key that is to the oft-quoted creation/fall/redemption template.
March 7, 2019
Careful to keep the balance between two extremes, in this book Michael E. Wittmer discusses a few issues concerning daily Christian living and tries to show we can serve Jesus faithfully on one hand and still enjoy life on the other.
In my opinion, he doesn’t completely succeed at this balancing act, but maybe it isn’t even possible to do so, since we have to live within this paradox and find the best middle way ourselves. That is also something Wittmer encourages you to do.
The book starts very interestingly with an explanation of how Plato’s philosophy of the material/earthly and the transcendental influenced early Christianity in a false way and made Christians be suspicious of their earthly nature, even though the bible clearly affirms enjoying food, drink, sexuality (in marriage) and other joys of creation.
The rest was also well written, Wittmer certainly has a very diverting and witty style, but I missed the discussion of some difficult bible passages, like the parable of the talents or Jesus’ sayings about discipleship, that are hard to understand at first glance, especially concerning the question of how we can (or allowed to) enjoy life while serving Jesus.
Also Wittmer focuses a lot on the point that we will spend eternity on this earth (even though it will be cleansed from sin before) and not in a far-away heaven. I don’t want to discuss if this view is true or false here, but I wished he wouldn’t have made such a controversial topic so prominent, since I wanted to read about living in the here and now more than about what might be our eternal place to glorify the Lord (moreover, since a huge part of this book was about the new earth, he should have talked about passages that seem to credit the opposite, like 1. Thessalonians 4: 16 – 17, that talk about us going to a place beyond the clouds…). I understand that he tried to show that a lot of the things we enjoy now, we will also enjoy eternally, but in my opinion, he went out on a limb in his speculations about what this new version of our world will look like and how we will live there.
All in all it was a good book on a paradox in the bible, that should be addressed more, but it doesn’t give you simple answers. Instead it basically tells you to constantly reevaluate your life, but also have grace with yourself and others.
In my opinion, he doesn’t completely succeed at this balancing act, but maybe it isn’t even possible to do so, since we have to live within this paradox and find the best middle way ourselves. That is also something Wittmer encourages you to do.
The book starts very interestingly with an explanation of how Plato’s philosophy of the material/earthly and the transcendental influenced early Christianity in a false way and made Christians be suspicious of their earthly nature, even though the bible clearly affirms enjoying food, drink, sexuality (in marriage) and other joys of creation.
The rest was also well written, Wittmer certainly has a very diverting and witty style, but I missed the discussion of some difficult bible passages, like the parable of the talents or Jesus’ sayings about discipleship, that are hard to understand at first glance, especially concerning the question of how we can (or allowed to) enjoy life while serving Jesus.
Also Wittmer focuses a lot on the point that we will spend eternity on this earth (even though it will be cleansed from sin before) and not in a far-away heaven. I don’t want to discuss if this view is true or false here, but I wished he wouldn’t have made such a controversial topic so prominent, since I wanted to read about living in the here and now more than about what might be our eternal place to glorify the Lord (moreover, since a huge part of this book was about the new earth, he should have talked about passages that seem to credit the opposite, like 1. Thessalonians 4: 16 – 17, that talk about us going to a place beyond the clouds…). I understand that he tried to show that a lot of the things we enjoy now, we will also enjoy eternally, but in my opinion, he went out on a limb in his speculations about what this new version of our world will look like and how we will live there.
All in all it was a good book on a paradox in the bible, that should be addressed more, but it doesn’t give you simple answers. Instead it basically tells you to constantly reevaluate your life, but also have grace with yourself and others.
March 9, 2017
I greatly appreciate the question this book tries to answer: Can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life? I know many Christians (myself included) struggle with this issue. How much of our time should we devote to church, evangelism, Bible study, and other spiritual activities? How much to family, recreation, and the ordinary earthly pleasures of human life? I like Wittmer's overarching answer: "Don’t divide your life into sacred and secular, heavenly and earthly, Christian and human realms. Devote them all to Christ, and you will flourish beneath his liberating lordship in every aspect of your Christian and human life. It’s the same life, and the only one you have. But it doesn’t belong to you. Find your place in God’s story." If we were using Pauline language, I think we might say, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
When it comes down to it, that's the best answer and the only one that will keep us from going crazy and feeling guilty all the time. Go to church, share the gospel, read your Bible, pray. Eat, sleep, work, enjoy good recreation. And do it all with God's glory in mind. As Wittmer points out, though the first group of activities is more important, that doesn't mean the second group doesn't matter. God can be glorified through both. And by His grace, we can strike a wise balance between the two.
Although this book has many good insights, there are plenty of shortcomings, too. Honestly, I think you could eliminate a large number of chapters from this book, and the overarching argument wouldn't suffer much. Wittmer spends a large portion of the book discussing the "big picture" of the Bible (what he refers to as creation-fall-redemption-consummation). Unfortunately, most of it felt like 'rabbit trail' reading to me (not to mention the fact that I didn't agree with all of it). Wittmer explores a lot of theological ideas related to things like sin, the gospel, the kingdom of God, and the new heaven and earth; but he doesn't clearly connect many of those ideas to his question "Can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life?" Basically, I had to ask myself "What's the point?" and "How does this help your argument?" too many times while I was reading. Wittmer wanders so far into his own broad theological perspective that he sometimes loses track of his main argument. And on a lesser note—I didn't always like Wittmer's writing style either: too many attempts at being funny just for the sake of being funny. Meh.
So can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life? Yes, of course. Worship the Giver, love the Giver, serve the Giver. And enjoy His gifts. How kind He is to give them.
(Read for the 2017 Tim Challies Christian Reading Challenge: A book about Christian living)
When it comes down to it, that's the best answer and the only one that will keep us from going crazy and feeling guilty all the time. Go to church, share the gospel, read your Bible, pray. Eat, sleep, work, enjoy good recreation. And do it all with God's glory in mind. As Wittmer points out, though the first group of activities is more important, that doesn't mean the second group doesn't matter. God can be glorified through both. And by His grace, we can strike a wise balance between the two.
Although this book has many good insights, there are plenty of shortcomings, too. Honestly, I think you could eliminate a large number of chapters from this book, and the overarching argument wouldn't suffer much. Wittmer spends a large portion of the book discussing the "big picture" of the Bible (what he refers to as creation-fall-redemption-consummation). Unfortunately, most of it felt like 'rabbit trail' reading to me (not to mention the fact that I didn't agree with all of it). Wittmer explores a lot of theological ideas related to things like sin, the gospel, the kingdom of God, and the new heaven and earth; but he doesn't clearly connect many of those ideas to his question "Can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life?" Basically, I had to ask myself "What's the point?" and "How does this help your argument?" too many times while I was reading. Wittmer wanders so far into his own broad theological perspective that he sometimes loses track of his main argument. And on a lesser note—I didn't always like Wittmer's writing style either: too many attempts at being funny just for the sake of being funny. Meh.
So can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life? Yes, of course. Worship the Giver, love the Giver, serve the Giver. And enjoy His gifts. How kind He is to give them.
(Read for the 2017 Tim Challies Christian Reading Challenge: A book about Christian living)
February 28, 2020
This book made me re-think my general theology about heaven, as Wittmer disagrees with commonly held beliefs that I have picked up over time. I think I would need to study and read more in order to truly have convictions-- I'm glad that I now know that my previous beliefs had not been established with much depth and I will be keeping in mind a broader spectrum of possibilities until/if I do this study myself.[return]For example, the interpretation of new heaven and new earth. Wittmer says this earth will be the eventual location of eterntity. [return][return]This book was helpful at the time I read it for helping me to better frame the tension between being earthly- and heavenly-minded, which I was feeling particularly with professional ambition and contentment. At the time I was finishing the book I had several job interviews and internal conflict raged between being content and doing my best at my current job, or doing whatever I could to get a new job and being more focused on that.[return][return]I added several quotes to an evernote that related to contentment and ambition.[return][return]This also informed my thinking in a letter I wrote to our outgoing intern at the time with some advice for her future.
July 19, 2019
This book deals with the question, “Can you serve Jesus and still enjoy your life?”
It is an excellent balance to books like Platt’s “Radical” and Piper’s “Don’t waste your Life.” If you haven’t read those, maybe it would be good to read those alongside this book.
Naturally, Wittmer’s Eschatology influences how he interprets some scriptures and in the first several chapters I was afraid of where and how far he would take the concept of enjoying God’s creation, but by the end of the book he brought a very balanced view to the whole issue.
Quote: “We must continually assess how we’re doing on both counts. How long has it been since we spoke to someone about Jesus? How long since we prayed for just this opportunity? ...we must also ask whether we’re getting enough sleep and exercise. What do we do for fun? How long since we splurged on the people we love? Are we fully present when we are with them? Do they know we love them as ends, not merely as means to some higher spiritual goal?”
It is an excellent balance to books like Platt’s “Radical” and Piper’s “Don’t waste your Life.” If you haven’t read those, maybe it would be good to read those alongside this book.
Naturally, Wittmer’s Eschatology influences how he interprets some scriptures and in the first several chapters I was afraid of where and how far he would take the concept of enjoying God’s creation, but by the end of the book he brought a very balanced view to the whole issue.
Quote: “We must continually assess how we’re doing on both counts. How long has it been since we spoke to someone about Jesus? How long since we prayed for just this opportunity? ...we must also ask whether we’re getting enough sleep and exercise. What do we do for fun? How long since we splurged on the people we love? Are we fully present when we are with them? Do they know we love them as ends, not merely as means to some higher spiritual goal?”
January 23, 2023
Affirming a right kind of worldliness
Wordly Christians is not about wayward believers, but about our place in God's creation both now and into eternity.
Wittmer's book is a welcome corrective to Platonic perspectives that have even crept into evangelical circles, teaching that to be spiritual we must be world and culture denying.
He helpfully and biblically affirms that God's creation is good, that our eternal future is worldly in a new (renewed, perfected) heavens and earth. Even now, God's world is to be enjoyed at the very same time that we are engaged in his redemptive work.
His discussion of one and two kingdom theology is helpful in emphasising the common ground whilst warning against the extremes of both views.
Wordly Christians is not about wayward believers, but about our place in God's creation both now and into eternity.
Wittmer's book is a welcome corrective to Platonic perspectives that have even crept into evangelical circles, teaching that to be spiritual we must be world and culture denying.
He helpfully and biblically affirms that God's creation is good, that our eternal future is worldly in a new (renewed, perfected) heavens and earth. Even now, God's world is to be enjoyed at the very same time that we are engaged in his redemptive work.
His discussion of one and two kingdom theology is helpful in emphasising the common ground whilst warning against the extremes of both views.
December 13, 2016
It doesn't feel like anything special to someone who's well-versed in Reformed theology but I'm giving it 3.5 stars simply because it's really hard to find a book on some of the basic systematic points of Christianity that I could comfortably hand to one of my high school students who is, faith-wise, an infant. The jokes are cheesy, some of the points seem to contradict a bit (Kuyper was right on! Expect for this bit!) but it's an excellent primer for a question so many students and young people have - the discussion questions in the back of the book are genuinely good and I hope to use them with some students, as well.
December 30, 2017
This book is al about how, in the attempt to be good, passionate and faithful christians, not forget to be also fully humans. It’s totally OK to just enjoy live. It’s OK to see on’s workplace, for example, as something far more than merely the place where to look at opportunities to share the gospel.
This book provide a helpful and, I think necessary balance for piper platts and chans radical books. Those are excellent, but they tend to neglect the legitimate human side of every christian.
So if you’re dealing with the question, can I serve Jesus and still enjoy my life, I would highly recommend this book.
This book provide a helpful and, I think necessary balance for piper platts and chans radical books. Those are excellent, but they tend to neglect the legitimate human side of every christian.
So if you’re dealing with the question, can I serve Jesus and still enjoy my life, I would highly recommend this book.
January 22, 2022
*4.5 stars*
So many highlights in this book. I love the perspective, very different than others that I've heard so often. Our calling may be to work a corporate job and coach little league, and we can make creation better by doing so, and can serve God right there. And as we serve - in whatever capacity and whatever location - and we fulfill God's plan for our life, we find our joy. This is God's creation, intended for good, and it's our responsibility to find the good, celebrate it, and to make it better. We don't need to change the world, just make a world of change right where we are....
So many highlights in this book. I love the perspective, very different than others that I've heard so often. Our calling may be to work a corporate job and coach little league, and we can make creation better by doing so, and can serve God right there. And as we serve - in whatever capacity and whatever location - and we fulfill God's plan for our life, we find our joy. This is God's creation, intended for good, and it's our responsibility to find the good, celebrate it, and to make it better. We don't need to change the world, just make a world of change right where we are....
April 9, 2022
Lots to think about in this book. He makes a very strong case for the fact that we were created to live on earth and no in heaven. When Jesus returns he will restore creation to its original goodness and we will live forever in the new earth. The bits of humor interspersed in the book lightened a difficult topic. Certainly one to return to in the future.
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