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The Cure
We thought we were cured.
We thought so, but most of us unwittingly carried an old, dead outlook into our new life. We couldn't measure up to the standard we created, so we convinced ourselves it was God's. We read his words through our grid of shame and felt ourselves fall farther and farther behind. We took it out on each other; judging, comparing, faking, splintering. Some of us retreated from the whole charade, becoming cynical, mistrusting, jaded from hope. Our marriages, churches, families, friendships, our marketplaces, our culture... they all need the cure.
But God's cures rarely come in the form we expect.
What if, indeed, God is not who we think he is... and neither are we?
We thought so, but most of us unwittingly carried an old, dead outlook into our new life. We couldn't measure up to the standard we created, so we convinced ourselves it was God's. We read his words through our grid of shame and felt ourselves fall farther and farther behind. We took it out on each other; judging, comparing, faking, splintering. Some of us retreated from the whole charade, becoming cynical, mistrusting, jaded from hope. Our marriages, churches, families, friendships, our marketplaces, our culture... they all need the cure.
But God's cures rarely come in the form we expect.
What if, indeed, God is not who we think he is... and neither are we?
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
July 31, 2012
Maybe I've never read a book that impacted me so deeply...just a sense of God's amazing love washing over me, freely bestowed to me. Amazing picture of grace. I'm ready to start reading it all over again right away. Being a "doer" always concerned/feeling guilty about what I am or am not doing for God, this book beautifully dealt with letting that go. Highly recommend this book!
April 9, 2013
Ugh, I’m beginning to think all books written by popular Christians pastors and speakers are essentially the same. Take a verse, draw some vague ill informed conclusions from it, then write a chapter about it and repeat this process until you have a book. All the while throwing clever one liners, pop-culture references and a self-help guru tone into the mix.
I mean really this was like a poorly written sermon. It gives the same old pop-Christian culture sayings like; “Christianity isn’t a religion, its a relationship” “its not about what you do but whats been done for you” and the whole “wearing masks” to cover up our brokenness bit. These sayings may be helpful to simplify complex ideas to a younger audience but they seemed to be treated, not as proverbial sayings, but as literal and comprehensive truths. Whats worse, this book treats 2 Corinthians 5 literally as well, affirming that Christ literally became sin, not just sinful, but sin itself on the cross, and that we literally are in Christ, fused to His being and He is literally fused to ours (whatever that means).
There are other issues too. The author obsesses over this idea that we are already righteous and that we just need to let the goodness flow out of us. Sanctification, he says, is only the realization of our righteousness, again he never explains what that means. Sin, then, is not something that must be fixed but is something that must be revealed. This doesn’t even seem biblical, sure, Paul called repentance a gift and confession of sins is clearly important, but thats far from saying that sin isn’t something that is fixed, its just not fixed by our efforts alone. Sin is fixed by God’s grace and strength en filling our lives and allowing us to overcome our sin. Its not like “revealing” our sin is going to somehow make it magically go away, though confessing it is important. One last thing I’ll point out here is that the author makes the classic mistake of defining faith as a sort of passive waiting or as many Christians call it “let go and let God”. Ok look, has this guy read Hebrews 11? From the book I doubt it. Faith isn’t passive its an active response towards a divine calling. Faith is trusting God by going on the journey He has called us to take.
I mean really this was like a poorly written sermon. It gives the same old pop-Christian culture sayings like; “Christianity isn’t a religion, its a relationship” “its not about what you do but whats been done for you” and the whole “wearing masks” to cover up our brokenness bit. These sayings may be helpful to simplify complex ideas to a younger audience but they seemed to be treated, not as proverbial sayings, but as literal and comprehensive truths. Whats worse, this book treats 2 Corinthians 5 literally as well, affirming that Christ literally became sin, not just sinful, but sin itself on the cross, and that we literally are in Christ, fused to His being and He is literally fused to ours (whatever that means).
There are other issues too. The author obsesses over this idea that we are already righteous and that we just need to let the goodness flow out of us. Sanctification, he says, is only the realization of our righteousness, again he never explains what that means. Sin, then, is not something that must be fixed but is something that must be revealed. This doesn’t even seem biblical, sure, Paul called repentance a gift and confession of sins is clearly important, but thats far from saying that sin isn’t something that is fixed, its just not fixed by our efforts alone. Sin is fixed by God’s grace and strength en filling our lives and allowing us to overcome our sin. Its not like “revealing” our sin is going to somehow make it magically go away, though confessing it is important. One last thing I’ll point out here is that the author makes the classic mistake of defining faith as a sort of passive waiting or as many Christians call it “let go and let God”. Ok look, has this guy read Hebrews 11? From the book I doubt it. Faith isn’t passive its an active response towards a divine calling. Faith is trusting God by going on the journey He has called us to take.
January 2, 2013
This book is a life-changer and one I will read over and over again. I am a "doer" and have continually struggled with thinking God's disappointment in my lack of control must overshadow His grace. But this book dispels that lie and releases us to the truth that God longs for a relationship based on love, not our trying to not sin. I'm still soaking in this book but it blew me away!
November 18, 2023
Reading this book was like breathing clean air and coming out of amnesia and remembering who I really am. There's an allegorical story running through the duration of this short book and the quality of writing alone is really good. It emphasizes the love of God, the friendship of God, and the righteousness of God, along with our inability to bring about our own salvation. I don't know about you, but I forget that every single flippin day. I am tempted to immediately start reading this book again. It's been balm to my heart. There are so many good truths and reminders and re-focusers in it.
Second read-through: still really really good. I'm happy that some of the truths in here have settled between my first reading and this one. This reading really highlighted that I still am working on trusting in God's kindness towards me, but I am on that road.
Second read-through: still really really good. I'm happy that some of the truths in here have settled between my first reading and this one. This reading really highlighted that I still am working on trusting in God's kindness towards me, but I am on that road.
October 10, 2013
Read this for a bible study group I belong to. I found it encouraging for about the first chapter and then got increasingly frustrated with it. The basic premise - that God is pleased with us because we have been credited with Jesus' righteousness - was rehashed in various ways in all the other chapters. I found the book very unbalanced - there was no discussion of how we are to live lives worthy of our calling or to perform the good works God has prepared for us to do. Instead we are to reveal ourselves fully to other Christians as it is more important to reveal sin than to deal with it. Indeed there are many references to sin being "resolved", but no explanation of what is meant by this or how it is achieved. The final chapter is all about having influence and achieving humble destinies that turn out to be really admirable. This book made me cross.
January 31, 2022
First Goodreads review🙈🤪
Very thankful for the recommendation to read this book! Portrays God’s view of us and our view of ourselves beautifully through a deep understanding of the Gospel. The authors provide helpful in depth discussion of the various 2-way decisions and mindsets we can face as believers, while also providing concise and more easily remembered summaries. I feel encouraged and refreshed after reading this book, praying to God to give me eyes to see Him as He is and see myself as He sees me!
Very thankful for the recommendation to read this book! Portrays God’s view of us and our view of ourselves beautifully through a deep understanding of the Gospel. The authors provide helpful in depth discussion of the various 2-way decisions and mindsets we can face as believers, while also providing concise and more easily remembered summaries. I feel encouraged and refreshed after reading this book, praying to God to give me eyes to see Him as He is and see myself as He sees me!
December 7, 2012
Every once in awhile you read a book that recalibrates your soul. The Cure uses the Truth of Scripture and masterful allegory to weave a doctrinal message that is so important, so needed. Honestly, this is something that is life changing, but only because so many Christians buy into the lie of living out of shame and performance.
April 4, 2012
Great book. Challenges me to get off the path of trying to please God and get on the path of trusting Him.
June 22, 2012
READ ANYTHING TRUEFACED AUTHORS PUT OUT...seriously...very grace based, taking real life struggles, real life relationships and the real intersection of indviduals making the difference in lives...another good Heartwork book.
April 14, 2014
I rarely read a book that makes me want to immediately pick it up and read it again.
The negatives:
I don't think that the book was impactful as all of the endorsements said it was, and there were some times when I cringed at the potential for some of the theology to be misinterpreted. I would hesitate recommending this book to just anyone. Although the book itself recommends that you buy it even for causal acquaintances. I'm never a huge fan of a book telling me how awesome it is to recommend. There was a push to a whole program of activities, YouTube videos, events, church banners, etc etc etc, but then it says it is not a program. Felt like mixed messages. It also felt very counter intuitive to what the book was supposed to be about. I don't think that spiritual freedom should come with a sales pitch.
The positive;
If you are a believe that has struggled with the concept of religion vs relationship then this is a good place to help give you a shove in the right direction. The book is reader friendly in that it enlists the use of an allegorical style story with built in commentary. There are some concepts in this book that can help push you toward freedom, not through your own efforts, but through better reliance on the person and work of Jesus. I found the book affirmed a lot of what I have learned through my struggles to get to know Jesus as a friend. I know a few people who could use a book like this to help them find their way back on track in their friendship with God. I appreciated the call for honesty and openness. I also really appreciated how the book helped understand the relationship to sin and righteousness.
It is a good book, but I think it is improperly labeled. It is not the cure it is more like proper treatment instead of a bandaid solution.
The negatives:
I don't think that the book was impactful as all of the endorsements said it was, and there were some times when I cringed at the potential for some of the theology to be misinterpreted. I would hesitate recommending this book to just anyone. Although the book itself recommends that you buy it even for causal acquaintances. I'm never a huge fan of a book telling me how awesome it is to recommend. There was a push to a whole program of activities, YouTube videos, events, church banners, etc etc etc, but then it says it is not a program. Felt like mixed messages. It also felt very counter intuitive to what the book was supposed to be about. I don't think that spiritual freedom should come with a sales pitch.
The positive;
If you are a believe that has struggled with the concept of religion vs relationship then this is a good place to help give you a shove in the right direction. The book is reader friendly in that it enlists the use of an allegorical style story with built in commentary. There are some concepts in this book that can help push you toward freedom, not through your own efforts, but through better reliance on the person and work of Jesus. I found the book affirmed a lot of what I have learned through my struggles to get to know Jesus as a friend. I know a few people who could use a book like this to help them find their way back on track in their friendship with God. I appreciated the call for honesty and openness. I also really appreciated how the book helped understand the relationship to sin and righteousness.
It is a good book, but I think it is improperly labeled. It is not the cure it is more like proper treatment instead of a bandaid solution.
March 14, 2019
Honestly, there were parts that grabbed me. There were parts that made me really frustrated.
There seems to be this underlying idea that if we are to grip grace, then we will be completely honest with all those we are doing life with (read: tell everyone in our church every deep, personal thing about us upon first meeting).
Otherwise, we're not healing. We're not healthy. And we're being selfish and unloving because not telling everyone all our stuff is not being honest and not being humble.
That's a giant leap.
I'm pretty sure every person who writes the super-trendy "Relational Living" stuff for the church is a natural extrovert. Here's the thing, my extroverted brothers and sisters, not every Christian on the planet is an extrovert. This idea of communal-living-show-up-everywhere-and-share-all-your-stuff is frankly, to an introvert, exhausting. Seriously exhausting. Introverts don't function that way, and reading about your extroverted church utopia sounds a little bit like hell to the introverted believer. And side note: just because an introvert doesn't feel the need or the desire or the conviction to open up and share all their stuff to everyone they meet for the benefit of doing life together doesn't mean that they're "wearing a mask." Demanding that they live like this isn't actually encouraging grace. It's just demanding your own way.
I love the idea of living in grace. But that means we let our Christian siblings do it too. Even if they're not wired just like us. Jesus does that really well-- lets us live in grace. Maybe let's not add our own version to His.
There seems to be this underlying idea that if we are to grip grace, then we will be completely honest with all those we are doing life with (read: tell everyone in our church every deep, personal thing about us upon first meeting).
Otherwise, we're not healing. We're not healthy. And we're being selfish and unloving because not telling everyone all our stuff is not being honest and not being humble.
That's a giant leap.
I'm pretty sure every person who writes the super-trendy "Relational Living" stuff for the church is a natural extrovert. Here's the thing, my extroverted brothers and sisters, not every Christian on the planet is an extrovert. This idea of communal-living-show-up-everywhere-and-share-all-your-stuff is frankly, to an introvert, exhausting. Seriously exhausting. Introverts don't function that way, and reading about your extroverted church utopia sounds a little bit like hell to the introverted believer. And side note: just because an introvert doesn't feel the need or the desire or the conviction to open up and share all their stuff to everyone they meet for the benefit of doing life together doesn't mean that they're "wearing a mask." Demanding that they live like this isn't actually encouraging grace. It's just demanding your own way.
I love the idea of living in grace. But that means we let our Christian siblings do it too. Even if they're not wired just like us. Jesus does that really well-- lets us live in grace. Maybe let's not add our own version to His.
May 28, 2020
So many good nuggets that keep running through my head! These guys are spot on.
February 5, 2020
Notes:
+ Just because the good news sometimes sounds too good to be true doesn’t mean it’s a lie
+ If you cannot trust, you cannot love
- Humility involves trust; pride is untrusting self-protection and self-reliance
Quotes:
Only by trusting can we truly please God! If our primary motive is pleasing God, we’ll never please Him enough and we’ll never learn trust. Pleasing God is a good desire. It just can’t be our primary motivation, or it’ll imprison our hearts. If all we bring to God is our moral striving, we’re back at the same lie that put us in need of salvation. We’re stuck with our independent talents, longing, and resolve to make it happen. This self-sufficient effort to assuage a distant deity—it nauseates God. When our primary motive becomes trusting God, however, we suddenly discover there is nothing in the world that pleases Him more! Until you trust God, nothing you do will please God. At that point, pleasing God is actually a by-product of trusting God. Pleasing is not a means to our godliness. It’s the fruit of our godliness, for it’s the fruit of trust. Trusting is the foundation of pleasing God. Lacking that basis of trust is like trying to build a house without a foundation.
No one matures in bitterness. No one gets free in isolation. No one heals rehashing the testimonies of bad religion. No one gets to love or be loved well in self-protection.
No one told me that when I wear a mask, only my mask receives love. We can gain admiration and respect from behind a mask. We can even intimidate. But as long as we’re behind a mask, any mask, we will not be able to receive love. Then, in our desperation to be loved, we’ll rush to fashion more masks, hoping the next will give us what we’re longing for: to be known, accepted, trusted and loved.
The motive of a righteous heart is not to get away with anything. The motive of the righteous is to be loved and to love! That’s what we’ve all been wanting for all of history. That’s the freedom Jesus died for. We can now love each other well, because it’s who we really are.
The problem is actually rooted far back when our course was fundamentally altered. The problem is our distorted picture of God. That distortion is a pall over our eyes, keeping light out. That distortion is there because we believe these five things about God: 1.God can’t satisfy me as much as this sin. 2. I’ve always been this way. I don’t believe I’m powerful enough to change that. 3. There is something fundamentally wrong with me. 4. I don’t believe God has been fully good to me. 5. I’m going to feel like a failure anyway, so I might as well enjoy it!
That’s the problem with sin-management. It treats sin lightly, as if I could control it. Grace is not soft on sin. Attempting to manage my sin is.
The extended resistance actually heightens the promised pleasure of my eventual acting out. The longer and more intense the battle, the bigger the payoff when I finally cave.
The power of sin is not when I act out. It’s when I give myself permission.
You can tell another what is going on inside before it happens. And the moment you tell with the motive of giving up control, the cycle can stop. Light shines on the madness, the rationalization, the pain, and the damage—and it can stop. Please read this again.
Once I understand how God sees me and who I am in Him, I can then:
Learn to confess the sin I intend to commit rather than confessing the sin I’ve carried out, with all the consequences it brings. This is living in the light. My identity in Christ allows me to see the truth without having to hide in fear that failure will define me or confirm I’m not enough.
Tell someone in the first moment I recognize my vulnerability. Now, here’s incredible beauty: We can only be loved when another is allowed to meet our needs. God created us with limitations so that we can be loved by others. Instead of pretending we’re “doing fine,” we give others an opportunity to love us. We experience their love as we learn to tell each other we’re vulnerable.
Living in holiness is living with nothing hidden. Then I am clean; I am free; I am healing. We are able to give our lives away when we are no longer preoccupied with failure. This is life indeed.
If my offender repents, I forgive with the goal of restoring the relationship, not just resolving a conflict. I desire his repentance, not to hold it over him, but so we can move on in mutual trust and love. His repentance will not heal my heart. That healing began when I forgave him before God. His repentance will begin to heal our relationship. As I forgive my offender for his sake, it prepares the way for the relationship to be restored.
So a statement like ‘It’s less important that anything gets fixed, but that nothing is hidden’ is an example of living out of our new identity. It’s a realization that sin finds its power when I hide. That nobody gets ‘fixed.’ That we’ve already been changed and now get to mature into who we already are. We’re starting to discover that this new power is released when we trust it—when I’m safe enough to tell the worst about myself to someone else.
Negative influencers will see you as a sinner who needs help becoming a saint. Their goal will be fixing your issues. Positive influencers will see you as a saint who still fails. Their goal will be to foster an environment where nothing stays hidden. Negative influencers will measure your righteousness by how little you sin. Positive influencers are convinced you are righteous, so they’re interested in how you’re receiving and giving love. They know that striving to sin less will not mean you love more, but that living in love will mean you are sinning less.
We’re afraid grace keeps people from taking things seriously, so we discount the power of love worked out in grace through trust. Grace is a gift only the non-religious can accept. They’re the only ones who can understand it and put it to use. “Religious” folk see grace as soft and weak, so they keep trying to manage their junk with willpower and tenacity. Nothing defines religion quite as well as attempting impossible tasks with limited power, all while pretending that it’s working. A healthy friend and protector depends on Christ’s life in you to be enough. That way, they can stop policing your behavior and focus on enjoying life in relationship with you.
Real love is always the process of meeting needs. Any other definition is trite Hallmark sentimentality.
Unresolved sin causes us to define our most innate needs as weaknesses. If we see needs as weaknesses, we’ll hide our limitations and call it self-reliance. Or we’ll pretend we have no needs and call it independence. Or we’ll believe that no one should have to meet our needs and call it strength. Or we’ll arrogantly believe we’ve outgrown our needs as we’ve gotten more “spiritual.” We believe this is maturity, but “I don’t need you” is the language of the wounded heart.
We’re discovering the joy of being with God because we want to, not because we ought to. We’re no longer reading the Word as a book of regulations. We read it as the story of our history, who we are now, and what God has in store for us. We read it as free men and women, an integral part of the ongoing story.
The same scripture can be taught from two different perspectives—from the Room of Good Intentions and from the Room of Grace.
The difference between seeing God “out there” with me striving to become more righteous, and seeing God “in me” already fully righteous, is the difference between man-made religion and God-infused life. This truth brings freedom to the captives!
Your view of you is the greatest commentary on your view of God.
The power of sin is broken in coming out of hiding.
What if there was a place so safe that the worst of me could be known and I’d discover that I would not be loved less but actually loved more in the telling of it?
February 9, 2022
In Systematic Theology last semester, my professor talked about how salvation is not just a legal status but an ontological change—when we are saved, we are not only no longer in debt to God or imprisoned by sin but we are no longer the same kind of person, the same kind of being. We are new. Somehow, even after years of hearing this, I haven't actually grappled with what that means. I still think that deep down, at the core of who I am is a dark and dirty sinner. But that is just not true. Were you to strip away all my outer layers and find the essence of Aberdeen, you would find a child of Light, radiant and pure, no matter how much my residual sin nature can obscure that.
This book, although I'm not sure I agree with all of its theology, does a marvelous job working out what this looks like in our lives—and what it looks like when we don't believe it. Sometimes the writing was cheesy, but at the same time the analogies did illustrate what it is we are really doing we try to perform for God, make ourselves good Christians, and treat our faith like a moral improvement project. (I'm looking forward to exploring with Dallas Willard has to say on that topic later in this semester.)
Sometimes the idea that "nothing we do will make us more righteous than we already are" troubles me because of course the Bible also calls us to increase in holiness. Yet I am coming to realize that there's a difference between behavior and being. What this book argues is that your behavior actually won't improve until you realize who you already are—a righteous saint. Then from the assurance of that new identity, empowered by the Spirit, you desire God more and are conformed more to his likeness. A good follow-up to this book would be some exploration of spiritual disciplines and other habits that help us grasp our new identity.
The last chapter about freedom when we are vulnerable and confess our sins to each other was especially meaningful to me. I read it literally a few hours after a friend pointed out some areas of growth she saw in my life, and I can attest to what the authors say: as scary as it might sound, there really is so much freedom in no longer hiding.
People in the Room of Good Intentions...are too busy trying to change into who they think God wants them to become, too preoccupied assuaging shame, proving rightness, and polishing worthiness. Every moment of such madness, no matter how slick, keeps them self-centered, immature, and unavailable to others.
...
We who dwell in the Room of Grace have come to believe we are who God says we are. We're not trying to change into someone else. We're not trying to eventually arrive at some higher level. God has formed us exactly the way he wanted, and we've come to believe it. We mature into who we already are, much like a caterpillar matures into a butterfly.
~
When are worldview shifts to enjoying Him rather than focusing on not sinning, we mature.
This book, although I'm not sure I agree with all of its theology, does a marvelous job working out what this looks like in our lives—and what it looks like when we don't believe it. Sometimes the writing was cheesy, but at the same time the analogies did illustrate what it is we are really doing we try to perform for God, make ourselves good Christians, and treat our faith like a moral improvement project. (I'm looking forward to exploring with Dallas Willard has to say on that topic later in this semester.)
Sometimes the idea that "nothing we do will make us more righteous than we already are" troubles me because of course the Bible also calls us to increase in holiness. Yet I am coming to realize that there's a difference between behavior and being. What this book argues is that your behavior actually won't improve until you realize who you already are—a righteous saint. Then from the assurance of that new identity, empowered by the Spirit, you desire God more and are conformed more to his likeness. A good follow-up to this book would be some exploration of spiritual disciplines and other habits that help us grasp our new identity.
The last chapter about freedom when we are vulnerable and confess our sins to each other was especially meaningful to me. I read it literally a few hours after a friend pointed out some areas of growth she saw in my life, and I can attest to what the authors say: as scary as it might sound, there really is so much freedom in no longer hiding.
People in the Room of Good Intentions...are too busy trying to change into who they think God wants them to become, too preoccupied assuaging shame, proving rightness, and polishing worthiness. Every moment of such madness, no matter how slick, keeps them self-centered, immature, and unavailable to others.
...
We who dwell in the Room of Grace have come to believe we are who God says we are. We're not trying to change into someone else. We're not trying to eventually arrive at some higher level. God has formed us exactly the way he wanted, and we've come to believe it. We mature into who we already are, much like a caterpillar matures into a butterfly.
~
When are worldview shifts to enjoying Him rather than focusing on not sinning, we mature.
January 21, 2025
FIVE STARS! Everyone should read this book asap. Wowed. It really challenges how subtly legalism slips into our faith. How we break the cycle of sin. How we deal with hurt from Christian’s. ALL while drawing a beautiful metaphorical picture to illustrate the points. Does the metaphor get stretched a bit? Yes and I was slightly tired of the writing style by the end but it doesn’t make it any less worthy of five stars because it is just so important. Jesus would love this book I think.
July 25, 2024
Content wise, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The first couple of chapters were especially helpful with evaluating my view of God. “Your view of you, is your greatest commentary on your view of God”
However in the first chapter he talked about how we shouldn’t strive to please God, but rather should trust God and pleasing Him will come naturally from that. While it’s true that we will naturally produce fruit from our faith, 1 Cor. 5:9 says, “whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please God.” We are going to be judged for our actions and motives one day (v.10) and verse nine seems to clearly tell us where our efforts should be directed.
My guess is that the author is trying to emphasize faith over works and I just don’t like the way he said it. There was also a few times that the author seemed to be leaning towards the prosperity gospel. I honestly could’ve have been misunderstanding because the analogy he used throughout the book was pretty confusing (and felt unnecessary) and made it hard to tell what he was saying.
There was definitely parts of this book that were really good, but I recommend reading it with discernment (as obviously you should with every book haha )
However in the first chapter he talked about how we shouldn’t strive to please God, but rather should trust God and pleasing Him will come naturally from that. While it’s true that we will naturally produce fruit from our faith, 1 Cor. 5:9 says, “whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please God.” We are going to be judged for our actions and motives one day (v.10) and verse nine seems to clearly tell us where our efforts should be directed.
My guess is that the author is trying to emphasize faith over works and I just don’t like the way he said it. There was also a few times that the author seemed to be leaning towards the prosperity gospel. I honestly could’ve have been misunderstanding because the analogy he used throughout the book was pretty confusing (and felt unnecessary) and made it hard to tell what he was saying.
There was definitely parts of this book that were really good, but I recommend reading it with discernment (as obviously you should with every book haha )
August 25, 2018
The Cure is a dangerous book. It takes a group of Christians, those struggling with doubts about God's love, and paints the picture as if the entire Christian Church is in this position. The issue seems to be that the author assumes there only two roads, trying to please God and trusting God. The authors start with the idea that these are mutually exclusive and then build the case based on this false dichotomy. To make their case, which has a kernel of truth, they ignore key passages of scripture, passages where Paul confronts specific people for specific sins, or where instruction is given, or where the Bible talks about pleasing God, just to name a few. There are no mentions of passages that could contradict the message of the authors, and there are not many passage even supporting their conclusions.
In the Christian life is easy to be swayed by ideas of our day and I believe that if an author is going to convince me to change the views that I have develop by reading Scripture they have to ground their work properly in the unchanging Word of God. Otherwise we should not be compelled to change. It might very well be that the authors are full of compassion for people hurting by legalism and some church talk, but I believe they have found another not biblical solution to the issue. I suggest whoever reads this book does so with a Bible in hand, praying to be lead by God and not men.
In the Christian life is easy to be swayed by ideas of our day and I believe that if an author is going to convince me to change the views that I have develop by reading Scripture they have to ground their work properly in the unchanging Word of God. Otherwise we should not be compelled to change. It might very well be that the authors are full of compassion for people hurting by legalism and some church talk, but I believe they have found another not biblical solution to the issue. I suggest whoever reads this book does so with a Bible in hand, praying to be lead by God and not men.
February 29, 2016
Unhelpful, sloppy and filled with false dichotomies (e.g., please God or trust God; be transparent or "fix" sin). Poorly written and in need of a good editor. I thought the authors were dangerously (though perhaps not deliberately) squishy on the difference between justification and sanctification, on our responsibility to put sin to death, and on other topics.
June 5, 2020
The first time I tried to read this I stopped after the first couple of chapters as I was not prepared for the analogy. The second time I picked this book up, the analogy was exactly what I needed. Like most books of this sort, I think it needs a second read to truly appreciate the depths and insight provided. I did however come away with some life shaking truths in this first reading.
February 25, 2014
The first few chapters of the book were very inspiring. However, after chapter four I felt like the author had no sense of direction and was writing just to write. If I could give two ratings the first half of the book would be four stars, the last half would be two stars.
January 20, 2018
The Cure... is one of the best books I have ever read. I just finished it and will be processing it for many days to come. Unbelievable.
April 18, 2024
At best, The Cure is a well meaning but sloppy piece of allegory and encouragement. At worst, it’s an illogical, imbalanced, and possibly antinomian attempt to make you feel good at all costs. This is going to seem like a harsh review, but considering its title, I think the authors should be open to scrutiny. The Cure: What if God isn’t who you think He is and neither are you is a pretty boastful title. This book thinks it may have a cure for your problems. It thinks you may misunderstand God and yourself. Those are bold suggestions, but being bold is not the the same as being right.
First, let me say some good things about this book. I believe it is well meaning. I believe it is earnestly trying to address some real problems. The authors want to help people who are stuck in guilt and are discouraged at the slowness of their sanctification. The authors want you to know that God loves you, that His grace is enough, and that you should trust Him. I think I understand why some people(particularly those from legalistic backgrounds) find this good encouraging. Many times this book will say something like “X is bad, but Y is good”. I almost always agree with the “Y is good” part. The “X is bad” part is often where things fall apart for me.
The most common fallacy in this book are false dichotomies. They run rampant. The authors want to encourage one thing, but often do that at the expense of something else. That something else often isn’t actually bad(in my opinion). They overplay their hand and exaggerate without Biblical warrant.
The other big issue is that the book is trying to solve a problem in a new novel way that we don’t need. Christians have long struggled with legalism. We’ve long struggled to trust that we are saved by grace through faith ALONE. Internally, we want to work and earn our salvation. This is a real problem. This book’s solution is to downplay works, discipline, and self control at every turn. Sometimes it’s right, and sometimes is too close to antinomianism for me. The thing is, we don’t need this book because we already have theological categories for this problem. It’s the Law/Gospel Distinction. We don’t need to cast aside the pursuit of obedience, we just need to put it in its place. We are saved 100% by the grace of God, and we are now free to obey God as His children. We don’t obey because we fear being cast out. We obey as an act of love and worship to Him. This good news is hard for us to believe, but it is not that complicated. Obedience is good.
I’m now going to walk through some of the more egregious quotes in this book.
Chapter 1, Two Roads
“ I move over to the Pleasing God sign, pointing down the path to the left. This has to be it! After all He's done for me, the very least I can do is please Him. Pg3“
The narrative pits pleasing God against trusting God. I certainly understand why some of the attempts to please God laid out in this story are bad. I’m not convinced, however, that it is necessarily wrong to try to please God. (Col 3:20, 1 Thess 2:4, 2 Cor 5:9, 1 John 3:22, etc) This brings us to our first false dichotomy.
“ When we strive to sin less, we don’t. Pg7“
The footnotes for this section try to argue for this based on Romans 7. I think Romans 7 is about how we will always have to deal with sin in this life. Despite the feeling of futility we may have when fighting sin, I don’t think Romans 7 should be used to justify not pursuing holiness. (Phil 1:27)
I think this is the first time we see “strive” used as a negative word. See my notes below on pg74 and pg86 for more on this.
“ Pleasing God is a good desire. It just can't be our primary motivation, or it'll imprison our hearts. If all we bring to God is our moral striving, we're back at the same lie that put us in need of salvation. Pg10”
Very true. I think this is a good bit of nuance, I just wish the rest of the book was more like this. I think this quote undermines the whole setup of this chapter. Striving to please God is good, so long as it is done in trust(faith). The false dichotomy is unnecessary.
Chapter 2, Two Faces
“Believers in Christ additionally are tempted to wear a mask when:
…We think God cares more about right behaviors than our trust and dependence. Pg18”
Does God “care more” about faith than sin? I suppose. Again, I believe we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. However, I’m not sure if we should be pitting these two against each other as if one is clearly much more important.(false dichotomy again?) God cares about sin. Jesus had to die to take the punishment for it. That’s no little thing.
“ We may even be fueled by a sincere desire to make God look good by having our act together. He has no need for such help, but we think it's our duty. Pg28”
Sure, he doesn’t need such help. But does He command it?
“You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Rom 2:23-24
We exist to glorify God. One way we do this by living as he commanded. And one reason for this so that the world would see Him and his goodness trough us. We ought not bring reproach upon his name because of our hypocrisies. We aren’t saved by doing this, but it is a duty of ours.
Chapter 3, Two Gods
“ "The goal is not to change me. I'm already changed. The goal Is to mature. Pg33”
Maturing is a type of change. It seems like the writers are trying to be cute. These word games will cause issues as we go on.
“ OKAY. SO, HOW DO WE KNOW WHETHER OUR RELATIONSHIP IS WITH THE GOD WE SEE THROUGH OUR SHAME OR THE GOD WHO REALLY IS?
Well, probably I’d have to ask what shame looks like in a relationship:
…Am I drawn to severe authors and preachers who challenge me to "get serious about sin" or those who encourage me to trust this new identity in me?
…Is my hard effort being spent preoccupied with sin or in expressing and receiving love from others?
Do I trust disciplines to make me strong or grace to strengthen me?
Do I believe that God is not interested in changing me because He already has?
Do I read the Bible as "You ought. You should. Why can't you? When will you?" or as "You can. This is who you now are”? Pg38-39“
Oh boy this is a steaming pile of false dichotomies. These pages might be the most frustrating of the whole book. Let’s tackle some of these.
Am I drawn to preachers that challenge sin or encourage me to trust the gospel? Yes. If a preacher can’t do both then I’m not interested in them.
Am I preoccupied with sin or love? Yes. I can’t love people well who I am sinning against. See more thoughts in notes for pg74.
Do I trust disciplines or grace? What if God gives me disciplines as a means of grace? What if that is a tool He encourages us to use to make us strong? What if the Spirit can work through our disciplines?
Does God want to change us? If sanctification is change, then obviously yes. The book is right to say that we have been changed into a new creature(pg35), but I think it misses some already/not-yet theology. We are changed(2 Cor 5:17), and still being changed(Phil 2:12-13), and will finally be changed in the resurrection(1 Cor 15:51-52).
Do I read the Bible as saying what it says? Yes. The Bible has law and gospel. Read all of it.
Chapter 4, Two Solutions
This chapter is fine. Nothing to note.
Chapter 5, Two Healings
This chapter is actually pretty good, but it has one confusing part.
“ If I say, “I’m not going to forgive until he repents,” I end up in resentment. In my unwillingness to forgive before God, I become the issue. Pg64”
3 paragraphs later…
“ To declare “I forgive you” before a person has the opportunity to repent robs the offender of the opportunity for his own life-freeing repentance. “
I think the book is trying to say that you should tell God you forgive the person quickly, but don’t tell that person you forgive them until they repent. I’m not sure what I think of this idea. I do feel like the idea is poorly expressed though.
Chapter 6, Two Friends
“ "I said, What if it was less important that anything ever gets fixed than that nothing ever has to be hidden?'
That's it!" I blurt out. "Those words describe what I haven’t been able to say. That's it Nobody's trying to to fix me here?” Pg70“
The authors seem to want to make “fix” a bad word. I don’t know why it would always be bad for friends to help friends fix things in their life. This thought seem assumed but never biblically justified.
“ The Bible calls it 'the flesh.’ It's not your skin, muscle, or anything physical, but a living, active principle inside you, working against you. It has no power to do right. But we appeal to it over and over and over again. Pg71“
The flesh is not anything physical? Anything at all? The foot notes for this section reference Romans 7. I don’t see anything in Romans 7 that justifies this statement. You can say that the flesh is not merely physical. But the authors seem to go for exaggeration over accuracy.
“ Negative influencers will measure your righteousness by how little you sin.
Positive influencers are convinced you are righteous, so they're interested in how you're receiving and giving love. They know that striving to sin less will not mean you love more, but that living in love will mean you are sinning less. Pg74“
This seems nonsensical. First, the writers want you to see “striving” as a bad word, like “fix” before, and I’m not sure why. Paul seems to see striving as as good (1 Cor 14:12, Phil 1:27, 1 Tim 4:10 ESV). Second, how does one love? Jesus said to love Him you should keep His commandments (John 14:14). Logically, in order to love neighbor we should keep God’s commandments regarding fellow man.(like the 2nd table of the law) Thus, we should not sin against them. We should “strive for peace with everyone”(Heb 12:14). The writers seem to emphasize love as an internal feeling over an external action. This thinking feels very influenced by modern understandings of love. All of this certainly doesn’t mean that our emotions, motives, and heart don’t matter. Our hearts and hands both need sanctification. I don’t think we should assume that it does no good for our hands to sanctify before our hearts. For anyone struggling with this point, I would highly recommend C.S. Lewis’ Let’s Pretend chapter in Mere Christianity. Lewis: “When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed you will be really feeling friendlier than you were. Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already. That is why children's games are so important. They are always pretending to be grown-ups; playing soldiers, playing shop. But all the time, they are hardening their muscles and sharpening their wits, so that the pretence of being grown-up helps them to grow up in earnest.” My point is that sanctification doesn’t always work inside out. We shouldn’t assume that God has limited means to change us. He can use external forces. He can use habits and discipline. He can use our flawed motives. Consider self control. If our desires were perfectly loving then we wouldn’t need self control. Yet God knows we will have conflicting desires as long as we are living this life. He wants us to stare at our sinful desires and say no. He gives us the Spiritual power to do so. The Spirit enables us not to sin, and to love. These need not be pitted against each other.
“ Fixing sin is like trying to fix a crimped Sinky…Compromised coiled metal doesn't straighten out by external pressure, and neither does sin. Pg75“
Again, this feels like an careless overstatement. Sin cannot be addressed merely by external pressure. But to suggest that external pressure has no good effect is unfounded.
“ "Religious" folk see grace as soft and weak, so they keep trying to manage their junk with willpower and tenacity. Nothing defines religion quite as well as attempting impossible tasks with limited power, all while pretending that it’s working. Pg75“
The authors seem to like the “Christianity isn’t a religion” cliche. Personally I find this annoying, but that’s not a big deal. I see a bigger problem here though. We Christians are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit empowers us and enables the impossible. It’s certainly possible that our “willpower and tenacity” may be something that Spirit uses to strengthen us. Spirit can use many different means to change us.
Chapter 7, Two Destinies
“ When our worldview shifts to enjoying Him rather than focusing on not sinning, we mature. Pg85“
Again, a false dichotomy. We should absolutely enjoy God! I’m with John Piper here: “The chief end of man is glorify God by enjoying Him forever”. One of the ways we enjoy God is by realizing that His ways are the best ways to live life. We enjoy him by trusting and obeying him.
“ Jesus taught us our effort will focus not on sinning less, but on loving others. We can strive to sin less, but not love more. Pg86“
I already addressed a similar statement from page 74. This is another false dichotomy. And I don’t know why, with the Spirit’s help, we can’t strive to love more. Also, apparently “effort” is a good thing we do, but “strive” is not? This distinction feels arbitrary. These are frustrating word games.
“ Jesus did not strive to become better. Pg87“
Okay this is my last note, but it might be the most maddening. This is a true statement. I’ll give the authors that. It’s also egregiously used as an argument for the rest of us not to strive. Seriously? Jesus could not be better! He was sinless and perfect. In this life, we are not. This line was embarrassing to read.
First, let me say some good things about this book. I believe it is well meaning. I believe it is earnestly trying to address some real problems. The authors want to help people who are stuck in guilt and are discouraged at the slowness of their sanctification. The authors want you to know that God loves you, that His grace is enough, and that you should trust Him. I think I understand why some people(particularly those from legalistic backgrounds) find this good encouraging. Many times this book will say something like “X is bad, but Y is good”. I almost always agree with the “Y is good” part. The “X is bad” part is often where things fall apart for me.
The most common fallacy in this book are false dichotomies. They run rampant. The authors want to encourage one thing, but often do that at the expense of something else. That something else often isn’t actually bad(in my opinion). They overplay their hand and exaggerate without Biblical warrant.
The other big issue is that the book is trying to solve a problem in a new novel way that we don’t need. Christians have long struggled with legalism. We’ve long struggled to trust that we are saved by grace through faith ALONE. Internally, we want to work and earn our salvation. This is a real problem. This book’s solution is to downplay works, discipline, and self control at every turn. Sometimes it’s right, and sometimes is too close to antinomianism for me. The thing is, we don’t need this book because we already have theological categories for this problem. It’s the Law/Gospel Distinction. We don’t need to cast aside the pursuit of obedience, we just need to put it in its place. We are saved 100% by the grace of God, and we are now free to obey God as His children. We don’t obey because we fear being cast out. We obey as an act of love and worship to Him. This good news is hard for us to believe, but it is not that complicated. Obedience is good.
I’m now going to walk through some of the more egregious quotes in this book.
Chapter 1, Two Roads
“ I move over to the Pleasing God sign, pointing down the path to the left. This has to be it! After all He's done for me, the very least I can do is please Him. Pg3“
The narrative pits pleasing God against trusting God. I certainly understand why some of the attempts to please God laid out in this story are bad. I’m not convinced, however, that it is necessarily wrong to try to please God. (Col 3:20, 1 Thess 2:4, 2 Cor 5:9, 1 John 3:22, etc) This brings us to our first false dichotomy.
“ When we strive to sin less, we don’t. Pg7“
The footnotes for this section try to argue for this based on Romans 7. I think Romans 7 is about how we will always have to deal with sin in this life. Despite the feeling of futility we may have when fighting sin, I don’t think Romans 7 should be used to justify not pursuing holiness. (Phil 1:27)
I think this is the first time we see “strive” used as a negative word. See my notes below on pg74 and pg86 for more on this.
“ Pleasing God is a good desire. It just can't be our primary motivation, or it'll imprison our hearts. If all we bring to God is our moral striving, we're back at the same lie that put us in need of salvation. Pg10”
Very true. I think this is a good bit of nuance, I just wish the rest of the book was more like this. I think this quote undermines the whole setup of this chapter. Striving to please God is good, so long as it is done in trust(faith). The false dichotomy is unnecessary.
Chapter 2, Two Faces
“Believers in Christ additionally are tempted to wear a mask when:
…We think God cares more about right behaviors than our trust and dependence. Pg18”
Does God “care more” about faith than sin? I suppose. Again, I believe we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. However, I’m not sure if we should be pitting these two against each other as if one is clearly much more important.(false dichotomy again?) God cares about sin. Jesus had to die to take the punishment for it. That’s no little thing.
“ We may even be fueled by a sincere desire to make God look good by having our act together. He has no need for such help, but we think it's our duty. Pg28”
Sure, he doesn’t need such help. But does He command it?
“You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Rom 2:23-24
We exist to glorify God. One way we do this by living as he commanded. And one reason for this so that the world would see Him and his goodness trough us. We ought not bring reproach upon his name because of our hypocrisies. We aren’t saved by doing this, but it is a duty of ours.
Chapter 3, Two Gods
“ "The goal is not to change me. I'm already changed. The goal Is to mature. Pg33”
Maturing is a type of change. It seems like the writers are trying to be cute. These word games will cause issues as we go on.
“ OKAY. SO, HOW DO WE KNOW WHETHER OUR RELATIONSHIP IS WITH THE GOD WE SEE THROUGH OUR SHAME OR THE GOD WHO REALLY IS?
Well, probably I’d have to ask what shame looks like in a relationship:
…Am I drawn to severe authors and preachers who challenge me to "get serious about sin" or those who encourage me to trust this new identity in me?
…Is my hard effort being spent preoccupied with sin or in expressing and receiving love from others?
Do I trust disciplines to make me strong or grace to strengthen me?
Do I believe that God is not interested in changing me because He already has?
Do I read the Bible as "You ought. You should. Why can't you? When will you?" or as "You can. This is who you now are”? Pg38-39“
Oh boy this is a steaming pile of false dichotomies. These pages might be the most frustrating of the whole book. Let’s tackle some of these.
Am I drawn to preachers that challenge sin or encourage me to trust the gospel? Yes. If a preacher can’t do both then I’m not interested in them.
Am I preoccupied with sin or love? Yes. I can’t love people well who I am sinning against. See more thoughts in notes for pg74.
Do I trust disciplines or grace? What if God gives me disciplines as a means of grace? What if that is a tool He encourages us to use to make us strong? What if the Spirit can work through our disciplines?
Does God want to change us? If sanctification is change, then obviously yes. The book is right to say that we have been changed into a new creature(pg35), but I think it misses some already/not-yet theology. We are changed(2 Cor 5:17), and still being changed(Phil 2:12-13), and will finally be changed in the resurrection(1 Cor 15:51-52).
Do I read the Bible as saying what it says? Yes. The Bible has law and gospel. Read all of it.
Chapter 4, Two Solutions
This chapter is fine. Nothing to note.
Chapter 5, Two Healings
This chapter is actually pretty good, but it has one confusing part.
“ If I say, “I’m not going to forgive until he repents,” I end up in resentment. In my unwillingness to forgive before God, I become the issue. Pg64”
3 paragraphs later…
“ To declare “I forgive you” before a person has the opportunity to repent robs the offender of the opportunity for his own life-freeing repentance. “
I think the book is trying to say that you should tell God you forgive the person quickly, but don’t tell that person you forgive them until they repent. I’m not sure what I think of this idea. I do feel like the idea is poorly expressed though.
Chapter 6, Two Friends
“ "I said, What if it was less important that anything ever gets fixed than that nothing ever has to be hidden?'
That's it!" I blurt out. "Those words describe what I haven’t been able to say. That's it Nobody's trying to to fix me here?” Pg70“
The authors seem to want to make “fix” a bad word. I don’t know why it would always be bad for friends to help friends fix things in their life. This thought seem assumed but never biblically justified.
“ The Bible calls it 'the flesh.’ It's not your skin, muscle, or anything physical, but a living, active principle inside you, working against you. It has no power to do right. But we appeal to it over and over and over again. Pg71“
The flesh is not anything physical? Anything at all? The foot notes for this section reference Romans 7. I don’t see anything in Romans 7 that justifies this statement. You can say that the flesh is not merely physical. But the authors seem to go for exaggeration over accuracy.
“ Negative influencers will measure your righteousness by how little you sin.
Positive influencers are convinced you are righteous, so they're interested in how you're receiving and giving love. They know that striving to sin less will not mean you love more, but that living in love will mean you are sinning less. Pg74“
This seems nonsensical. First, the writers want you to see “striving” as a bad word, like “fix” before, and I’m not sure why. Paul seems to see striving as as good (1 Cor 14:12, Phil 1:27, 1 Tim 4:10 ESV). Second, how does one love? Jesus said to love Him you should keep His commandments (John 14:14). Logically, in order to love neighbor we should keep God’s commandments regarding fellow man.(like the 2nd table of the law) Thus, we should not sin against them. We should “strive for peace with everyone”(Heb 12:14). The writers seem to emphasize love as an internal feeling over an external action. This thinking feels very influenced by modern understandings of love. All of this certainly doesn’t mean that our emotions, motives, and heart don’t matter. Our hearts and hands both need sanctification. I don’t think we should assume that it does no good for our hands to sanctify before our hearts. For anyone struggling with this point, I would highly recommend C.S. Lewis’ Let’s Pretend chapter in Mere Christianity. Lewis: “When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed you will be really feeling friendlier than you were. Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already. That is why children's games are so important. They are always pretending to be grown-ups; playing soldiers, playing shop. But all the time, they are hardening their muscles and sharpening their wits, so that the pretence of being grown-up helps them to grow up in earnest.” My point is that sanctification doesn’t always work inside out. We shouldn’t assume that God has limited means to change us. He can use external forces. He can use habits and discipline. He can use our flawed motives. Consider self control. If our desires were perfectly loving then we wouldn’t need self control. Yet God knows we will have conflicting desires as long as we are living this life. He wants us to stare at our sinful desires and say no. He gives us the Spiritual power to do so. The Spirit enables us not to sin, and to love. These need not be pitted against each other.
“ Fixing sin is like trying to fix a crimped Sinky…Compromised coiled metal doesn't straighten out by external pressure, and neither does sin. Pg75“
Again, this feels like an careless overstatement. Sin cannot be addressed merely by external pressure. But to suggest that external pressure has no good effect is unfounded.
“ "Religious" folk see grace as soft and weak, so they keep trying to manage their junk with willpower and tenacity. Nothing defines religion quite as well as attempting impossible tasks with limited power, all while pretending that it’s working. Pg75“
The authors seem to like the “Christianity isn’t a religion” cliche. Personally I find this annoying, but that’s not a big deal. I see a bigger problem here though. We Christians are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit empowers us and enables the impossible. It’s certainly possible that our “willpower and tenacity” may be something that Spirit uses to strengthen us. Spirit can use many different means to change us.
Chapter 7, Two Destinies
“ When our worldview shifts to enjoying Him rather than focusing on not sinning, we mature. Pg85“
Again, a false dichotomy. We should absolutely enjoy God! I’m with John Piper here: “The chief end of man is glorify God by enjoying Him forever”. One of the ways we enjoy God is by realizing that His ways are the best ways to live life. We enjoy him by trusting and obeying him.
“ Jesus taught us our effort will focus not on sinning less, but on loving others. We can strive to sin less, but not love more. Pg86“
I already addressed a similar statement from page 74. This is another false dichotomy. And I don’t know why, with the Spirit’s help, we can’t strive to love more. Also, apparently “effort” is a good thing we do, but “strive” is not? This distinction feels arbitrary. These are frustrating word games.
“ Jesus did not strive to become better. Pg87“
Okay this is my last note, but it might be the most maddening. This is a true statement. I’ll give the authors that. It’s also egregiously used as an argument for the rest of us not to strive. Seriously? Jesus could not be better! He was sinless and perfect. In this life, we are not. This line was embarrassing to read.
January 12, 2021
Chapter 1.
Two Roads
This describes someone’s spiritual journey starting at a crossroads - choosing between a path “Pleasing God” or “Trusting God”
The pleasing God path is well worn and leads to “The Room of Good Intentions” where people wear masks, and strive after living a good life.
Self Effort is above the door
The overhead banner reads “Working on my sin to achieve an intimate relationship with God”
The trusting God path is less traveled and leads to “The Room of Grace” where you can freely admit how you are feeling and doing and realize that Jesus is standing with you, helping you as you face your sin.
Humility is above the door.
The overhead banner reads “Standing with God, my sin in front of us, working in it together.”
Chapter Two:
Two Faces
We all wear masks.
3 groups of people wearing masks:
Those trying to convince others they’re doing “just fine”
Those still searching for the next “new” technique
Those wearing the pedigreed mask
When we sin, our automatic response is guilt.
When someone sins against us, our automatic response is hurt.
What if there was a place so safe that the worst of me could be known, and I would discover that I would not be loved less but more in the telling of it?
Chapter 3.
Two Gods
There are two gods: the one we see through our shame, and the One who actually is.
Your view of you is the greatest commentary on your view of God.
Chapter 4.
Two Solutions
Describes the control cycle and our propensity to sin and justify it.
The control cycle can be broken when we choose to tell someone about it.
Chapter 5.
Two Healings
What if repentance wasn’t a promise from you to God but a gift from God to you?
Here’s what happens when you’re hurt:
You become preoccupied with the event.
You become a prosecuting attorney, consistently building your case.
You become obsessed with justice and accuracy.
You become unable to love well, neglecting the needs of others.
You become unable to see from any other vantage point but your own.
You become more and more uptight and your joy is being robbed.
You become progressively more unhealthy.
You become intent on telling “your side of things” to as many as possible.
You become unable to interpret history accurately.
You gradually alienate yourself from all unwilling to carry your banner.
You become willing to question God’s motives, intentions and care.
Repentance is different than remorse. The intention not to sin is not the same as the power not to sin.
This is the order of forgiveness:
I have to admit something happened.
I must get in touch with the consequences of my act done against me.
I must tell God what happened to me.
I must forgive the offender, for my benefit.
I tell the offender I’ve forgiven him when he repents, for his sake.
I must distinguish between forgiving and trusting my offender.
I must seek reconciliation, not just conflict resolution.
Chapter 6.
Two Friends
What if it was less important that anything ever gets fixed than that nothing has to be hidden?
The entirety of your life in Christ is about learning to receive love.
In God's eyes, receiving love always comes before giving love.
Chapter 7.
Two Destinies
It's God telling you, "I didn't forget. I made you for this—for the unique influence you have on others. You, my wandering friend, are right on time."
Two Roads
This describes someone’s spiritual journey starting at a crossroads - choosing between a path “Pleasing God” or “Trusting God”
The pleasing God path is well worn and leads to “The Room of Good Intentions” where people wear masks, and strive after living a good life.
Self Effort is above the door
The overhead banner reads “Working on my sin to achieve an intimate relationship with God”
The trusting God path is less traveled and leads to “The Room of Grace” where you can freely admit how you are feeling and doing and realize that Jesus is standing with you, helping you as you face your sin.
Humility is above the door.
The overhead banner reads “Standing with God, my sin in front of us, working in it together.”
Chapter Two:
Two Faces
We all wear masks.
3 groups of people wearing masks:
Those trying to convince others they’re doing “just fine”
Those still searching for the next “new” technique
Those wearing the pedigreed mask
When we sin, our automatic response is guilt.
When someone sins against us, our automatic response is hurt.
What if there was a place so safe that the worst of me could be known, and I would discover that I would not be loved less but more in the telling of it?
Chapter 3.
Two Gods
There are two gods: the one we see through our shame, and the One who actually is.
Your view of you is the greatest commentary on your view of God.
Chapter 4.
Two Solutions
Describes the control cycle and our propensity to sin and justify it.
The control cycle can be broken when we choose to tell someone about it.
Chapter 5.
Two Healings
What if repentance wasn’t a promise from you to God but a gift from God to you?
Here’s what happens when you’re hurt:
You become preoccupied with the event.
You become a prosecuting attorney, consistently building your case.
You become obsessed with justice and accuracy.
You become unable to love well, neglecting the needs of others.
You become unable to see from any other vantage point but your own.
You become more and more uptight and your joy is being robbed.
You become progressively more unhealthy.
You become intent on telling “your side of things” to as many as possible.
You become unable to interpret history accurately.
You gradually alienate yourself from all unwilling to carry your banner.
You become willing to question God’s motives, intentions and care.
Repentance is different than remorse. The intention not to sin is not the same as the power not to sin.
This is the order of forgiveness:
I have to admit something happened.
I must get in touch with the consequences of my act done against me.
I must tell God what happened to me.
I must forgive the offender, for my benefit.
I tell the offender I’ve forgiven him when he repents, for his sake.
I must distinguish between forgiving and trusting my offender.
I must seek reconciliation, not just conflict resolution.
Chapter 6.
Two Friends
What if it was less important that anything ever gets fixed than that nothing has to be hidden?
The entirety of your life in Christ is about learning to receive love.
In God's eyes, receiving love always comes before giving love.
Chapter 7.
Two Destinies
It's God telling you, "I didn't forget. I made you for this—for the unique influence you have on others. You, my wandering friend, are right on time."
January 19, 2014
Authenticity. Vulnerability. Safe. Protected. Intimate. Trusting. Freedom. Joy.
These are words to describe a life in grace, in Christ alone. No more hiding, no more masks, no more pretending. Lynch and Thrall clearly and humbly communicate how transforming of a reality the "Christ in you" message truly is for all those seeking "more" in their Christian walk, as well as in healing from the griefs and wounds of life and relationships and damaging religious molds. The healing and maturity in our lives take place when we come to learn and to embrace Who God really is and how He truly sees us, that He truly adores us even "on our worst day." These truths are what nourish and hold a thriving, genuine community of Christians, who are learning to mature and grown even in the midst of the messiness of our human flesh. Knowing the character of our God through Jesus Christ and knowing (and getting to live out) our identity of who He says we are through Christ. You won't find a message advocating formulas, self-reliance, or sin management techniques in this book. It is raw, real, yet soaked in the powerful life of the Holy Spirit completing the work He began in us through Jesus Christ. These are truths we will need to return to time and again. This isn't something I will ever outgrow and will always require gentle reminders of. Having personally experienced a taste of this grace-centered community at Open Door Fellowship church (where Lynch preaches), I can honestly say this kind of bold living is real. It's not a fairy-tale. It's life in Christ. And He, the living Person of Grace is the cure for our broken, dysfunctional, empty, and messy lives.
These are words to describe a life in grace, in Christ alone. No more hiding, no more masks, no more pretending. Lynch and Thrall clearly and humbly communicate how transforming of a reality the "Christ in you" message truly is for all those seeking "more" in their Christian walk, as well as in healing from the griefs and wounds of life and relationships and damaging religious molds. The healing and maturity in our lives take place when we come to learn and to embrace Who God really is and how He truly sees us, that He truly adores us even "on our worst day." These truths are what nourish and hold a thriving, genuine community of Christians, who are learning to mature and grown even in the midst of the messiness of our human flesh. Knowing the character of our God through Jesus Christ and knowing (and getting to live out) our identity of who He says we are through Christ. You won't find a message advocating formulas, self-reliance, or sin management techniques in this book. It is raw, real, yet soaked in the powerful life of the Holy Spirit completing the work He began in us through Jesus Christ. These are truths we will need to return to time and again. This isn't something I will ever outgrow and will always require gentle reminders of. Having personally experienced a taste of this grace-centered community at Open Door Fellowship church (where Lynch preaches), I can honestly say this kind of bold living is real. It's not a fairy-tale. It's life in Christ. And He, the living Person of Grace is the cure for our broken, dysfunctional, empty, and messy lives.
March 23, 2016
I read this book because my pastor said that if there was one other book I read beside the Bible, The Cure should be the one. Wanting to know where he was coming from, I read it. It was painful. If I could give it ZERO stars I would...There are enough opportunities to incorrectly interpret God's word when reading this book that the good that there is here isn't worth the time spent reading. The fact that this understanding of grace has helped some is it's only redeeming quality. It is thick with psychology and the scripture that is in it is interpreted through that lens. It is fiction that has been raised to the level of doctrine by some, or a "new way" to understand grace for those who are works-based in their leaning. Growing up in a legalistic cult, and being led by God's grace to the truth in JESUS CHRIST, God used His Word to teach me about who He really is and the realness of His grace. Hopefully it is a stepping point for some to spur them on to dig deeper into what God says on the subject. Oh, and there is a bit of false teaching that is not biblical. I have always said to my kids "would you eat a yummy looking brownie if it had a teaspoon of dogpoop mixed it?" Look out for that teaspoon of dogpoop...it is in there. Another book put on the Christian bookstore shelves for those who want to read a book with a few Bible verses peppered in. If you understand the sovereignty of the Almighty God you could certainly pass on this book.
August 24, 2019
“Every day our God is committed to meeting our needs for attention (God’s servant love); acceptance (God’s unearned love); security (God’s committed love); trust (God’s faithful love); guidance (God’s directional love); protection (God’s jealous love); and significance (God’s affirming love)”
February 19, 2025
everyone needs to read this book !! soul changing & just simply amazing.
highlighted 85% of the book, but here's one of my favorite quotes:
"God has shown all of His cards, revealing breathtaking protection. He says, in essence, “What if I tell them who they now are? What if I take away any element of fear? What if I tell them I will always love them? That I love them right now, as much as I love my only Son? “What if I tell them there are no logs of past offenses, of how little they pray, or how often they’ve let me down? What if I tell them they are actually righteous, right now? What if I tell them I’m crazy about them? What if I tell them that, if I’m their Savior, they’re going to heaven no matter what—it’s a done deal? What if I tell them they have a new nature, that they are saints, not saved sinners? What if I tell them I actually live in them now, my love, power, and nature at their disposal? “What if I tell them they don’t have to put on masks? That they don’t need to pretend we’re close? “What if they knew that, when they mess up, I’ll never retaliate? What if they were convinced bad circumstances aren’t my way of evening the score? What if they knew the basis of our friendship isn’t how little they sin, but how much they allow me to love them? What if I tell them they can hurt my heart but I’ll never hurt theirs? What if I tell them they can open their eyes when they pray and still go to heaven? What if I tell them there is no secret agenda, no trapdoor? What if I tell them it isn’t about their self-effort, but about allowing me to live my life through them?”
Nature provides many examples of this incredible discrepancy between who we appear to be and who we truly are. Consider the caterpillar. If we brought a caterpillar to a biologist and asked him to analyze it and describe its DNA, he would tell us, “I know this looks like a caterpillar to you. But scientifically, according to every test, including DNA, this is fully and completely a butterfly.” Wow! God has wired into a creature looking nothing like a butterfly a perfectly complete butterfly identity. And because the caterpillar is a butterfly in essence, it will one day display the behavior and attributes of a butterfly. The caterpillar matures into what is already true about it. In the meantime, berating the caterpillar for not being more like a butterfly is not only futile, it will probably hurt its tiny ears! So it is with us. God has given us the DNA of righteousness. We are saints. Nothing we do will make us more righteous than we already are. Nothing we do will alter this reality. God knows our DNA. He knows that we are “Christ in me.” And now He is asking us to join Him in what He knows is true!"
highlighted 85% of the book, but here's one of my favorite quotes:
"God has shown all of His cards, revealing breathtaking protection. He says, in essence, “What if I tell them who they now are? What if I take away any element of fear? What if I tell them I will always love them? That I love them right now, as much as I love my only Son? “What if I tell them there are no logs of past offenses, of how little they pray, or how often they’ve let me down? What if I tell them they are actually righteous, right now? What if I tell them I’m crazy about them? What if I tell them that, if I’m their Savior, they’re going to heaven no matter what—it’s a done deal? What if I tell them they have a new nature, that they are saints, not saved sinners? What if I tell them I actually live in them now, my love, power, and nature at their disposal? “What if I tell them they don’t have to put on masks? That they don’t need to pretend we’re close? “What if they knew that, when they mess up, I’ll never retaliate? What if they were convinced bad circumstances aren’t my way of evening the score? What if they knew the basis of our friendship isn’t how little they sin, but how much they allow me to love them? What if I tell them they can hurt my heart but I’ll never hurt theirs? What if I tell them they can open their eyes when they pray and still go to heaven? What if I tell them there is no secret agenda, no trapdoor? What if I tell them it isn’t about their self-effort, but about allowing me to live my life through them?”
Nature provides many examples of this incredible discrepancy between who we appear to be and who we truly are. Consider the caterpillar. If we brought a caterpillar to a biologist and asked him to analyze it and describe its DNA, he would tell us, “I know this looks like a caterpillar to you. But scientifically, according to every test, including DNA, this is fully and completely a butterfly.” Wow! God has wired into a creature looking nothing like a butterfly a perfectly complete butterfly identity. And because the caterpillar is a butterfly in essence, it will one day display the behavior and attributes of a butterfly. The caterpillar matures into what is already true about it. In the meantime, berating the caterpillar for not being more like a butterfly is not only futile, it will probably hurt its tiny ears! So it is with us. God has given us the DNA of righteousness. We are saints. Nothing we do will make us more righteous than we already are. Nothing we do will alter this reality. God knows our DNA. He knows that we are “Christ in me.” And now He is asking us to join Him in what He knows is true!"
December 6, 2022
This book is incredible. Every Christian at every stage of life needs to read it.
I picked this book up as a recommendation from a couple of friends and intended to read the whole thing over Thanksgiving break. That didn’t end up happening. But, I’m done now.
This book portrays two rooms: The Room of Good Intentions and the Room of Grace. It walks through how to live in the grace of God versus feeling the need to earn it. The way the book is written too is almost allegorical. The authors write it in a way that is almost narrative at points, but then transitions to explaining the narrative. It’s a super easy and accessible read that manages to stay deep at the same time.
If you have even the tiniest inclination that you’re living in a manner that you feel as if you’re earning God’s love, you should read this book. If you’re not and feel like you’re doing good, you should read this book. No matter who you are or where you’re at this book will change your mindset to one that all Christians should have.
I picked this book up as a recommendation from a couple of friends and intended to read the whole thing over Thanksgiving break. That didn’t end up happening. But, I’m done now.
This book portrays two rooms: The Room of Good Intentions and the Room of Grace. It walks through how to live in the grace of God versus feeling the need to earn it. The way the book is written too is almost allegorical. The authors write it in a way that is almost narrative at points, but then transitions to explaining the narrative. It’s a super easy and accessible read that manages to stay deep at the same time.
If you have even the tiniest inclination that you’re living in a manner that you feel as if you’re earning God’s love, you should read this book. If you’re not and feel like you’re doing good, you should read this book. No matter who you are or where you’re at this book will change your mindset to one that all Christians should have.
May 17, 2025
Rating 4.25 stars.
My friend recommended this book to me in 2015 🤦🏽♀️ and I neglected to read it until now. What a mistake.
John S. Lynch, Bruce McNicol, and Bill Thrall clarify through parables and practical wisdom what it means to believe the gospel and receive love. I read through the chapters by myself and can see the value of doing this (and discussion guide in community). Whether new to following Jesus or decades in like me there are truths in this book that are clarifying and encouraging. I especially liked the section entitled “The entirety of your life in Christ is about learning to receive love.” That has absolutely been my journey.
I recommend this short read for followers and investigators. Christians (myself included) often get it wrong with devastating consequences.
“Sin is resolved when we are cleansed of it. No amount of promises, amends, or right behavior can cleanse us. We are cleansed when we depend on the power of what Jesus did for us on the cross.”
“To forgive, I must admit what is already true.”
My friend recommended this book to me in 2015 🤦🏽♀️ and I neglected to read it until now. What a mistake.
John S. Lynch, Bruce McNicol, and Bill Thrall clarify through parables and practical wisdom what it means to believe the gospel and receive love. I read through the chapters by myself and can see the value of doing this (and discussion guide in community). Whether new to following Jesus or decades in like me there are truths in this book that are clarifying and encouraging. I especially liked the section entitled “The entirety of your life in Christ is about learning to receive love.” That has absolutely been my journey.
I recommend this short read for followers and investigators. Christians (myself included) often get it wrong with devastating consequences.
“Sin is resolved when we are cleansed of it. No amount of promises, amends, or right behavior can cleanse us. We are cleansed when we depend on the power of what Jesus did for us on the cross.”
“To forgive, I must admit what is already true.”
October 16, 2016
I would recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike, young or old. The three authors cleverly use an extended metaphor about choosing between two paths (reminiscent of Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"). The paths that the protagonist must choose between are both seemingly positive: that of pleasing God or that of trusting God. Each chapter follows this metaphorical story along with the authors' explanation of how these experiences relate to or mirror our own lives. The book addresses many concepts including religion, sin, community, shame, acceptance, control and forgiveness. In 7 short chapters, the authors forego prescriptiveness in favor of writing that creates self-reflection in the reader. This is an excellent book to read with another person or a group of people as it is bound to create meaningful and reflective dialogue as the book challenges the way we view God and ourselves (as the subtitle asks: What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you?).
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