Book Review: Do You Believe?: 12 Historic Doctrines to Change Your Everyday Life by Paul David Tripp

.

BOOK review

Started on: 22 November 2021
Finished on: 20 December 2021

 

Do You Believe?: 12 Historic Doctrines to Change Your Everyday Life by Paul David Tripp

 

Title: Do You Believe?: 12 Historic Doctrines to Change Your Everyday Life

Author: Paul David Tripp
Publisher: Crossway Books

Pages: 400 pages
Year of Publication: 2021
Price: Rp 485,451 (https://www.bookdepository.com/)

Rating: 5/5

*This e-book was received as a review copy from Crossway

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I wrote this book to awaken us out of our street-level theological thoughtlessness. I wrote it to narrow that troublesome gap between what we say we believe and how we actually live."

Doctrine—what Christians believe—directly influences how they live. The biblical truths about God, humanity, and the world are not merely about knowing more—they are also about loving God and making sense of this life and the life to come. But what happens when there is disparity between what believers confess and how they live? In this book, Paul David Tripp takes a close look at 12 core doctrines and how they transform the human heart and mind. He unpacks each doctrine and presents its' relevance for the Christian life. As readers explore each chapter, they will be fueled to fall deeper in love with their Father and Creator—putting the truths of God's word on display for all the world to see.

"This book is filled with revelation that will completely change the posture of your life—if you will let it."

"The doctrines of the Bible are not so much ideology as they are living and divine tools of salvation, transformation, identity, and guidance."

I've read several books by Paul David Tripp in the past and has learned so much from them. The title of this book intrigued me and made me eager to find out what it's about. At the start of this book, the author explain the danger of dichotomy between what we say we believe and the way we actually live our lives. It's sad to know that some people are skeptical about Christianity because they see a disconnect between the beliefs and behavior of so many Christians. This contrast is the reason why Paul David Tripp writes this book and invites us to start living what we say we believe. As I'm reading, there are so many parts that I highlighted because I would probably want to go over it again some time in the future. There are also passages that I read repeatedly to savor its' meaning and to truly understand the message that the author wanted to convey.

"Doctrine is something you live in even the smallest and most mundane moments of your life. Biblical doctrine is meant to transform your identity, alter your relationships, and reshape your finances... It's meant to change the way you think about your past, interpret the present, and view the future."

"So it must be said that the truths you actually believe are the truths that you live, because faith is never just intellectual assent... Truth not lived is truth not believed."

As the title states, there are 12 doctrines that are discussed in this book: Doctrine of Scripture, God, Holiness of God, God's Sovereignty, God's Omnipotence, Creation, The Image of God, Sin, Justification, Sanctification, The Perseverance and Glorification of the Saints, and Eternity. There are two chapters dedicated to each doctrine; the first one defines and explains the doctrine, and the second considers what it looks like to live in regards of that truth. I really appreciate the author for explaining each doctrine in detail and refers the reader to Bible verses that will help us understand it even better. I think it's important to grasp them completely because there are some people who might have an inaccurate interpretation regarding these doctrines. The chapters discussing these doctrines in everyday life provides practical examples that are easy to understand and will certainly encourage us to start living out our beliefs. In these chapters, Paul David Tripp pointed out that believing these doctrines should transform various different aspects of our live. It is certainly not easy to achieve everything that was mentioned in this book, but I am strongly reminded me that our thoughts, words, and actions should reflect what we say we believe.

 

In this review, I will mention 2 doctrines that made a deep impression on me. The first one is the Doctrine of God's Sovereignty. It can be especially challenging to believe in God's sovereignty when we live in a world where things seems to be out of control and bad things happen without interruption or restraint. But in this chapter, Paul David Tripp urge us to be careful with how we interpret our world. Believing in God's sovereignty will also produce humility and joy in our hearts when we admit that there are very few things that we can control. He then explained how humility will cultivate gratefulness, obedience, and a loving, serving heart. I also love how the author acknowledged the fact that mystery and confusion will remain—there will be times when we are unable to understand why God allow certain things to happen, and the only proper response to that is surrender. This chapter definitely strengthened me and reminded me that peace is found when we wholly trusts in God's sovereignty, knowing that He's in control of everything that we can't control.

"The sovereignty of God is deeply humbling. A humble heart is a worshiping heart. A humble heart is a grateful heart. A humble heart is an obedient heart. A humble heart is a loving, serving heart. The sovereignty of God, carried in your heart, will produce a harvest of good fruit in your life."

"Sometimes the way good theology defines us is encouraging and hope giving. But sometimes good theology exposes the darker things in our hearts. Good theology always comforts and confronts."

The second one is the Doctrine of the Image of God in Man, which really gives me a new perspective in the way I see other people and how I should treat them. One of the passages that really strikes me the most is a reminder to look into the face of anyone and see the face of God—every single person has value because we are all made in the image of God. An act of dishonor, violence, rejection, abuse, or objectification against another person is a form of violation against God. I was suddenly reminded of the times when I was unkind or disrespectful towards other people as I read this chapter. I think applying this mindset will help me to regulate my words and actions when responding to others. Understanding the doctrine of the image of God in man should not only form understanding of who we are, but it should shape the way we view, live with, react toward, and respond to one another. That's easier said than done, but it's a way of life that we should all strive for. 💪

There are still so many parts that are worth taking note of, that's why I think I might re-read it again some time in the future because I would probably need to be reminded of these truths over and over. This is truly a thought-provoking book that made me reflect upon my life—whether I've lived out what I believe or not. In this book, the author asks: "If I were to view a video of the last two months of your life and observe you with family and friends, at work, in moments of leisure, in your private and public moments, and as you performed the mundane tasks of everyday life, what would I conclude motivates you?". It's a really good question to ask ourselves regularly and check how we're doing in regards to living out our beliefs. This is indeed a very helpful book that's meant to be a training manual on what it looks like to carry what we believe into the situations, locations, and relationships of our daily lives. Definitely recommend this book to everyone—from new to long-time believers, because I think we can all benefit from it one way or another ☺️.

"Remember, the belief is not just a matter of mental assent but also a way of living. If you don't live what you believe, then you probably don't believe it in the biblical sense of what belief means."

by.stefaniesugia♥ .