A Strong Recommendation

I have spent the last month steadily working my way through John Piper's book Bloodlines.  Having read the book I would like to recommend as strongly as I can that all put it on their list of things to read, and that they place it in the front of the list.  The book is a tremendous and heartfelt work on unity.  He speaks of his own experience and the racism of his youth, which he has set his heart to die to daily and pursue unity in the ethnic diversity of this world.

Mr. Piper develops his argument that the only solution to the sin problem of racism is the Gospel.  This is what makes the book such a marvelous work, that it is biblical.  He bases his position on the Truth, God's Word and shows through developing systematically his answer on the firm foundation of Scripture.  He begins with man's position of equality in terms of the sinful nature in all man, follows through with the justification and redemption that is available to all mankind based on what Christ did not any human distinctive and continues with God's plan to select for Himself the number that will be with Him from every tribe and nation.  The phrase that echoed loud throughout the book was that the Gospel message destroys ethnocentrism and pride.  Black, white, European, Asian, African, etc. all race and ethnicity takes one no closer to God and therefore is no platform for special favor.  All have sinned and are dead, life comes only through Christ and His finished work on the cross, God regenerates, justifies, redeems, sanctifies and glorifies lest any man should boast.  Boasting is excluded, ethnocentrism is excluded, racism is excluded because of the Gospel.  Unity in diversity is achieved solely by way of the Gospel, which puts to death the sinful nature.  Without the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no hope for mankind.

If that is intriguing (and I don't see how it could not be for any believer) then pick up the book which is much better written and more detailed than my one paragraph summary.  You will feel Piper's sincerity and see his heart of repentance as he declares his intent to daily put to death the racial prejudice that dominated his youth and stalks his daily walk.  I have been in much prayer to have the same heart of love for all God's creation and to see more clearly the equal standing of imputed sin in which all stand without Christ and the equal standing of imputed righteousness in which all stand with Christ.  Please read this book.