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The Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World Paperback – June 1, 2012

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 81 ratings

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In his well-received Christless Christianity, Michael Horton offered a prophetic wake-up call for a self-centered American church. With The Gospel-Driven Life he turns from the crisis to the solutions, offering his recommendations for a new reformation in the faith, practice, and witness of contemporary Christianity. This insightful book will guide readers in reorienting their faith and the church's purpose toward the Good News of the gospel. The first six chapters explore that breaking news from heaven, while the rest of the book focuses on the kind of community that the gospel generates and the surprising ways in which God is at work in the world. Here is fresh news for Christians who are burned out on hype and are looking for hope. Now available in trade paper.
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Editorial Reviews

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From the Back Cover

When did the Good News become just good advice?

We live in a self-help world. But Christianity doesn't work as just a moral philosophy or code of ethics. It makes sense only when it is built upon the foundation of the gospel, the Good News. The simple message that God has done everything he requires to reconcile sinners to himself is not just the church's slogan but its lifeblood.

In this candid and hopeful book, Michael Horton challenges us to reorient our faith and our Christian practice toward the transformative, Christ-centered gospel--both in the church and in the world.

"Mike Horton has once again hit the nail on the head. With engaging clarity he demonstrates that the gospel is not just for non-Christians; it's for Christians too. Horton's book is a flavorsome reminder that in order for Christians to make a difference in this world, we must be driven by something otherworldly--namely, the gospel."--Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and author of
Unfashionable

"Michael Horton is one who understands the time. More than a fad, a twelve-step program, or a forty-day challenge, Horton reminds us that the gospel is the everyday brick and mortar of a life built on the promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ. Before you read another book, read this one."--Anthony Carter, lead pastor of East Point Church, East Point, Georgia, and author of
On Being Black and Reformed

Michael Horton (PhD, University of Coventry and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford) is J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California. He hosts the White Horse Inn radio broadcast and is editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine. He is the author/editor of more than fifteen books, including Christless Christianity, The Gospel Commission, Putting Amazing Back into Grace, Introducing Covenant Theology.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Baker Books; Reprint edition (June 1, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0801014638
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0801014635
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.62 x 8.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 81 ratings

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Michael S. Horton
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MICHAEL S. HORTON (Ph.D., Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and Coventry University) is the J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sola Media, and host on White Horse Inn, a weekly roundtable podcast on theology and culture.

Dr. Horton has written over thirty books, including award-winning titles such as Justification (2 vols.), Putting Amazing Back into Grace: Embracing the Heart of the Gospel, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims Along the Way, and Christless Christianity. His most recent book is Shaman and Sage: The Roots of “Spiritual but Not Religious” in Antiquity, the first of three volumes in his intellectual history of “spiritual but not religious” as a phenomenon in Western culture.

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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Customers say

Customers find the book's gospel content insightful and helpful for understanding God's word. They describe it as a good read that expands their faith and provides practical advice, techniques, programs, ideas, and support. Many readers consider it a great read for every Christian, with more good than bad elements.

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14 customers mention "Gospel content"11 positive3 negative

Customers find the book's gospel content insightful and helpful for understanding God's word. They say it expands their faith and focuses on justification by faith alone through the righteousness of Christ. The book provides valid truths and simple Biblical principles, which customers appreciate.

"...Also Horton points out that the church is built by God, who calls people by the gospel, again this is in contrast to the modern evangelica church's..." Read more

"This was an excellent book and a great response of a plea to discernment for the church...." Read more

"...In the first half of the book, Horton defines this good news, the gospel of Christ, in a classical Reformed way, focusing on justification by faith..." Read more

"...A deep study that is easy to understand and will make you feel good because it expands your understanding of God's word which anchors your faith...." Read more

10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and helpful for Christians. They say it provides good advice, techniques, programs, ideas, and support.

"...Those are just some few highlights. This book is a must read for everybody, but specially pastors and elders if they are to understand the power of..." Read more

"This was an excellent book and a great response of a plea to discernment for the church...." Read more

"...This was a pleasure to read." Read more

"...I highly recommend this wonderful book" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2009
    After Christless Christianity I thought it was going to be very difficult for Mike Horton to come up with another book that would match it in quality. But here came "the Gospel Driven Life".

    The first part of the book ends with chapter 6 entitled the promise driven life where Mike Horton contrasts the gospel (or promise) driven life with Rick Warren's purpose driven life. The life of the christian writes Horton is driven by the gospel (the good news that Jesus died for our sins on the cross and was raised for our justification) and not by purposes (works). The good news of the gospel is so powerful that it changes us, it not only justifies us in God's eyes but it sanctifies us (it changes our lives and we walk in newness of life). The gospel is both necessary and sufficient for both converting the unbeliever and for driving the
    life of the christian.

    Horton also highlights that doctrine alone is not sufficient. We need to understand before the historic facts, God's plan of Salvation and how it unravels from Genesis to Revelation (the drama) then we can see how the doctrine fits into the drama. Once we understand the doctrine (we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone) Horton moves into doxology (praise and worship)and then into discipleship (obeying God in thanksgiving and service). So drama, doctrine, doxology, and discipleship are required in that order, and we can see this in the way the epistles of the New Testament are laid out following this order.

    In chapter 7 the second part of the book starts that focuses more on the church as a cross-cultural community of believers. The gospel again is what creates the church and binds it together. This church model stands in sharp contrast to the modern evangelical model where the church is purposely divided by age group, marital status, and ethnic groups in a clearly unbiblical manner. Also Horton points out that the church is built by God, who calls people by the gospel, again this is in contrast to the modern evangelica church's belief that the church is built by the charisma and technique of the pastor.

    Those are just some few highlights. This book is a must read for everybody, but specially pastors and elders if they are to understand the power of the gospel and what the mission of the church is, neither of which seems to be well understood today. Otherwise we wouldn't have a multitude of church programs and methods for evangelism that rely on the wisdom of man. The mission of the church is the preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments. The modern evangelical church wants to be both the United Way (and cure the world's problems) and your personal psychologist (the pastor thinks he can improve your life with his therapeutic preaching). When attempting to do this the church fails in fulfilling the great commission, the only reason for its insistence. Nowhere in the book of Acts or the epistles of the New Testament is an example of the church feeding the poor (there's only collections for other churches going though difficulty or christians sharing their possessions among themselves) or helping the community. Neither is there one example of the apostles or other christians testifying how Christ improved their relationships (marriage or being a better father or mother) or their professional lives or financial situation. Now all this is a important, but like Horton points out if christians want to help their communities they should join the United Way and work alongside unbelievers, instead of expecting the church to become the United Way. Same can be said about family counsel or financial advice, it is not the church's area of expertise, and the pastor's role is to preach the word and administer the sacraments.

    The gospel presentation in this book is unmatched. Horton's explanation of law and gospel takes us back all the way to Martin Luther and forces us to admit that the evangelical church of the 21st century does not understand the law nor the gospel. The modern evangelical church does not get salvation (repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ). It does not preach the Law (they don't want to condemn anybody, so the wrath of God on all ungodliness is not preached) nor does it preach the gospel (the good news of salvation from the wrath of God by grace through faith alone in Christ alone).

    Another area that Horton highlights is that for the Reformers (Luther and Calvin) the role of the church (pastor and elders) is to serve the congregation of christians. The pastor and elders are servant leaders in the biblical model. The christians are served by the church, and then these christians will in return serve in the world (work or occupation, family, community). This was the Reformation's view. Today there has been a role reversal, where christians are expected to serve the church and be givers through service instead of receivers. This is going back to the pre-reformation times when service in church activities was considered by the catholic church as superior to secular service (in the workplace, family, community). For the reformers christians served in their secular vocations, for the modern evangelical church christians are to serve in the church, so there's no difference now between evangelicals and Rome (the catholic church).

    There's much more I could like to cover but I'll let you discover it when read this book from cover to cover.
    20 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2016
    This was an excellent book and a great response of a plea to discernment for the church. The myriad of deceptive teachings aimed at the body of Christ requires Holy Spirit led preaching and teaching to strengthen the believer and promote exhortation to perseverance in the truth.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2010
    Michael Horton tells the church that it has good news to share in the midst of a bad news world. In the first half of the book, Horton defines this good news, the gospel of Christ, in a classical Reformed way, focusing on justification by faith alone through the righteousness of Christ. As Horton says on page 80, "The gospel is not a general belief in heaven and hell or hope for a better life beyond; it is not even confidence in a resurrection at the end of the age. It is the announcement that Jesus Christ himself is our life, for he is our peace with God. He does not merely show us the way; he is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)."

    This gospel-centeredness permeates the whole book, leaving other pursuits, whether purpose or prosperity or therapeutic moralism, open to criticism. Horton does point to the shortcomings of such approaches but this book is less a critique than a call for the church to return to the gospel as the focus of its life.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2016
    This is not a book to read in one sitting, or even fast. I took several breaks and even read other books before coming back to this one. I find that the weightier books, which my wife calls "tech manuals" are more meaningful when digested in shorter bursts that I can allow to resonate. This was a pleasure to read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2011
    I bought this item as the follow-on book to "Christless Christianity", also by Michael Horton This combination may challenge one's paradigm of what Chritianity "looks like". Dr. Horton does not soft pedal what he considers the Gospel to be, and what "preaching the Gospel" actually is. As others have stated, the two books go together. I recommend them both. They answered questions that I have had for a long time, and raised many new ones. To some this may seem to be a negative thing, but I disagree with this view. In fairness though, I must say that these two books may provoke anger and defensiveness in some "quarters." These books helped me a great deal to know what I believe and why I believe it. I recommend them to that purpose, even if a person comes away disagreeing with Dr. Horton.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2022
    Horton’s book calls Christians to refocus on the historical basics of the faith. The section where he calls for restoration of the sanctity of the holiness of worship and restored dignity to the elements of church life was a surprising element.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2010
    Michel Horton's book has been very useful in bringing me to admire the virtues of Gospel, and the way it should be exposed to other people. He sayas things that I already knew, but, I had that knowledge set apart, but by reading the book he put all parts together. I highly recommend this wonderful book
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2017
    One of the best books you'll ever find on real Christian doctrine without all the trendy feeling-based gobbledygook. A deep study that is easy to understand and will make you feel good because it expands your understanding of God's word which anchors your faith. thought provoking and real-life applicable. This is one of my favorite books. I can't recommend it enough.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • tannenbaum
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gutes Buch zur Guten Botschaft
    Reviewed in Germany on June 10, 2016
    Horton schaffte es in diesem Buch das Evangelium frisch, fröhlich und verständlich auf den Punkt zu bringen. Leicht zu lesen, aber trotzdem mit Tiefgang. Viele Anstösse für den eigenen Glauben und kreative Möglichkeiten ihn weiterzugeben
  • DM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2016
    Excellent in making you think what am I doing.