Becoming Worldly Saints: Can You Serve Jesus and Still Enjoy Your Life?

Today I finished Michael Wittmer's new book, "Worldly Saints". In this excellent book, Dr. Wittmer addresses the fundamental question, "Can You Serve Jesus and Still Enjoy Your Life?"Often times Christians get a reputation for being boring, stuffy, fun-hating people. But why?Often we feel guilty for enjoying life, like our enjoyment in some way displeases God.Wittmer takes these notions head-on in this well written, humorous, and engaging book. You don't need to be a poor missionary in a third world country in order to be faithful to God - unless of course he has called you to that. You can be a faithful follower of Christ right where you are doing what God called you to do. Fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, mechanics, students, and (probably) even Starbucks workers can serve the Lord faithfully by faithfully living out their respective callings. Wittmer's book masterfully makes this clear.I appreciate a few things about this book that I would like to highlight. First, all of Dr. Wittmer's books are very readable and accessible. I think that Christians often shy away from theology-type books because they read like stereo instructions, and some do. Wittmer's books, including this one, are not like that! He writes in a very skilled, engaging, and accessible way at allows him to convey huge theological truths in a way that anyone can understand.....in fact, I bet this would make him a good seminary prof.... wink emoticonRelated to the first point, I appreciate Dr. Wittmer's humor. Good doctrine doesn't need to be boring and dry, and this book is neither. Wittmer's wit (that rhymes!) literally made me laugh out loud a few times, which is always fun when you are reading in public....Most importantly, I appreciate that as Wittmer addresses his main question of whether or not Christians can serve Jesus and enjoy life, he does so rooting the conversation firmly in the narrative flow of the biblical drama. Just as he does in the classroom, Dr. Wittmer walks his readers through the biblical meta-narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation. In doing this, he allows us to see ourselves and our purpose in life from the perspective of each of these biblical movements. What were we created for? How has this been effected by the Fall? What does it mean to be redeemed? And what is the final goal of the consummation? Considering our lives by asking these questions grounds us in the gospel and sets us on a right course.I will finish by pointing out that in the past several years many books have been written on Christian living (Crazy Love, Radical, Ordinary, etc) and several on heaven and the new Creation (Heaven, God Dwells Among us, etc). This book blends the best of both topics and the end result is a book worth your time.I would recommend this book for any Christian who has struggled with balancing the "radical" with the ordinary. I would especially recommend this book for new believers and as a study for our young Christians (youth/college).

With all the historical emphasis on Heaven, Dr. Wittmer, reminds Christians that the new Earth will be our 'forever' home, in the presence of Jesus Christ!. Heaven is temporary housing. For a believer in Christ, to die is to be present with the Lord and the saints who have preceded us and that’s glory enough. Heaven is indeed our home while we await Satan being put in his place and the new Earth is readied for our habitation. This new earth will have a restored garden and animal kingdom, and will have an urban aspect, a metropolis with a prepared dwelling for each and every believer. Jesus not only put on human flesh to die for us, his ‘bride’, but also to physically dwell with us for all eternity on the new Earth. Dr. Wittmer assures us we can look forward to that! Yet the book goes beyond that! Today, while we await the new Earth, we can enjoy our current dwelling place, the world, even if tainted by the fall! This is the major content of the book and well worth the reading!

The author stays on topic in addressing the question in the subtitle and does answer it by the end, providing helpful diagnostic questions in the last chapter to help the reader live in the tension between giving attention to this world (creation) and giving attention to spiritual matters (redemption). Creation and redemption are inter-connected and if you err on one side or the other, you either fall into Platonic dualism (spiritual good, physical bad) or worldliness (concerns of this world are all that matter).I would have given the book 5 stars but I think the author could have said what he needed to say in about half the number of pages.

Eye opening book. I especially liked chapter 7, "Rightly Divide the Word," which is an exposition of some of the verses that are often used to combat the notion that we should enjoy things in this world. The book really hinges on this chapter, and I found most of the arguments and exposition compelling. Great companion to another book on this subject, The Things of Earth by Rigney.My only complaint is that it would have a better treatment of issues like idolatry and overindulgence. More practical examples would be helpful too.

I thought this was a great book. Very informative. Helpful in further clarifying the Christian Worldview from false dichotomies and dualism.Helps you enjoy and understand the gift that life truly is from God. Any book that enables me to stop in my walk with Christ and be amazed at the wonder of the world He upholds is worth reading.I also thoroughly the author's writing style. He was funny, clear, concise and informative. It was refreshing.

You hear it all the time, but in this case it is true: EVERY Christian should read this book (non-Christians too for that matter). Wittmer is charming, funny, and easy to read, but his book is packed with robust theology, plenty of Scriptural support, and joyful application. The loss of the resurrection of the physical body as a prized central doctrine has been detrimental to Christian theology and practice far too long. I am hoping this book helps get it back.

Thank you Mike for hearing the TRUTH, namely Jesus himself, and sharing what you've heard, rather learned in a such a simple, yet profound way. I cannot express enough how this book has screamed out the answers to questions heavy on my heart for years. God's timing, however is perfect as always!

It was a great pick to start my vacations and has become one of my favorite books ever. Super balanced view about the Kingdom of God and the normal life of a christian.

I can honestly say that I desperately needed this book. Having spent years constantly worrying that I wasn't even close to being radical enough for Jesus, this has helped correct so many misunderstandings that had slipped in and left me desperately weary. Highly recommend

So much of our contemporary understanding of Heaven and Jesus's return is lacking. We tend to be more Hellenistic than we think. This book is a marvellous resource made to correct it tendency to pit the spiritual against the physical as well as to encourage us to seek and enjoy the Lord through his good gifts.

Solid book. Deep, exegetical, balanced. One of the best things I've read in awhile.