Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ
Book Review • Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson, Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2009). Kindle Edition. 240 pp. $10.
Read time: 4 min
In their 2009 book release, Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson billboard God’s love as the answer to the emotional, behavioral, and relational problems in our world and in our lives. Importantly, they urge readers to consider the “twin messages of the cross—brutal honesty about our guilt and impotence and the glorious assurance of our welcome by the Father in his beloved Son” (loc. 133).
Knowing God’s Love for Personal Change
The first major of personal change is God's love for us. The authors critique the ineffective and varied solutions that exist outside of Christ, noting:
“Nothing that the world has to offer can change the human heart. Yes, of course we can learn to rearrange the furniture of our lives so that we seem tidier, more together, but no merely human means can ever free us from ourselves” (loc. 477).
Our love for God is an inevitable response to understanding His passionate love for us. God’s love, deep, expansive, and personal, has the power to liberate us from the enslavement to the false gods we serve—be they power, pride, respect, lust, romance, security, vanity, greed, or any of the myriad idols that tempt and trap us. Indeed,
“Love is the key to every sin problem in our lives both vertically, between ourselves and the Lord, and horizontally, between ourselves and others” (loc. 761).
The authors highlight central ideas from Scripture, emphasizing that God delights in us, is patient with us, and is committed to us, even to the extent of sending His Son to die for us. They warn that these life-changing truths have become 'white noise' for many, losing impact and freshness.
Two Types of Moralists
They introduce the terms ‘happy moralist’ and ‘sad moralist’ to further their discussion:
“The Happy Moralist needs to confront his laxity and self-love, while the Sad Moralist must realize that even his self-righteousness and self-loathing are signs of a heart too proud to forgo self-reliance and accept Christ's grace. Both need to understand they are loved and welcomed” (loc. 1709).
This concept is explored over several chapters, addressing key relationships and sin patterns.
“When in your counseling room or when you’re visiting with friends, pursuing a door of opportunity with a stranger on a bus, wrestling with your heart’s idols and unbelief, determine to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Remember what the gospel says about us: we are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe but we are also more loved and welcomed than we ever dared hope” (loc. 2843).
Changing Our “Glory Story”
The final chapters highlight the futility of Spiritless self-help, which perpetuates the self-destructive behaviors we may aim to overcome. They discuss the “glory story” that naturally drives us to seek significance and fulfillment in anything that promises to alleviate our innate sense of unease and emptiness. The authors guide readers toward living for the one true purpose for which we were created: to display and enjoy the all-satisfying glory of God.
“When in your counseling room or when you’re visiting with friends, pursuing a door of opportunity with a stranger on a bus, wrestling with your heart’s idols and unbelief, determine to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Remember what the gospel says about us: we are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe but we are also more loved and welcomed than we ever dared hope” (loc. 2843).
Clearly intended for both believers and non-believers weary of the rat-race and futile efforts at self-salvation, the book is refreshingly straightforward and enriched with stories and examples. I highly recommend it for anyone. ❖
