It Is Finished

I love this devotional. Anything that Tullian puts out I am reading. This has not been a let down at all. In fact, I have purchased two copies to give to my good friends. I love the grace that we get to experience each day with the Savior and I am so thankful that Tullian leads us to that endeavor each day. This book is a must read for someone who wants a small dose of a powerful truth for each day.

One finds in this devotional both a rootedness in Scripture and an eye for illustrating the principles found in Scripture through cultural references. Overall I found the devotions to be of good length, not to long and not to short. Written at level so that most Christians will be able to benefit from it.

I've reviewed three of Tullian Tchividjian's books before. I've reviewed One Way Love, Surprised by Grace, and Jesus + Nothing = Everything. I loved all of his books, but, I particularly loved, loved, loved Jesus + Nothing = Everything.

His newest book is a devotional book. Tchividjian has in multiple books promoted the idea that Christians should preach the gospel to themselves each and every day. (He's not the only author I read with this belief. Joe Thorn also comes to mind.) This devotional book gives readers 365 days of the gospel.

Some devotional entries were familiar to me. Quotes from the books I've read. But there were plenty of devotionals that were new--at least new to me.

Overall, I thought there were plenty of great entries making this devotional one worth recommending. Some devotionals were great and wonderful. But I didn't love each and every devotional equally. His devotionals draw from theology and doctrine, his own life, books, TV and movies, sports and celebrities.

The moment grace is spoken into our lives, we become alive. That is the gospel. Grace gives life where there is death. Grace does not give up. We are given in this devotional examples of what grace is. What it looks like and how we are to receive it so we too can give grace.

With the sin of others, do we separate ourselves from them with an us against them mentality? I love this quote To the extent that we ignore (or run from) our own sinfulness, we will be unable to care for other sinners. We will be unable to extend forgiveness to others until we are honest about the extent to which are forgiven . Ungracious people are those who haven’t come to grips with their own dire, daily need for grace. The most forgiving people are those who are coming to daily, deeper terms with their own need for forgiveness. . Along with grace, we can never learn enough about forgiveness. They are linked together.

How does faith and grace work…Love is faith worked out by us for our neighbor horizontally; faith is love worked into us from God vertically. The implication of course, is that love is absent to the degree that faith is missing. If I am not trusting that everything I need in Christ I already possess (lack of faith), then I will be looking to take from you rather than to give to you (lack of love). I’ll be concentrating on what I need, not on what you need. I will be looking out for me, not you. …we need the gospel 24/7. The proclamation of who God is…our faith is based on the character of God. Our trusting God comes to us as we know him as our Father.

The Problem is the extent to which we believe in our freedom is the extent to which we will never acknowledge our need for a Savior. Jesus came to set the captives free.

This is devotion is a treasure of the goodness of God. Tullian Tchividjian is the grandson of Franklin Graham and thru this devotion you get a glimpse of his own life. The good, the bad and the ugly more or less just like the rest of us. I will be getting a hard bound copy of this for myself and gifts for others that need encouragement in the faith.

Each day starts with a verse and about 5 minutes worth of reading that will last you all throughout the day. This is not a “treadmill” type of devotional with a list of do’s and don’ts but as the title suggests all that Christ has done for us. It is finished.

A Special Thank You to David C Cook and Netgalley for ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review