In the book Saints, new author Addison Bevere, writes about this ancient word and attempts to show what it means. Bevere writes: “While the identifier Christian is used only three times in Scripture, hagios—translated as "saints"—is used over sixty times. According to HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, hagios "refers to those whose relationship with God is maintained through faith in Jesus Christ."”
I found Bevere’s thoughts on idolatry made me think. He writes: “To worship something is to draw life from it, and there is no true life apart from God. Humankind’s undoing has always been our worship of self—our favorite idol. Our modern world is still very much in love with this idol. In fact, our Western culture celebrates and glorifies self-worship. This is why idolatry is deeply intertwined in the systems and pursuits of our world and undoubtedly alive and well today. Is it any wonder that Jesus’s call to life requires us to deny our self and follow in his self-sacrificing love? A new way of life made possible only by both his example and his Spirit?”
While Bevere has some good thoughts, I felt the book rambled and diverged from its focus regularly. I would recommend this book but realize that the book is more about general Christian living. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Saints " by Addison Bevere is a Christian living book. Addison is the COO of Messenger International wants us to know we are saints and can live knowing we are saints. We have a new nature since Christ has come.We are to live above the rules and show character. We are to live above the rules and show character. He says Christians often judge and point the finger at others and are not willing to die for the people in the world. We have to look beyond ourselves and deny ourselves and follow Christ. We have to lay our false self down and follow Christ. We have to daily lay down our cross. This book is powerful and challenges Christians to a higher calling. He is honest about how He thinks Christians need a new identity and view of themselves. This book is inspiring and motivating for the Christian. He reminds us that God operates out of love. Thank you to Revell for allowing me to read and review this outstanding book. It is well written and challenges the Christian to their live with their new identity. . Thank you also to the author for allowing me to read and review this book. I will post my review on facebook, Goodreads, my blog netgalley and share it with church staff.

Inspired insight and a challenge to embrace your New Self

Becoming More than "Christians"
Author Addison D. Bevere is clearly an inspired and very talented writer and engaging storyteller. Saints Becoming More Than “Christians” is his encouragement to shed our Old Self for Our New Self in Jesus. He breathes new life into the ancient term ‘Saint’ and challenges readers to aspire to the role within their current lives. The good life is not something we find, but something we become.

Saints is packed full of insightful bible references, explanations, and personal stories. Bevere sheds light on many common Christian themes. Most concepts are presented with excellent clarity, although I couldn’t follow all the explanations, particularly the ‘fear of God’.

To describe the experience of reading Saints, I’ll begin with what it is not. It’s not purely academic, but it’s also not a practical guide to making changes in your life. It’s not a light read that you can breeze through if you really want to absorb the message.

Saints is a heady but impressive compilation of inspired concepts and ideas that can encourage Christians to consider leading their lives in alignment with God. However, it falls short of a ‘how-to’ application, limiting its impact on everyday life.

I rated this book at 3.5/5 stars on my review website but rounded up to 4/5 stars on sites that don’t allow half stars.

How this book affected me:
I was really looking forward to reading Saints but it was not as I imagined or hoped it would be. I was more impressed by Mr. Bevere’s writing style and his grasp of the religious concepts than any new takeaways that I can apply to my life and relationship with God. The subtitle promised Becoming More Than “Christians”, but I felt let down by that promise.

Who would enjoy this book:
Readers who enjoy apologetics and academics might enjoy this book. Anyone looking for insight into Christian concepts might enjoy this book. Those who are targeting a specific area of change in their lives would be better served by finding a book more in line with the change they desire.

Our Christian Book Reviews:
The book reviews at Finding God Among Us focus on Christian books - adult and children, fiction and nonfiction. We're proud to be included in the Top 50 Christian Book Review Bloggers. I chose to read an ARC from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. This review is my honest opinion.

Bevere shares his musings about what it means to be a saint. The book includes a number of essays on topics of importance to Christians. He relates stories from the Bible, investigates passages from the epistles, and relates his own experiences.

I appreciate Bevere sharing the wonder and adventure of being a saint. He tries to mine the depths of what we Christians often miss, such as the awe of being in relationship with God. This is the kind of book where you could read a chapter and then spend some time thinking about Bevere's insights.

There are no thought provoking questions included nor is there any practical strategy provided to incorporate Bevere's insights into life. This is a book to read and think about. You are on your own to incorporate the information contained into a life changing experience.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.