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Mystical Union : Stuff they never told you about the finished work of the Cross
Stuff they never told you about the finished work of the cross ... Mystical Union promises to challenge your understanding of the cross and shock you with the scandal of grace. The gospel is a mystical message - the happy revelation about instant, uninterrupted union with God. Let the finished work of the cross renovate your most core beliefs. Let your theology get wrecked and catch undeniable Biblical truths on the effortless gift of perfection. You are permanently plugged into open heavens ... no more dry days! When you think of the cross, do you think of fun? If the answer is no; then you have not been taught the cross aright. There is a delicious feast prepared for the believer. Nothing is more satisfying than the revelation of what Christ has conclusively accomplished for you. This book threatens to turn your Christianity upside down. No longer a struggle to please God -- the Truth will plunge you into a celebration of what He has done for you. With clear revelatory truths on the New Creation and the scandalous joys of the cross, Mystical Union promises to be one of John's most revolutionary, lifechanging works. Plunge deep into the revelation of union with the Divine.
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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August 8, 2014
Mystical Union is a happy message of our union with God which Christ had accomplished for us, and how the reality of this can now be experienced through an effortless trust in His work, not our own.
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 because, to date, it’s hands down the best christocentric book I have ever read. The info presented here is in a language (and humor) that I completely understand...because I’ve been prepared for it. But I can tell you now, some of the statements will seem kinda offensive, and maybe even heretical to some. Why? Because 1) some won’t recognize Crowder’s humor, 2) semantics and 3) we’re inclined to dogmatism with the little we know––being as diverse in our views as the local churches we belong to (or don’t belong to).
Part of me wished the language had been more accessible for the masses because Mystical Union might be one of the most important books one could ever read; offering a right context for proper interpretation of scripture. But with a title like "Mystical" Union, many will automatically be put off. Then again, it’s impossible to perfectly please everyone, and truth expressed emphatically, as it is here, is bound to cause controversy––a good thing in the end, to spark a dialogue to occur in Christendom; getting individuals to think for themselves, question their beliefs, form educated opinions, subscribe to facts that benefit, and abandon antiquated concepts which have long been irrelevant.
In my opinion, Crowder is actually a really good theologian and he’s become more Trinitarian (Athanasius, Torrance, C. Baxter Kruger) after writing this book. I expect that some of the statements written here will receive an “update” in his new work The Cosmos Reborn due this fall (2013). What I like about Crowder is he’s not just a Berean but a guy who’s had lots of experience in the charismatic fringe (unlike most theologians) i.e. healings, miracles, signs and wonders, exorcisms, the prophetic, bi-location, etc. This book is a reflection of his dual-passion; to be more experiential than the Mystics, and even more reformed than the Reformers (Luther, Calvin), in other words, a desire to progress in both Word and Spirit. The two camps haven’t gone far enough in either revelation and experience, and seldom have individuals found a balance of both.
The book is organized into 5 sections, here’s a brief synopsis of each:
1. The Myth of the Flesh
The “old self” died with Christ and now only the “new man” in union with Christ exists, believe in that reality and good stuff will happen; the old sinful self is no longer you, because it doesn’t even exist. “Sinning” doesn’t make you a sinner just as falling into a mud pit doesn’t transform you into a pig. It’s right believing (about yourself) that always produces “right” living.
2. Sanctification is not a Process
We’re not becoming “holy”, we already are, and nothing can change that. Circumcision is symbolic of the cutting away of the sinful nature within a person (Col 2:11) once and for all, it’s not a daily lifelong occurrence (ouch). What Paul meant in saying “I die daily” was about his unique encounters with danger in furthering the gospel, not sin.
3. New Creation Realities
God didn’t just forgive us, clean the slate, and give us another chance to live better, He recreated the substance of who we are. As Christ is, so are we in this world (1 Jn. 4:17). God reconciled the entire cosmos (world) to himself (2 Cor. 5:19), in other words, He singlehandedly undid the fall of creation and old era of Adam, replacing it with Christ and his Kingdom; we don’t enter heaven after we die, we entered heaven when Jesus died (Mt. 27:51).
4. The Galatian Bewitchment
Observances of any moral code never brings us any “closer” to God, in fact, our own efforts to get closer futilely puts the emphasis on us while negating Christ and his conclusive work. Jesus’ death alone purchased our union; there is no getting “closer” to God just as it’s impossible to get closer to a Siamese twin. Believe that you have all of Him, because you do - that’s the foundation of all mystical experience.
5. Uninterrupted Union
Contrary to what many charismatics believe, Love actually is a “feeling” - a desire and enjoyment of another person, and the feeling of being loved (by God) is what supplies faith (trust). God instituted marriage for the purpose of illustrating the unio mystica between God and man; two became one (Eph. 5:31-32, 1 Cor. 6:17). Our wedding to Christ is not a future event, consummation already happened on the cross. The wedding supper is an eternal celebration and feast that begins now.
Though it’s organized into 5 sections, a lot of the book is repetitive but that's okay, it’s actually necessary - it says some of the same things in a different way each time to provide a more clear understanding in the end. Overall, I love it. I’ve already read the book about five times, I could read it bi-monthly and still be awestruck each time by how good the gospel really is.
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 because, to date, it’s hands down the best christocentric book I have ever read. The info presented here is in a language (and humor) that I completely understand...because I’ve been prepared for it. But I can tell you now, some of the statements will seem kinda offensive, and maybe even heretical to some. Why? Because 1) some won’t recognize Crowder’s humor, 2) semantics and 3) we’re inclined to dogmatism with the little we know––being as diverse in our views as the local churches we belong to (or don’t belong to).
Part of me wished the language had been more accessible for the masses because Mystical Union might be one of the most important books one could ever read; offering a right context for proper interpretation of scripture. But with a title like "Mystical" Union, many will automatically be put off. Then again, it’s impossible to perfectly please everyone, and truth expressed emphatically, as it is here, is bound to cause controversy––a good thing in the end, to spark a dialogue to occur in Christendom; getting individuals to think for themselves, question their beliefs, form educated opinions, subscribe to facts that benefit, and abandon antiquated concepts which have long been irrelevant.
In my opinion, Crowder is actually a really good theologian and he’s become more Trinitarian (Athanasius, Torrance, C. Baxter Kruger) after writing this book. I expect that some of the statements written here will receive an “update” in his new work The Cosmos Reborn due this fall (2013). What I like about Crowder is he’s not just a Berean but a guy who’s had lots of experience in the charismatic fringe (unlike most theologians) i.e. healings, miracles, signs and wonders, exorcisms, the prophetic, bi-location, etc. This book is a reflection of his dual-passion; to be more experiential than the Mystics, and even more reformed than the Reformers (Luther, Calvin), in other words, a desire to progress in both Word and Spirit. The two camps haven’t gone far enough in either revelation and experience, and seldom have individuals found a balance of both.
The book is organized into 5 sections, here’s a brief synopsis of each:
1. The Myth of the Flesh
The “old self” died with Christ and now only the “new man” in union with Christ exists, believe in that reality and good stuff will happen; the old sinful self is no longer you, because it doesn’t even exist. “Sinning” doesn’t make you a sinner just as falling into a mud pit doesn’t transform you into a pig. It’s right believing (about yourself) that always produces “right” living.
2. Sanctification is not a Process
We’re not becoming “holy”, we already are, and nothing can change that. Circumcision is symbolic of the cutting away of the sinful nature within a person (Col 2:11) once and for all, it’s not a daily lifelong occurrence (ouch). What Paul meant in saying “I die daily” was about his unique encounters with danger in furthering the gospel, not sin.
3. New Creation Realities
God didn’t just forgive us, clean the slate, and give us another chance to live better, He recreated the substance of who we are. As Christ is, so are we in this world (1 Jn. 4:17). God reconciled the entire cosmos (world) to himself (2 Cor. 5:19), in other words, He singlehandedly undid the fall of creation and old era of Adam, replacing it with Christ and his Kingdom; we don’t enter heaven after we die, we entered heaven when Jesus died (Mt. 27:51).
4. The Galatian Bewitchment
Observances of any moral code never brings us any “closer” to God, in fact, our own efforts to get closer futilely puts the emphasis on us while negating Christ and his conclusive work. Jesus’ death alone purchased our union; there is no getting “closer” to God just as it’s impossible to get closer to a Siamese twin. Believe that you have all of Him, because you do - that’s the foundation of all mystical experience.
5. Uninterrupted Union
Contrary to what many charismatics believe, Love actually is a “feeling” - a desire and enjoyment of another person, and the feeling of being loved (by God) is what supplies faith (trust). God instituted marriage for the purpose of illustrating the unio mystica between God and man; two became one (Eph. 5:31-32, 1 Cor. 6:17). Our wedding to Christ is not a future event, consummation already happened on the cross. The wedding supper is an eternal celebration and feast that begins now.
Though it’s organized into 5 sections, a lot of the book is repetitive but that's okay, it’s actually necessary - it says some of the same things in a different way each time to provide a more clear understanding in the end. Overall, I love it. I’ve already read the book about five times, I could read it bi-monthly and still be awestruck each time by how good the gospel really is.
July 1, 2011
This book definitely fulfills its promise of challenging traditional doctrines and theology, which is unfortunate because many of these doctrines are based in God’s Word interpreted biblically. Much of this book is filled with great truths of what happened on the Cross, which unfortunately is not stressed enough in churches today. I think anyone who is interested in learning more about this “mystical union”, commonly referred to as the doctrine of identification, would do well to read The Green Letters by Miles J. Stanford. Reading this book feels like he stumbled (and from watching him deliver “sermons” I mean that word quite literally) upon many of the identification truths taught in Romans 6, Galatians 2:20, and several other passages that show how when Christ died for us, we died with Him. Unfortunately, this truth is so drowned out in false teachings and out of context Scripture for me to seriously recommend this book to anyone.
First of all, let me say that realizing that we have died with Christ and are freed from the power of the flesh is a very important part of spiritual growth. When our motive stops being to please God out of duty or repay Him and becomes a constant resting in the finished work of Christ, we can tell that growth is taking place in our lives. Stanford also makes this his priority in his Green Letters books.
Where Crowder’s theology takes a wrong turn is where he fails to understand the difference between justification and sanctification. Crowder points to Romans 6:6 which says “We know that our old self was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing...” to mean that we no longer have the sin nature that Paul commonly refers to as our flesh. Therefore, we shouldn’t spend any effort putting sin to death like Romans 8:13 or Colossians 3:5 says. The fact that we died with Christ refers to our position in Christ, though Crowder dismisses this notion. As we set our minds on things that are above (Colossians 3:2), i.e. the fact that we are united with Christ because of His death, we start to experience the reality of this in our own life. This change in our condition is sanctification. We all can tell that we still have a sinful flesh.
“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” – Galatians 5:17
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” – Colossians 3:5
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” – Romans 8:13
The reason I think this distinction is so important is that it removes important elements in the growth of a believer; namely time and failure. By insisting that sanctification is not a process but an event, we remove the fact that God causes us to grow at His pace. Additionally, if sanctification is not a process and we don’t have a sinful nature, then if you ever sin between now and the day you die, you are not saved. This goes against Romans 7, which he conveniently says only applies to non-believers, which illustrates how God uses our failures to bring us to the realization that we aren’t able to improve ourselves. Paul comes to the realization of this in verses 24-25. This view simply can’t deal with sin in a believers life, which I would say will leave them discouraged and helpless.
The final chapter, apart from a lot of the charismania Crowder throws in, is actually very Biblical and helpful. Most of it sounds like it could have been taken from John Piper’s Desiring God. Much of what he says in the last chapter contradicts what he said earlier, but I think that’s mostly a result of poorly defining terms. However, the first half is confusing at best and some dangerous false teaching at worst.
First of all, let me say that realizing that we have died with Christ and are freed from the power of the flesh is a very important part of spiritual growth. When our motive stops being to please God out of duty or repay Him and becomes a constant resting in the finished work of Christ, we can tell that growth is taking place in our lives. Stanford also makes this his priority in his Green Letters books.
Where Crowder’s theology takes a wrong turn is where he fails to understand the difference between justification and sanctification. Crowder points to Romans 6:6 which says “We know that our old self was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing...” to mean that we no longer have the sin nature that Paul commonly refers to as our flesh. Therefore, we shouldn’t spend any effort putting sin to death like Romans 8:13 or Colossians 3:5 says. The fact that we died with Christ refers to our position in Christ, though Crowder dismisses this notion. As we set our minds on things that are above (Colossians 3:2), i.e. the fact that we are united with Christ because of His death, we start to experience the reality of this in our own life. This change in our condition is sanctification. We all can tell that we still have a sinful flesh.
“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” – Galatians 5:17
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” – Colossians 3:5
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” – Romans 8:13
The reason I think this distinction is so important is that it removes important elements in the growth of a believer; namely time and failure. By insisting that sanctification is not a process but an event, we remove the fact that God causes us to grow at His pace. Additionally, if sanctification is not a process and we don’t have a sinful nature, then if you ever sin between now and the day you die, you are not saved. This goes against Romans 7, which he conveniently says only applies to non-believers, which illustrates how God uses our failures to bring us to the realization that we aren’t able to improve ourselves. Paul comes to the realization of this in verses 24-25. This view simply can’t deal with sin in a believers life, which I would say will leave them discouraged and helpless.
The final chapter, apart from a lot of the charismania Crowder throws in, is actually very Biblical and helpful. Most of it sounds like it could have been taken from John Piper’s Desiring God. Much of what he says in the last chapter contradicts what he said earlier, but I think that’s mostly a result of poorly defining terms. However, the first half is confusing at best and some dangerous false teaching at worst.
July 19, 2011
Ok, I will begin this mini-review by saying this. I like John Crowder, I get where he's coming from, he writes in the same style that he speaks which will make this book refreshing to read. But.
I almost fear being in the camp of someone who has some problems with John's approach in this book so I will say that I am firmly on the fence about this work. In the end, I don't think he wrote this book for me or the audiences I am most comfortable with, this book was written for those in the Charismatic traditions (or streams as John calls them) and as such I tried to take off my Lutheran/Christian theologian hat to process what John is up to in this project.
Just the blurb on the back of the jacket made my skin crawl a little bit, "When you think of the cross, do you think of fun?" Whoa... huh? It doesn't help that the voice that keeps saying those words is that of Dr. Nick Riviera from the Simpson's!
The cross is not fun, it wasn't fun for Jesus, it is not fun for us. John makes that point further in his book, but. But. But. Then why put it on the outside?
His theology reminds me of Rick Warren on speed. Multiple Bible translations being used (find the translation that fits your point), rip the bandaids off to get people out of whatever tradition they were raised in to get with the program, etc. etc. He just does it a LOT quicker.
I also have some questions about Crowder's academics in many places but the most egregious is calling Ephesians the first letter Paul wrote and then hanging a whole lot of theology on that point as though it is a fact and is not up for dispute among most serious theologians. You can't do that, it's why Christians get so screwed up by talking heads who pull "facts" from thin air. If you have found yourself in a leader's position you have to at least put some traction behind your "facts".
But, in the end, Crowder's project does what many Lutherans have already known for 500+ years, and the early Christians before that. Our life no longer must be lived under the yoke of trying to please an angry God but Christ's death and resurrection have fulfilled the law FREEING us to live FOR Him in service to our neighbors. Got it?
The implications of that truth are, as Crowder cheerily points out, scandalous. But how he arrives there left me wanting a little more "there" there.
If you have read this I'd appreciate your input as well.
Cheers!
I almost fear being in the camp of someone who has some problems with John's approach in this book so I will say that I am firmly on the fence about this work. In the end, I don't think he wrote this book for me or the audiences I am most comfortable with, this book was written for those in the Charismatic traditions (or streams as John calls them) and as such I tried to take off my Lutheran/Christian theologian hat to process what John is up to in this project.
Just the blurb on the back of the jacket made my skin crawl a little bit, "When you think of the cross, do you think of fun?" Whoa... huh? It doesn't help that the voice that keeps saying those words is that of Dr. Nick Riviera from the Simpson's!
The cross is not fun, it wasn't fun for Jesus, it is not fun for us. John makes that point further in his book, but. But. But. Then why put it on the outside?
His theology reminds me of Rick Warren on speed. Multiple Bible translations being used (find the translation that fits your point), rip the bandaids off to get people out of whatever tradition they were raised in to get with the program, etc. etc. He just does it a LOT quicker.
I also have some questions about Crowder's academics in many places but the most egregious is calling Ephesians the first letter Paul wrote and then hanging a whole lot of theology on that point as though it is a fact and is not up for dispute among most serious theologians. You can't do that, it's why Christians get so screwed up by talking heads who pull "facts" from thin air. If you have found yourself in a leader's position you have to at least put some traction behind your "facts".
But, in the end, Crowder's project does what many Lutherans have already known for 500+ years, and the early Christians before that. Our life no longer must be lived under the yoke of trying to please an angry God but Christ's death and resurrection have fulfilled the law FREEING us to live FOR Him in service to our neighbors. Got it?
The implications of that truth are, as Crowder cheerily points out, scandalous. But how he arrives there left me wanting a little more "there" there.
If you have read this I'd appreciate your input as well.
Cheers!
December 28, 2013
This book is filled with dangerous stuff. It took me a lot of searching and thinking before I realized that the grace he presents in this book is the grace of God. I thought it was too good to be true, or even somehow better than what the bible teaches. But the more I looked into it I realized that this is the central message of the new testament. There is no more room for works, Christ has accomplished all on the cross.
March 10, 2021
A very good book on the Biblical concept of our union with Messiah. Crowder writes against the idea that we need to someone act/perform in a certain to "get more" out of our relationship with God.
Not for the legalistic believer. It is a very grace-based look at this topic. Heavy emphasis on the finished work of Christ and a bit of antinomian rhetoric as well.
Crowder's approach however, can be a little too edgy and repetitive. The last section of the book could have been effective in half as many pages.
Not for the legalistic believer. It is a very grace-based look at this topic. Heavy emphasis on the finished work of Christ and a bit of antinomian rhetoric as well.
Crowder's approach however, can be a little too edgy and repetitive. The last section of the book could have been effective in half as many pages.
July 27, 2020
Hyper Grace—also known as “finished work” theology—has taken root in churches around the world in the last 10 or so years, particularly in charismatic circles. Its closest historical equivalent would be the sinless perfectionism theology of Wesley and the holiness movement, though with several important differences. One the one hand, both movements reject Luther’s teaching of simul justus et peccator (that the believer is both saint and sinner). However, Hyper Grace denies Second Blessing theology and instead asserts that the sinful nature is eradicated at the moment of regeneration.
I will be reviewing the arguments in John Crowder’s Mystical Union as being representative of the Hyper Grace movement. Crowder is one of this teaching’s well-known proponents, and this is his landmark book on the subject. Although I am sure he has expanded somewhat on his ideas in the past 10 years since publishing, the core ideas are all here for examination.
One of Crowder’s self-proclaimed intentions in writing the book is that of dismantling the “Galatian Bewitchment” of the church. This hearkens to Paul’s rebuke of the Galatian church which had returned to the heresy of works-righteousness. Their backsliding is clearly stated in Galatians 3:3—"Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
Crowder, relying primarily on the Unio Mystica passages of Galatians 2, Ephesians 4, and Romans 6, asserts that the Reformers’ separation of Justification and Sanctification is a form of the selfsame Galatian Bewitchment. Rather than having a passive righteousness that is perfect in Christ and an active righteousness that is a work-in-progress throughout the life of the believer, Hyper Grace teaches that you are totally sanctified at the moment of belief—you no longer have a sin nature and cannot be considered a “sinner” in any real sense. Crowder’s goal is to persuade believers to stop viewing themselves as sinners and wallowing in a defeatist mindset. He urges the reader who has been born again to view themselves as holy, sanctified, and even “perfect”.
The Good
While ultimately I must demur from the core tenets and conclusions of Hyper Grace theology, I would first like to explore some of its positive attributes as expressed in the book. In the first place, I agree that an unhealthy defeatist attitude toward sin has a grip on the church. With regularity, sinful behavior is trivialized—if not excused—with trite phrases such as "I’m just a sinner saved by grace" or "nobody’s perfect". In fact, the New Testament does not use this language of believers, whom Paul refers to as “saints”, “the body of Christ”, “the new man”, “the temple of the Holy Spirit”, and more.[1] While believers are not said to be sinless or perfectly mature,[2] the general disposition of the Christian is righteousness in the mind of the Apostle. This ought to be reflected in our own mindset as well.
Crowder explains, “We’re not saying it is “impossible” for a Christian to sin. But we are saying that you don’t have to sin another day in your life because you are now completely evil free. Living with sin is not your standard. Normative Christianity is sin-free living because you are thoroughly cleansed of evil. You are not a sinner.”[3]
As one of my former pastors used to say, we never “have” to sin as Christians. While we cannot deny the reality of sin after salvation, I agree that we should not view sinful behavior as the standard of normative Christianity. We must use the same language of ourselves that Scripture uses. Sinning should be the exception, not the rule, once the “old man” has been crucified to Christ and we live according to the Spirit.
Too often, in my opinion, the church has seen the cross as the impetus for forgiveness alone and not of the rebirth. We have been trained to believe—whether implicitly or explicitly—that one who “accepts Jesus into their heart” is now eternally “saved”, but that their practical lives need not necessarily change. Yet the Scriptures speak of the reality of regeneration, of new life, of being born of the Spirit and putting off the old man.[4] Additionally, the book of 1 John is filled with marks of the individual who abides in God: love, obedience, dwelling in the light, etc. To this end, I commend Crowder’s earnest effort to reframe our diminished understanding of the power of the cross. Indeed, even on a human level, faith precedes action. And the power of believing strongly in the new birth will go a long way in producing fruits of holiness.
I also give credit for the author’s efforts to dismantle the Galatian Bewitchment of the church. It has been a constant temptation since the beginning of Christianity to return to a form of works-righteousness after the time of repentance and faith. This is one area that even Crowder admits the Reformers excelled in. They had a supreme view of the sovereignty of God in making sinners righteous. They held to a strictly monergistic soteriology—they attributed nothing of their salvation to their own efforts. In my view, this profound reliance on "the God who justifies"[5] must be recovered if we are to maintain peace with God.
Finally, I compliment Crowder on his critiques of the “Charismatic Voodoo” that has infiltrated the church in recent decades. Many have become absorbed in and committed to elaborate formulas to the end of invoking the Holy Spirit, so much so that it has turned into something that looks eerily like witchcraft. For some, if they don’t blow the shofar or anoint with oil in just the right fashion, the Spirit is unlikely to “show up”. These formulas are typically built on good past experiences that are subsequently idolized and canonized, such that the believer is deceived into thinking "this is how God always works". Crowder blows this mindset out of the water, emphasizing again God’s sovereign will in displaying His power as He chooses. This self-policing of the charismatic movement is much needed and appreciated.
These compliments being said, I must reject the final destination of these trajectories that Crowder teaches in Mystical Union, as we shall see.
Critiques
Since the very beginning of Christian writing, great attention has been given to the topic of sin after repentance and salvation. Christian documents as early as the second-century Shepherd of Hermas dealt with this issue directly.[6] The Roman Catholic church has developed, over the centuries, systematic prescriptions of penance to deal with the guilt of the believer’s sins. The Reformers, on the other hand, held fast to their doctrine of passive righteousness, but they still exhorted believers to live a constant life of repentance, in light of the sins that the Christian inevitably commits after regeneration.
Crowder takes a different approach than either of these: He claims that, once you have been reborn, the sin nature no longer exists:
“The truth is that you do not have to kill off or fight those negative emotions or sinful appetites. The truth is that the old appetites have already died. Stop trying to shadowbox something that doesn’t exist. Agree with the truth, that you are a new creation. You don’t make yourself new. Stop striving. Rest in the reality that the old you is dead and powerless. It was nailed to the tree.”[7]
For Crowder, sin from a believer is redefined as “a momentary lapse in judgment”, and the solution is not to confess your sins to the Lord and ask forgiveness. Rather, the solution is to realize your way into holiness, simply “[b]e who you really are” and go along your way.[8] This is the point at which the weaknesses of Crowder’s paradigm start to show. This praxis of virtually dismissing sin rather than gravely recognizing and confessing it stands completely out of touch with both church history and everyday experience. It even calls into question whether someone holding to this theology could legitimately pray the Lord’s Prayer ("Forgive us our debts").
Crowder goes on to deny the need to please God or seek God, as we are already pleasing to God and have already found him through the work of the cross. In the first place, such a teaching struggles to make sense of Paul’s many exhortations for the Christian life, in particular his command to “try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord”.[9] Further, much if not most of the Psalter—which has been a guide for Christian prayer from the very beginning—would have to be discarded, as it contains prayer after prayer of the writer’s earnest attempts to seek the Lord. And the book is filled with lamentations for those seasons of the Lord withdrawing his presence. Such prayers would be reduced to a mere historical curiosity and could not be prayed by us or used to understand our own experiences of prayer.
Perhaps one of the biggest faux pas committed by Crowder is his simplistic reduction of the term “sanctification” in the New Testament to refer to complete practical holiness. The Reformers taught a concept of sanctification more akin to a sliding scale, wherein the believer becomes more practically holy as the Lord works in his or her life. Crowder asserts a more binary paradigm, wherein sanctification comes to mean 100% moral perfection at the time of faith and salvation.[10]
It is true that several New Testament uses of the word sanctification refer to a past-tense event when speaking of believers.[11] The base definition of the word refers to “setting apart” and may be applied to a number of things. However, Crowder reads his own very specific definition into the word as it appears in Scripture. Whereas sanctification may in some cases refer to the Holy Spirit’s setting apart of believers for ultimate salvation[12] or, alternatively, separation from the fleshly ways of the Gentiles,[13] Crowder flattens out the term in every passage to mean the complete eradication of any sin nature in the believer.
The Reformers were clearly aware of the various referents of the term sanctification in Scripture, but their own use of the word as a theological category was very specific: the gradual progress of practical morality in the life of the believer, empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit. In his attempt to dismantle this doctrine of progressive sanctification, Crowder points out that the term sanctification is used in a past-tense sense with regard to believers, and he uses this fact to claim that he has debunked hundreds of years of teaching on the subject. In reality, he is flattening all nuances of the Scriptural word into one idiosyncratic definition, and he is conflating the Reformers’ theological category with any and every use of the word in the New Testament. This methodology simply has no leg to stand on.
In the end, the paradigm that Crowder is selling must, of necessity, introduce its own form of confession and repentance, though under different terminology. Sprinkled here and there throughout the book in small asides, Crowder disclaims that it’s not “impossible” for the believer to sin, and he speaks of what to do when you have the aforementioned “momentary lapse of judgment”. Instead of admitting your sins in prayer, asking for power to overcome temptations in the future, the “finished work” believer is exhorted to realize that such behavior is not who he or she really is. One must realize that they are holy, and by doing so he or she will act in holiness in the future. Instead of growing more practically holy, we are growing more mature. This is Crowder’s understanding of “renewing the mind”. No confession or repentance is necessary. In fact, such would be an insult to the finished work of Christ! Yet this process of “realization” and self-affirmation after instances of sinning becomes its own version of the “penance” that Crowder derides so vehemently. So we end up back at square one, and now we are perhaps worse off, as we are no longer able to take comfort in the many Scriptural prayers of repentance, which are solely to be employed by unbelievers—and only once!
Conclusion
While I appreciate some of the emphases that Crowder is seeking to restore to the church’s mindset, I am forced to reject his main thesis. His case from Scripture is rather weak and requires cherry picking both verses and translations, failing to account for New Testament exhortations of right living. Beyond that, his teaching is simply out of touch with personal experience, and intuition alone is nearly enough to reject it. In this book, we are asked to throw away nearly every teaching on the subject from the first century up until today. Of course he makes the same claim as the sixteenth-century Reformers—that he is simply recovering a teaching that had been lost. Yet unlike the Reformers, he fails to substantiate his teaching from Scripture.
For those interested in further discussion of the topic, Michael L. Brown, Ph.D. has published a well-researched book on the topic, entitled Hyper Grace: Exposing the Dangers of the Modern Grace Message.
This review was originally published on mattmcguireDOTnet
Footnotes:
1. I tend to agree with Crowder’s take on Romans 7—that Paul’s self-description in the passage is of his life prior to regeneration.
2. See Paul’s comment that they are “foolish” in Galatians 3:1 (translated “idiots” in some renderings).
3. Crowder, John. Mystical Union. Santa Cruz, CA: Sons of Thunder Ministries & Publications, 2010. Kindle Edition. Kindle Location 413.
4. See John 3, Ephesians 4. All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version.
5. Romans 4:5.
6. See especially Shepherd of Hermas 31:6, “But I say unto you,” saith he, “if after this great and holy calling any one, being tempted of the devil, shall commit sin, he hath only one (opportunity of) repentance. But if he sin off-hand and repent, repentance is unprofitable for such a man; for he shall live with difficulty.”
7. Mystical Union. Kindle Location 397.
8. Ibid. Kindle Location 596.
9. Ephesians 5:10.
10. It is fair to say that Crowder would bifurcate “moral perfection” from “complete maturity”. For him, the former is attained at salvation, while the latter is a growth process.
11. E.g. 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Acts 26:18.
12. Perhaps 1 Corinthians 1:2 would be a good example.
13. E.g. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5.
I will be reviewing the arguments in John Crowder’s Mystical Union as being representative of the Hyper Grace movement. Crowder is one of this teaching’s well-known proponents, and this is his landmark book on the subject. Although I am sure he has expanded somewhat on his ideas in the past 10 years since publishing, the core ideas are all here for examination.
One of Crowder’s self-proclaimed intentions in writing the book is that of dismantling the “Galatian Bewitchment” of the church. This hearkens to Paul’s rebuke of the Galatian church which had returned to the heresy of works-righteousness. Their backsliding is clearly stated in Galatians 3:3—"Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
Crowder, relying primarily on the Unio Mystica passages of Galatians 2, Ephesians 4, and Romans 6, asserts that the Reformers’ separation of Justification and Sanctification is a form of the selfsame Galatian Bewitchment. Rather than having a passive righteousness that is perfect in Christ and an active righteousness that is a work-in-progress throughout the life of the believer, Hyper Grace teaches that you are totally sanctified at the moment of belief—you no longer have a sin nature and cannot be considered a “sinner” in any real sense. Crowder’s goal is to persuade believers to stop viewing themselves as sinners and wallowing in a defeatist mindset. He urges the reader who has been born again to view themselves as holy, sanctified, and even “perfect”.
The Good
While ultimately I must demur from the core tenets and conclusions of Hyper Grace theology, I would first like to explore some of its positive attributes as expressed in the book. In the first place, I agree that an unhealthy defeatist attitude toward sin has a grip on the church. With regularity, sinful behavior is trivialized—if not excused—with trite phrases such as "I’m just a sinner saved by grace" or "nobody’s perfect". In fact, the New Testament does not use this language of believers, whom Paul refers to as “saints”, “the body of Christ”, “the new man”, “the temple of the Holy Spirit”, and more.[1] While believers are not said to be sinless or perfectly mature,[2] the general disposition of the Christian is righteousness in the mind of the Apostle. This ought to be reflected in our own mindset as well.
Crowder explains, “We’re not saying it is “impossible” for a Christian to sin. But we are saying that you don’t have to sin another day in your life because you are now completely evil free. Living with sin is not your standard. Normative Christianity is sin-free living because you are thoroughly cleansed of evil. You are not a sinner.”[3]
As one of my former pastors used to say, we never “have” to sin as Christians. While we cannot deny the reality of sin after salvation, I agree that we should not view sinful behavior as the standard of normative Christianity. We must use the same language of ourselves that Scripture uses. Sinning should be the exception, not the rule, once the “old man” has been crucified to Christ and we live according to the Spirit.
Too often, in my opinion, the church has seen the cross as the impetus for forgiveness alone and not of the rebirth. We have been trained to believe—whether implicitly or explicitly—that one who “accepts Jesus into their heart” is now eternally “saved”, but that their practical lives need not necessarily change. Yet the Scriptures speak of the reality of regeneration, of new life, of being born of the Spirit and putting off the old man.[4] Additionally, the book of 1 John is filled with marks of the individual who abides in God: love, obedience, dwelling in the light, etc. To this end, I commend Crowder’s earnest effort to reframe our diminished understanding of the power of the cross. Indeed, even on a human level, faith precedes action. And the power of believing strongly in the new birth will go a long way in producing fruits of holiness.
I also give credit for the author’s efforts to dismantle the Galatian Bewitchment of the church. It has been a constant temptation since the beginning of Christianity to return to a form of works-righteousness after the time of repentance and faith. This is one area that even Crowder admits the Reformers excelled in. They had a supreme view of the sovereignty of God in making sinners righteous. They held to a strictly monergistic soteriology—they attributed nothing of their salvation to their own efforts. In my view, this profound reliance on "the God who justifies"[5] must be recovered if we are to maintain peace with God.
Finally, I compliment Crowder on his critiques of the “Charismatic Voodoo” that has infiltrated the church in recent decades. Many have become absorbed in and committed to elaborate formulas to the end of invoking the Holy Spirit, so much so that it has turned into something that looks eerily like witchcraft. For some, if they don’t blow the shofar or anoint with oil in just the right fashion, the Spirit is unlikely to “show up”. These formulas are typically built on good past experiences that are subsequently idolized and canonized, such that the believer is deceived into thinking "this is how God always works". Crowder blows this mindset out of the water, emphasizing again God’s sovereign will in displaying His power as He chooses. This self-policing of the charismatic movement is much needed and appreciated.
These compliments being said, I must reject the final destination of these trajectories that Crowder teaches in Mystical Union, as we shall see.
Critiques
Since the very beginning of Christian writing, great attention has been given to the topic of sin after repentance and salvation. Christian documents as early as the second-century Shepherd of Hermas dealt with this issue directly.[6] The Roman Catholic church has developed, over the centuries, systematic prescriptions of penance to deal with the guilt of the believer’s sins. The Reformers, on the other hand, held fast to their doctrine of passive righteousness, but they still exhorted believers to live a constant life of repentance, in light of the sins that the Christian inevitably commits after regeneration.
Crowder takes a different approach than either of these: He claims that, once you have been reborn, the sin nature no longer exists:
“The truth is that you do not have to kill off or fight those negative emotions or sinful appetites. The truth is that the old appetites have already died. Stop trying to shadowbox something that doesn’t exist. Agree with the truth, that you are a new creation. You don’t make yourself new. Stop striving. Rest in the reality that the old you is dead and powerless. It was nailed to the tree.”[7]
For Crowder, sin from a believer is redefined as “a momentary lapse in judgment”, and the solution is not to confess your sins to the Lord and ask forgiveness. Rather, the solution is to realize your way into holiness, simply “[b]e who you really are” and go along your way.[8] This is the point at which the weaknesses of Crowder’s paradigm start to show. This praxis of virtually dismissing sin rather than gravely recognizing and confessing it stands completely out of touch with both church history and everyday experience. It even calls into question whether someone holding to this theology could legitimately pray the Lord’s Prayer ("Forgive us our debts").
Crowder goes on to deny the need to please God or seek God, as we are already pleasing to God and have already found him through the work of the cross. In the first place, such a teaching struggles to make sense of Paul’s many exhortations for the Christian life, in particular his command to “try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord”.[9] Further, much if not most of the Psalter—which has been a guide for Christian prayer from the very beginning—would have to be discarded, as it contains prayer after prayer of the writer’s earnest attempts to seek the Lord. And the book is filled with lamentations for those seasons of the Lord withdrawing his presence. Such prayers would be reduced to a mere historical curiosity and could not be prayed by us or used to understand our own experiences of prayer.
Perhaps one of the biggest faux pas committed by Crowder is his simplistic reduction of the term “sanctification” in the New Testament to refer to complete practical holiness. The Reformers taught a concept of sanctification more akin to a sliding scale, wherein the believer becomes more practically holy as the Lord works in his or her life. Crowder asserts a more binary paradigm, wherein sanctification comes to mean 100% moral perfection at the time of faith and salvation.[10]
It is true that several New Testament uses of the word sanctification refer to a past-tense event when speaking of believers.[11] The base definition of the word refers to “setting apart” and may be applied to a number of things. However, Crowder reads his own very specific definition into the word as it appears in Scripture. Whereas sanctification may in some cases refer to the Holy Spirit’s setting apart of believers for ultimate salvation[12] or, alternatively, separation from the fleshly ways of the Gentiles,[13] Crowder flattens out the term in every passage to mean the complete eradication of any sin nature in the believer.
The Reformers were clearly aware of the various referents of the term sanctification in Scripture, but their own use of the word as a theological category was very specific: the gradual progress of practical morality in the life of the believer, empowered by the work of the Holy Spirit. In his attempt to dismantle this doctrine of progressive sanctification, Crowder points out that the term sanctification is used in a past-tense sense with regard to believers, and he uses this fact to claim that he has debunked hundreds of years of teaching on the subject. In reality, he is flattening all nuances of the Scriptural word into one idiosyncratic definition, and he is conflating the Reformers’ theological category with any and every use of the word in the New Testament. This methodology simply has no leg to stand on.
In the end, the paradigm that Crowder is selling must, of necessity, introduce its own form of confession and repentance, though under different terminology. Sprinkled here and there throughout the book in small asides, Crowder disclaims that it’s not “impossible” for the believer to sin, and he speaks of what to do when you have the aforementioned “momentary lapse of judgment”. Instead of admitting your sins in prayer, asking for power to overcome temptations in the future, the “finished work” believer is exhorted to realize that such behavior is not who he or she really is. One must realize that they are holy, and by doing so he or she will act in holiness in the future. Instead of growing more practically holy, we are growing more mature. This is Crowder’s understanding of “renewing the mind”. No confession or repentance is necessary. In fact, such would be an insult to the finished work of Christ! Yet this process of “realization” and self-affirmation after instances of sinning becomes its own version of the “penance” that Crowder derides so vehemently. So we end up back at square one, and now we are perhaps worse off, as we are no longer able to take comfort in the many Scriptural prayers of repentance, which are solely to be employed by unbelievers—and only once!
Conclusion
While I appreciate some of the emphases that Crowder is seeking to restore to the church’s mindset, I am forced to reject his main thesis. His case from Scripture is rather weak and requires cherry picking both verses and translations, failing to account for New Testament exhortations of right living. Beyond that, his teaching is simply out of touch with personal experience, and intuition alone is nearly enough to reject it. In this book, we are asked to throw away nearly every teaching on the subject from the first century up until today. Of course he makes the same claim as the sixteenth-century Reformers—that he is simply recovering a teaching that had been lost. Yet unlike the Reformers, he fails to substantiate his teaching from Scripture.
For those interested in further discussion of the topic, Michael L. Brown, Ph.D. has published a well-researched book on the topic, entitled Hyper Grace: Exposing the Dangers of the Modern Grace Message.
This review was originally published on mattmcguireDOTnet
Footnotes:
1. I tend to agree with Crowder’s take on Romans 7—that Paul’s self-description in the passage is of his life prior to regeneration.
2. See Paul’s comment that they are “foolish” in Galatians 3:1 (translated “idiots” in some renderings).
3. Crowder, John. Mystical Union. Santa Cruz, CA: Sons of Thunder Ministries & Publications, 2010. Kindle Edition. Kindle Location 413.
4. See John 3, Ephesians 4. All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version.
5. Romans 4:5.
6. See especially Shepherd of Hermas 31:6, “But I say unto you,” saith he, “if after this great and holy calling any one, being tempted of the devil, shall commit sin, he hath only one (opportunity of) repentance. But if he sin off-hand and repent, repentance is unprofitable for such a man; for he shall live with difficulty.”
7. Mystical Union. Kindle Location 397.
8. Ibid. Kindle Location 596.
9. Ephesians 5:10.
10. It is fair to say that Crowder would bifurcate “moral perfection” from “complete maturity”. For him, the former is attained at salvation, while the latter is a growth process.
11. E.g. 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Acts 26:18.
12. Perhaps 1 Corinthians 1:2 would be a good example.
13. E.g. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5.
December 3, 2016
Dangerous book, and I don't mean dangerous in the good way. John Crowder follows that line of thinking that Paul's report of his struggle with sin in the book of Romans chapter seven was his experience prior to his conversion. The danger in that interpretation is that people will believe that the Christian life must be one of victory over sin, lest they prove themselves not saved. This can and has been for countless numbers a crushing, despairing teaching, a teaching that creates Pharisees and rebels (those who give up because they can't measure up).
Read Rod Rosenbladt's "The Gospel For Those Broken By the Church."
Read Rod Rosenbladt's "The Gospel For Those Broken By the Church."
January 1, 2018
Similar to Benjamin Dunn's Happy Gospel, Crowder here shines a light on the truly good news of Christ's finished work. From what I understand, his views of the atonement in this work are different from where he stands now and I'm good with that. This book was still a breath of fresh air in a world of Christian publishing that focuses on the half-steps and half-measures that we could scarcely call sanctification and healing. The church needs more voices like Crowders, even if his may be a bit more provocative than some are comfortable with. See the pastoral heart and theological strength in what is saying and dig deeper into the finished work of Christ for yourself.
May 12, 2012
Love it. Sanity at last to conflicting doctrines that often people are reluctant to face. This should be required reading for all new Christians, maybe old as well. It challenges the reader to face the reality of what the cross has accomplish now and forever. It may sound simple, but the ramifications will rock your world resulting in a peaceful bliss and heavenly fruit. This is groundbreaking.
March 24, 2015
Overall: Read this book. Read it!
Crowder writes like he teaches on YouTube. He is as hilarious as he is insightful and thought-provoking. If you are a christian in need of a jolt out of the rut you have been in lately, then pick up this book and get ready to scoop your brains off the wall.
I would recommend this to: you!
Crowder writes like he teaches on YouTube. He is as hilarious as he is insightful and thought-provoking. If you are a christian in need of a jolt out of the rut you have been in lately, then pick up this book and get ready to scoop your brains off the wall.
I would recommend this to: you!
September 23, 2012
Scandalous Grace… Fun Gospel… Effortless Freedom… What are you reading about?
Without any doubts this is one of the best books I’ve EVER read in life. Worth being read 777 times until the revelation of “Grace” has been fully internalised. Grace? Yeah, Mystical Union is a must read re Grace, yet, as the author names it, SCANDALOUS GRACE. This masterpiece will open your eyes to the fact that Grace is indeed unfair. You DON’T deserve it. But, you know what? This is God’s way: He loves being gracious and good.
What Jesus Christ’s accomplished on the cross has made it possible to have a union with God (in Christ) in an instant and effortless way. How? It happens in the first moment you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who came to this Earth to die (and resurrect) to save you. Believe in Jesus and your union with God is immediate. So, does it mean I have nothing to do with my own hands to be united with God through Christ? A SOUND “YES” FOR THAT. I’d rather paste the verse from the Bible here that supports this point:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by WORKS, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:9-10)
Ok, but, hold on, this is not different from any other book about Grace. Well, the author wouldn’t stop there. And I wouldn’t stop an hour just to write a review that you can easily find anywhere. John goes further and explains about the myth that many have created regarding something as simple as Grace. John is so bold in the way he writes! You may even get shocked by his writing! But you get shocked and you love it! You want it more… As if you were asking him: “yes, hit me on my face with your truths”. They are such a surprise for you that you wonder where Crowder has been that he didn’t show up before in your life.
He asserts that people have transformed the gospel into something hard to be understood. Crowder doesn’t hold his horses to say that we have made the gospel something heavy to be carried. Maybe that’s why many individuals think that they will never get closer to God because it requires a lot from them. What a lie! God doesn’t ask you to clean yourself to get closer to Him. He only wants you to… BELIEVE! Simple like that. Crowder reminds us that the definition of “gospel” means good news. Well, if what you have heard is NOT good… that was NOT the gospel of Jesus.
You may check your own dictionary. For instance, look up the word “gospel” in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and you will get surprised with one definition about it: a set of ideas that someone believes in very strongly and tries to persuade other people to accept. Hmm… if the gospel is good news, why would we try to persuade other people to accept it? The gospel is what Jesus has taught us and He did NOT preach about bad news. Truth will set you free. God’s truth will set you FREE! But with the time, the gospel became a burden for our shoulders as if we had to do many things to be united with God.
In addition, another point that the author makes (and in my opinion, the best of all) is the fact that SANCTIFICATION IS NOT A PROCESS! Did you hear me? Sanctification is NOT a process. Excuse me? But, what about those people that say that I am under a process of sanctification? Hmmm, ask them to read this book. John Crowder… Hold on, I think I’ll write down exactly what the author says because I really wish you could read this book with your own eyes:
-----The word people use for this supposed process of killing the old self is “sanctification.” It is widely believed that sanctification is a lifelong, extended journey of becoming holy. A process of removing sin – progressively having one’s soul purged over an entire lifetime.
The Greek verb “to sanctify” does not mean to “purge and purify over a period of time.” The word “hagiazo” simply means to “set apart” or to “make separate for God.” The moment you were saved, you were set apart for God. Sanctification is not a process. It is a Person. The Bible tells me so!
And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30, ESV).
He is your sanctification. Any system that tries to draw your attention away from the person of Christ and onto your own efforts is antichrist in nature. Your union with God is not an incomplete relationship that comes progressively. Time is not the magic formula that makes you holy. Jesus’ sacrifice made you holy. Christ’s work was enough to purify you, spirit, soul and body.
Often, when intellectuals cannot explain something adequately, they use the element of “time” as a magic ingredient to cover up their lack of understanding. For instance, how can brilliant scientists really believe a ridiculous fallacy such as evolution? How did humans defeat the exponentially impossible odds to evolve from inanimate mud? Simple. Add a magic ingredient called “billions and billions of years!” Anybody will believe it!------
Awestruck by what you just read? Same here! Can I scream it to the whole world how we make things complicated? I think that the gospel is so fun that we couldn’t believe that it was so simple and we had to do something to look real for us. We already feel undeserving, and then, God comes up with this great idea of doing everything by HIMSELF and leaving nothing for us to do apart from believing in Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross.
This is what the author calls the “Galatian bewitchment”. In the book of Galatian in the Bible, you see how the Galatian people wanted to “WORK” for their salvation. They wanted to work for the gift, an attempt to get something that you already have. Salvation is already yours. They wanted to prove that through their efforts they could be saved. NO! The work was done on the cross and guess what? BY JESUS CHRIST! The author says: rather than attributing the breakthrough to “faith”, they quickly attribute the victory to the “discipline” they were exercising at the time. Self takes credit.
However, the credit is not yours, but Jesus’.
There’s much more I wish I could write here about such a beautiful topic as Grace. When you read this type of book, you feel relieved, as if the burden was taken off of your shoulders. I’ve always thought that I had to be a good girl and do good so that God could be happy with me. But, God is happy with Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross and, yes, God is happy with me but only when I BELIEVE that Jesus is His Son and through Him we are united to God. We have to take the focus out of ourselves and place it on Jesus. What’s left for you? Faith? Because without faith is impossible for you to please God. Good works will just be a RESULT of your union with God. Good works will be a consequence of such a happy union with Christ. You will be united with God, you’ll start thinking like Him and you will want to help your neighbour, do good works. But you’re not supposed to boast about it to have salvation. Your self won’t take the credit. All credit to God and as John Crowder states:
“I have determined to be mesmerized by nothing but the cross.” (page 141)
And, yeah, you can get a copy of this book online. Have fun! Have faith! Have Grace!
Larissa Fauber
Without any doubts this is one of the best books I’ve EVER read in life. Worth being read 777 times until the revelation of “Grace” has been fully internalised. Grace? Yeah, Mystical Union is a must read re Grace, yet, as the author names it, SCANDALOUS GRACE. This masterpiece will open your eyes to the fact that Grace is indeed unfair. You DON’T deserve it. But, you know what? This is God’s way: He loves being gracious and good.
What Jesus Christ’s accomplished on the cross has made it possible to have a union with God (in Christ) in an instant and effortless way. How? It happens in the first moment you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who came to this Earth to die (and resurrect) to save you. Believe in Jesus and your union with God is immediate. So, does it mean I have nothing to do with my own hands to be united with God through Christ? A SOUND “YES” FOR THAT. I’d rather paste the verse from the Bible here that supports this point:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by WORKS, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:9-10)
Ok, but, hold on, this is not different from any other book about Grace. Well, the author wouldn’t stop there. And I wouldn’t stop an hour just to write a review that you can easily find anywhere. John goes further and explains about the myth that many have created regarding something as simple as Grace. John is so bold in the way he writes! You may even get shocked by his writing! But you get shocked and you love it! You want it more… As if you were asking him: “yes, hit me on my face with your truths”. They are such a surprise for you that you wonder where Crowder has been that he didn’t show up before in your life.
He asserts that people have transformed the gospel into something hard to be understood. Crowder doesn’t hold his horses to say that we have made the gospel something heavy to be carried. Maybe that’s why many individuals think that they will never get closer to God because it requires a lot from them. What a lie! God doesn’t ask you to clean yourself to get closer to Him. He only wants you to… BELIEVE! Simple like that. Crowder reminds us that the definition of “gospel” means good news. Well, if what you have heard is NOT good… that was NOT the gospel of Jesus.
You may check your own dictionary. For instance, look up the word “gospel” in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and you will get surprised with one definition about it: a set of ideas that someone believes in very strongly and tries to persuade other people to accept. Hmm… if the gospel is good news, why would we try to persuade other people to accept it? The gospel is what Jesus has taught us and He did NOT preach about bad news. Truth will set you free. God’s truth will set you FREE! But with the time, the gospel became a burden for our shoulders as if we had to do many things to be united with God.
In addition, another point that the author makes (and in my opinion, the best of all) is the fact that SANCTIFICATION IS NOT A PROCESS! Did you hear me? Sanctification is NOT a process. Excuse me? But, what about those people that say that I am under a process of sanctification? Hmmm, ask them to read this book. John Crowder… Hold on, I think I’ll write down exactly what the author says because I really wish you could read this book with your own eyes:
-----The word people use for this supposed process of killing the old self is “sanctification.” It is widely believed that sanctification is a lifelong, extended journey of becoming holy. A process of removing sin – progressively having one’s soul purged over an entire lifetime.
The Greek verb “to sanctify” does not mean to “purge and purify over a period of time.” The word “hagiazo” simply means to “set apart” or to “make separate for God.” The moment you were saved, you were set apart for God. Sanctification is not a process. It is a Person. The Bible tells me so!
And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30, ESV).
He is your sanctification. Any system that tries to draw your attention away from the person of Christ and onto your own efforts is antichrist in nature. Your union with God is not an incomplete relationship that comes progressively. Time is not the magic formula that makes you holy. Jesus’ sacrifice made you holy. Christ’s work was enough to purify you, spirit, soul and body.
Often, when intellectuals cannot explain something adequately, they use the element of “time” as a magic ingredient to cover up their lack of understanding. For instance, how can brilliant scientists really believe a ridiculous fallacy such as evolution? How did humans defeat the exponentially impossible odds to evolve from inanimate mud? Simple. Add a magic ingredient called “billions and billions of years!” Anybody will believe it!------
Awestruck by what you just read? Same here! Can I scream it to the whole world how we make things complicated? I think that the gospel is so fun that we couldn’t believe that it was so simple and we had to do something to look real for us. We already feel undeserving, and then, God comes up with this great idea of doing everything by HIMSELF and leaving nothing for us to do apart from believing in Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross.
This is what the author calls the “Galatian bewitchment”. In the book of Galatian in the Bible, you see how the Galatian people wanted to “WORK” for their salvation. They wanted to work for the gift, an attempt to get something that you already have. Salvation is already yours. They wanted to prove that through their efforts they could be saved. NO! The work was done on the cross and guess what? BY JESUS CHRIST! The author says: rather than attributing the breakthrough to “faith”, they quickly attribute the victory to the “discipline” they were exercising at the time. Self takes credit.
However, the credit is not yours, but Jesus’.
There’s much more I wish I could write here about such a beautiful topic as Grace. When you read this type of book, you feel relieved, as if the burden was taken off of your shoulders. I’ve always thought that I had to be a good girl and do good so that God could be happy with me. But, God is happy with Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross and, yes, God is happy with me but only when I BELIEVE that Jesus is His Son and through Him we are united to God. We have to take the focus out of ourselves and place it on Jesus. What’s left for you? Faith? Because without faith is impossible for you to please God. Good works will just be a RESULT of your union with God. Good works will be a consequence of such a happy union with Christ. You will be united with God, you’ll start thinking like Him and you will want to help your neighbour, do good works. But you’re not supposed to boast about it to have salvation. Your self won’t take the credit. All credit to God and as John Crowder states:
“I have determined to be mesmerized by nothing but the cross.” (page 141)
And, yeah, you can get a copy of this book online. Have fun! Have faith! Have Grace!
Larissa Fauber
November 3, 2018
It took me the entire book to get anything out of it, and while I did come to an understanding of the point of Crowder's focus, there are considerable problems. The first assertion that Christians, if they are really, truly Christians, do not sin is an extremely difficult pill to swallow. He didn't clarify what he meant by this, how Christians can possibly, demonstrably be without a sinful nature or a flesh at all, until the end of the last part of this book. I guess I stuck it out long enough to be told that if you sin, you should stop calling yourself a Christian or repent and grow. He could have better explained how this growth works, since he denies that anyone can be any closer to God than they already are.
Probably the most egregious claim was that Paul is more important than Christ in reading the Bible. He asserts that since Paul came after the crucifixion, and since Jesus spoke "only" about the law, that we should focus on Paul's writings, since he was chosen by God, and furthermore we should view the entire Bible through a Pauline lens. He even recommends only reading the writings of Paul for an entire year (and, I assume, forget about any other Scripture).
There are a few things I can appreciate about this book, and one has to do with having confidence that I have access to God right at this moment. I also like his stance that we can relax in Christ and receive the love of Christ and that we don't need to strive terribly hard to flow with the Spirit of God. I don't know that I quite agree that no effort is needed, but it was a refreshing idea.
It's a good thing this book is short, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to put forth the effort to read it. I'm not against his "new mystics" but there are plenty of holes and strange ideas. Not sure if I'll put in the time to read anything else by John Crowder.
Probably the most egregious claim was that Paul is more important than Christ in reading the Bible. He asserts that since Paul came after the crucifixion, and since Jesus spoke "only" about the law, that we should focus on Paul's writings, since he was chosen by God, and furthermore we should view the entire Bible through a Pauline lens. He even recommends only reading the writings of Paul for an entire year (and, I assume, forget about any other Scripture).
There are a few things I can appreciate about this book, and one has to do with having confidence that I have access to God right at this moment. I also like his stance that we can relax in Christ and receive the love of Christ and that we don't need to strive terribly hard to flow with the Spirit of God. I don't know that I quite agree that no effort is needed, but it was a refreshing idea.
It's a good thing this book is short, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to put forth the effort to read it. I'm not against his "new mystics" but there are plenty of holes and strange ideas. Not sure if I'll put in the time to read anything else by John Crowder.
November 11, 2019
Don't let the title scare you away!
This is not some new age nonsense that will have you chanting to Ramtha. It will most likely give you a "fresh" perspective on what Christ meant when he said "It is finished." The "fresh" aspect is actually nothing new at all. What is "fresh" is a clear explanation of the "Good News." Somehow, over centuries, the "Good News" was turned into religious news. The Apostle Paul was fighting this very thing in his epistles. John Crowder is among a growing number of people calling believers to the joy and simplicity of grace-filled faith. His style may not suit everyone, but the book is definitely worth reading for a close examination of scripture from a point of view not heard nearly enough (in my opinion).
This is not some new age nonsense that will have you chanting to Ramtha. It will most likely give you a "fresh" perspective on what Christ meant when he said "It is finished." The "fresh" aspect is actually nothing new at all. What is "fresh" is a clear explanation of the "Good News." Somehow, over centuries, the "Good News" was turned into religious news. The Apostle Paul was fighting this very thing in his epistles. John Crowder is among a growing number of people calling believers to the joy and simplicity of grace-filled faith. His style may not suit everyone, but the book is definitely worth reading for a close examination of scripture from a point of view not heard nearly enough (in my opinion).
January 2, 2020
Much of this book is like a fresh wind that lifts religious burdens off of your shoulders.
Even though I think this book is a must-read, I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because while portions of the first half of the book are mind-blowingly awesome, some of the second half (or maybe last third) gets a little repetitive and scattered. That said, I think these concepts are VERY important. It's so easy to accidentally get caught up in worship songs or teachings that beg for things we already possess in Christ, and before you know it you feel burdened, downtrodden, oppressed, etc. Life in Christ is really so SIMPLE, so RESTFUL. This book was an excellent reminder of those things and really blew through some popular religious lies.
Even though I think this book is a must-read, I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because while portions of the first half of the book are mind-blowingly awesome, some of the second half (or maybe last third) gets a little repetitive and scattered. That said, I think these concepts are VERY important. It's so easy to accidentally get caught up in worship songs or teachings that beg for things we already possess in Christ, and before you know it you feel burdened, downtrodden, oppressed, etc. Life in Christ is really so SIMPLE, so RESTFUL. This book was an excellent reminder of those things and really blew through some popular religious lies.
March 31, 2019
Challenging yet So Encouraging
I know that Crowder is very controversial but I picked up this book and was so encouraged by what I read. He introduces us to a new way of looking at what it means to be followers of Christ - attacking much of what has crept into the church that is actually at odds with what the New Testament actually teaches. This book is challenging, yet freeing!
I know that Crowder is very controversial but I picked up this book and was so encouraged by what I read. He introduces us to a new way of looking at what it means to be followers of Christ - attacking much of what has crept into the church that is actually at odds with what the New Testament actually teaches. This book is challenging, yet freeing!
October 24, 2019
Foundation truth regarding our relationship with the triune God!
As usual, John's insights are enlightening, encouraging, and entertaining. He effectivly breaks down, and exposes, the dualistic mindset of the western church regarding how we see God, and how it effects what we believe. This in turn effects how we live.
As usual, John's insights are enlightening, encouraging, and entertaining. He effectivly breaks down, and exposes, the dualistic mindset of the western church regarding how we see God, and how it effects what we believe. This in turn effects how we live.
April 8, 2022
This book challenges a lot of theological points of view that I have just accepted. It made me think a little deeper into concepts of grace, religion, and sin. The author makes a lot of bold statements which made me adjust my thinking on stuff I've always believed it made me wonder why I always had that point of view and what my foundation is set on in my faith.
March 19, 2019
This is the best book, short of the Bible itself, that I have ever read. If you don’t like being challenged or compelled to examine things you’ve believed your whole life, don’t waste your time. But if you want to be sharpened and grow in revelation, you came to the right place.
January 6, 2021
Great book!
I truly enjoyed reading this book! John really challenges a lot of old thinking to cause you to see the bible clearly! I love the effortless union John breaks down all throughout the book!
I truly enjoyed reading this book! John really challenges a lot of old thinking to cause you to see the bible clearly! I love the effortless union John breaks down all throughout the book!
August 29, 2018
Living Waters
Oh man...shattered my false christocentric world view. It's almost too scandalous to wrap my being around, the work of the cross is profound beyond my wildest dreams
Oh man...shattered my false christocentric world view. It's almost too scandalous to wrap my being around, the work of the cross is profound beyond my wildest dreams
July 24, 2020
The reality of The Gospel.
A book which unveils context at a time when verses out of context are used to control and manipulate people.
Wonderful Perfect Union.
A book which unveils context at a time when verses out of context are used to control and manipulate people.
Wonderful Perfect Union.
February 12, 2021
Perfect read!
I have given many copies of this book to people. To equip, to encourage, to remind people of who they are...in Christ!
I have given many copies of this book to people. To equip, to encourage, to remind people of who they are...in Christ!
May 31, 2021
I've read this book three times and referenced it innumerable times. This book destroyed the lie of separation for me.
January 13, 2023
Unparalleled ideas from Crowder here. Excellent glimpse into mystical reality. Well-written.
May 5, 2019
To loosely paraphrase Mystical Union author John Crowder, "Religion is like digging a ditch. Experiencing God is like riding a wave." This book is about the latter.
January 5, 2013
It's all about rest.
"Any system of religious belief that puts the emphasis on what you need to do for the Lord, rather than what He has done for you, detracts from the Glory of God and spits on the work of the gospel."
"Christianity is perfectly easy or perfectly impossible. It depends on who's running the ship."
"You will get out of God what you believe about Him. Believe He is harsh and that's what will manifest in your life. Believe He is good and you will experience His goodness. Let it be according to thy faith."
"I can never approach my wife and say, 'Dear, I have washed the dishes and mowed the lawn for you for twenty years. I don't enjoy you, but I have worked for you. Therefore, I truly love you.' This over-emphasis on self-sacrifice and human effort is so silly that a child could see through it."
"Any system of religious belief that puts the emphasis on what you need to do for the Lord, rather than what He has done for you, detracts from the Glory of God and spits on the work of the gospel."
"Christianity is perfectly easy or perfectly impossible. It depends on who's running the ship."
"You will get out of God what you believe about Him. Believe He is harsh and that's what will manifest in your life. Believe He is good and you will experience His goodness. Let it be according to thy faith."
"I can never approach my wife and say, 'Dear, I have washed the dishes and mowed the lawn for you for twenty years. I don't enjoy you, but I have worked for you. Therefore, I truly love you.' This over-emphasis on self-sacrifice and human effort is so silly that a child could see through it."
April 28, 2011
Man, very interesting book. Challenges mainstream ideas of Christianity, especially with regards to who you are as a Christian. Very cognitive; didn't fully explain some ideas but the to the point writing style was great apprecited, and it didn't drag at all like some theological books tend to.
Not overtly applicable, but the theology presented was very compelling and moving.
Would recommend to anyone looking to maybe have their views of Jesus & Christianity shift, but would prepare them for the author's sometimes abrasive voice that some might take offensively.
Pretty quick read, it's definitely challenged me and changed my views on several things!
Not overtly applicable, but the theology presented was very compelling and moving.
Would recommend to anyone looking to maybe have their views of Jesus & Christianity shift, but would prepare them for the author's sometimes abrasive voice that some might take offensively.
Pretty quick read, it's definitely challenged me and changed my views on several things!
December 29, 2013
This book is a must for all confessing Christians, to put in check what you believe and how you believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My personnal experience reading it was firstly to recongnize that I had a Galatian theology based on my own efforts and denying my physical body to attain what I already had in me, Christ.
This book is thouroughly biblical and is theologically sound as can be. I now know that theology is not bad and that I never heard the complete preaching of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ before reading "Mystical Union".
In the book you will find a fondamental look at new creation which is ours because we have union with Jesus Christ.
This book is thouroughly biblical and is theologically sound as can be. I now know that theology is not bad and that I never heard the complete preaching of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ before reading "Mystical Union".
In the book you will find a fondamental look at new creation which is ours because we have union with Jesus Christ.
April 12, 2017
I'm still thinking about what my opinion is of this book. There some point where Crowder (or should I say God through Crowder) hits a home-run and clarifies some things I've been struggling with. There are other parts which seem to either be in conflict with the rest of the book or seem theologically problematic. I still have to wrap my head around it to give a detailed review, especially as his Grace message and the contents of this book are presented as an all-or-nothing message - either everything in it fits and works or nothing does - and so I'll have to go over it again before I give a "final judgement".
January 25, 2013
This book came at just the right time. It was God saying "Enough is enough!" Stop trying to get free from your sinful past! My efforts are powerless. I must acknowledge who I am IN CHRIST. This book opened my eyes to the conflicting theological garbage I had accepted to justify why I still struggled with some sinful behaviors. This finally exposed that it was all a sham! I have been co-crucified with Christ! That old me has no power, I don't have to obey him. I am a completely new person in every way! "The flavor of faith is rest [in Jesus]."
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