Also by this author: The Cross in Four Words
Published by Crossway on August 15, 2023
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life, Theology
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Bestselling Author Kevin DeYoung Offers Hope for Those Who Feel Like Christianity Has Become Hopelessly Crushing and Complex
The apostle Paul described the Christian life as a race, but to many believers it feels more like a punishing obstacle course. Fearing they’ll never be able to do enough or give enough or be enough, they see themselves as spiritual failures. But Scripture offers good news: even in ordinary life, Christians can be faithful, fruitful, and pleasing to God.
Impossible Christianity reassures readers that they don’t need to feel a collective sense of guilt for sins in the past and solve every societal problem in the present. Through biblical wisdom and engaging personal stories, Kevin DeYoung challenges the misconception that we need 40 hours in the day just to be good Christians. By reflecting on what Jesus actually taught about Christian discipleship, readers will be newly encouraged to pursue single-minded devotion to God and find lasting joy in a life of sincere and simple obedience.
By Bestselling Writer Kevin DeYoung: Author of books including The Biggest Story; Just Do Something; and Crazy Busy
Applicable: Written in a conversational tone, this book addresses Christian life issues including guilt, corporate responsibility, personal disciplines, assurance of salvation, and righteousness
Offers Strength for Weary Christians: Helps believers answer the question, Can we please God and live a happy life in this anxious age?
In this short book, Kevin DeYoung shares a refreshing, helpful take on what it really means to follow Jesus. He writes with a pastoral heart for people who feel discouraged, overwhelmed, and beaten down in their spiritual lives, and he explores how many “requirements” that Christians take for granted are a product of church culture, rather than commanded by God. DeYoung writes about how even though many people believe that they have to change the world, be involved in every social cause imaginable, be an expert in every hot-button topic, evangelize at every moment, and constantly feel guilty for their failures, God does not expect anyone to fulfill the evangelical Christian ideal of spiritual perfection.
DeYoung takes God’s true commands seriously, and he guards against ways that people could misinterpret his message to justify sin and spiritual apathy. He carefully considers potential objections along the way, backs up his stance with Scripture, and maintains an emphasis on the gospel of Christ, not our own actions. One major emphasis is that even though we are all sinners, that doesn’t mean that everything we do is bad, or that we must dismiss genuinely good deeds as worthless just because they might have been tainted by sinful motives. He gently guides people away from unhealthy levels of introspection, explaining that since God tells us to be obedient, this means that obedience is a real category. We cannot perfectly please God, but we can truly please God.
As the lengthy subtitle indicates, DeYoung tackles a lot of different topics here. Some chapters will resonate with some readers more than others, but they are all very encouraging, clear, and well-reasoned. DeYoung express complex ideas in very clear ways, and I was consistently impressed by how concise he is. I might have taken five pages to say the same thing, but he could say it in two paragraphs! I admire his clarity and brevity, and he is also frequently humorous. I really enjoyed this book, and I appreciate how short it is, since that will make it more accessible to overwhelmed Christians who need this message.
I particularly appreciated the chapter about “the infinite extensibility of guilt,” in which people feel personally responsible to respond to every global problem, feel guilty for historic sins tied to any activity or institution they are involved in, and feel guilty for the past sins of their ancestors. DeYoung has a very thoughtful take, exploring relevant Scriptures to show how the Bible both upholds and greatly limits the concept of corporate responsibility. I appreciate his admonition that “past sins can be recognized and renounced, even if we are not required specifically to repent of them.” I appreciate how he validates the impact of historic sins while also freeing people to stop thinking that it’s a moral requirement for them to self-flagellate over their ancestors’ deeds.
Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time is an excellent book for Christians who struggle to feel assured of their faith, are weighed down by misplaced guilt, or feel like they are second-class Christians because they aren’t Doing Big Things For God in the ways they think they should. DeYoung is sensitive to the overwhelming guilt that many Christians feel, and he shares thoughtful, biblical, and nuanced perspectives that can be encouraging and helpful to a wide variety of people.