SEX AND MONEY
Empty pleasures, satisfying grace
By Paul David Tripp
IVP. 224 pages. £10.99
ISBN 978 1 844 748 426
I think Christians have a problem with pleasure. It often feels like we are on a seesaw. On the one hand we are taken up with a desire for it and often find ourselves overindulging. Yet on the other hand we feel a nagging sense of guilt that pleasure is probably inherently sinful.
That is why I loved reading this book. It got me off the seesaw and helped me to see the issue clearly. Pleasure is a good gift from God. It is designed by God to cause us to worship him. Whether that is sex or money or whatever it might be.
Our problem is not pleasure. Our problem is that we have rebellious hearts that refuse to allow God to rule. To quote from the book: ‘The desire for a good thing becomes a bad thing when that desire becomes a ruling thing.’
Brilliant analysis
Paul Tripp brilliantly analyses and exposes the human heart. He shows how we adopt an ‘ownership posture’ to our lives, rather than acknowledging God as the rightful owner. He describes our attitude as ‘practical me-ism’ where everything revolves around us.
He then shows how the gospel is the only solution. The starting point is confession rather than a programme of behavioural change. The key is understanding God rightly and delighting in all that he has done for us in the cross of Jesus. Plus there is some really helpful stuff on how a right view of eternity is essential in this battle.
This book is very easy to read and packed with great insights and phrases. It will cut deeply at your heart but will also cause you to lift your eyes to Jesus. It has lots of helpful case studies along the way. It would make an excellent book to read with a friend and discuss.
