A Whole New You
by Dr. Tony Evans
Published by Multnomah Publishers
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Reviewed by Bob Pike CSP, CPAE
This book is a modern-day C.S. Lewis Problem of Pain and Mere Christianity rolled into one. As a Christian, do you experience all of the blessings of God that you want? Are you free of the sin that has so easily pulled you down in the past? Can you feel joy in the midst of problems? Are you experiencing the abundant life that Jesus promised? Are you willing to put up with painful situations if that is where you're supposed to be?
If you answered NO to any or all of these questions, but wish the answer was YES, then this book is a must-read. It provides a very practical look at scriptures that we all recognize, but seldom really understand. Scriptures like:
--James 1: "When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my dear brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends;
--Romans 8:28: "Now we know that all things work together for God to those that love God, to those that are called according to His purpose"; and
--John 14:16, 17: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Sprit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you will know Him because He abides in you and will be in you."
The central theme of this book is transformation. How can our lives be transformed from what they are to what God wants them to be? Notice that Evans' emphasis is on being transformed into what God wants us to be--not what we want. We are transformed when we desire to serve God according to His purpose for us, not our purpose for ourselves. So, if you believe that God really does want you to experience His best for you, then this book is a must-read. But don't simply read it--focus on it and absorb this pathway to transformation.
Armchair Interviews agrees.