Heading to the DG Conference

I’m going to take a few days off from blogging because I will be attending this year’s Desiring God conference in Minneapolis. I plan to post my reflections once I return.

In My Place

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I was reading this morning and was particularly struck by this passage from Mark’s Gospel:

“And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death.” (Mark 14:60-64, ESV)

Jesus, the one who did not deserve condemnation and death, received condemnation and death on my behalf. Jesus stood where I should have been. Jesus became my substitute, a sacrifice of atonement on my behalf.

I could try and comment more about what it means that Jesus became my substitute, but I don’t think I could say it any better than the hymn writer Phillip B. Bliss who wrote,

“Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood—sealed my pardon with His blood: Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

Back to The Shack

Tim Keller has posted a review of the book The Shack by William P. Young at The Gospel Coalition Blog. Not to spoil it for those who haven’t read it yet, but Keller says,

“Here is my main problem with the book. Anyone who is strongly influenced by the imaginative world of The Shack will be totally unprepared for the far more multi-dimensional and complex God that you actually meet when you read the Bible.”

About a year ago Tim Challies wrote his review about The Shack at his blog saying,

“Because of the sheer volume of error and because of the importance of the doctrines reinvented by the author, I would encourage Christians, and especially young Christians, to decline this invitation to meet with God in The Shack. It is not worth reading for the story and certainly not worth reading for the theology.”

What about you? Did you read The Shack? What did you like about it? Did you have any concerns as you read it?