Am I really the bad guy? I don’t always think that I am but at times that is how the world thinks of me. What if I were to change my thinking and consider myself the bad guy? I know it won’t last forever. Being the Bad Guys is a new book by Stephen McAlpine.

About the Book

The church used to be recognised as a force for good, but this is changing rapidly. Christians are now often seen as the bad guys, losing both respect and influence.

In our post-Christian culture, how do we offer the gospel to those around us who view it as not only wrong but possibly dangerous? And how do we ensure that the secular worldview does not entice us away with its constant barrage, online and elsewhere, of messages about self-determinism?

Author Stephen McAlpine offers an analysis of how our culture ended up this way and explains key points of tension between biblical Christianity and secular culture.

He encourages Christians not to be ashamed of the gospel as it is more liberating, fulfilling and joyful than anything the world has to offer. He also offers strategies for coping in this world, with its opposing values, and for reaching out to others wisely with the truth.

Stephen McAlpine is an author, blogger and pastor. He also works with City Bible Forum, a network which trains and mentors Christian city workers across Australia, and he is part of an outreach initiative called Third Space.

The above information is copied from The Good Book Company UK.

Let’s be wise in our spending. Can I suggest that you purchase directly from The Good Book Company or from another Christian book vendor.

My Review

The book is divided into three parts:

Part One: How Did We get to Be the Bad Guys?

Part Two: What Being the Bad Guys Looks Like

Part Three: Being the Best Bad Guy You Can Be

While I think it can be helpful to know how we got to be the bad guys and what being the bad guys looks like, I think for me the important part is what do we do. We cannot go back and change how things happened but what do we do now?

“Are we ready in our churches for that cohort to reach adulthood and arrive on our doorsteps–uncertain and confused and looking for meaningful answers?” (page 75) I thought this was a good description but even more a challenge for Christians.

What follows a bit later speaking about Christians is “The two things we fear losing the most are certainty and comfort.” (page 83). I think it is interesting how both non-believers and Christians want certainty.

The three sections in part three give a strategy for church, a strategy for the workplace, and The City and the City. I thought these sections were practical and give ways that as a Christian you need to be the best bad guy you can be.

You can grieve that this has happened but we need to remember Jesus did warn us that this would happen. I think we have enjoyed the comfort and now struggle with the difficult times.

I think this is a book that is needed today. It will help us know How to Live for Jesus in a World that Says You Shouldn’t.

 

Thanks to The Good Book Company UK for a copy of the book to review. The review and opinions are all my own.