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(More customer reviews)Let me start off by saying I'm inspired by and appreciate John Bevere's ministry. I've found nearly all of his books to be both challenging and well written. It is good and sadly all too rare these days to find a "charismatic" who is well grounded and not too "flaky" in his faith. So by my having a few issues with this particular book I am in no way trying to be negative with John's overall teaching.
( And by the way I have actually bought and read this book. :))
At heart, the issue I struggle in Driven By Eternity is the confusion between judgment and rewards for service (faithfulness) and Judgment and rewards for salvation. I realize that the lines between the two are easily blurred. We do stare into a clouded mirror in trying to understand what heaven and the judgment seat of Jesus is really like . But I do feel as an evangelical, there has to be a clear doctrine that we are "Saved" by faith alone, we will never be "good/faithful/dedicated" enough. Even as a "Christian" we lay down our deeds at the cross and rejoice because Christ paid the price. But I sensed for weeks after reading this book a feeling of condemnation and despair, because the way it is written believers get thrown into the dark tower (hell) for what they had or hadn't done in their lives. Only the ones who were next to perfect get to go to heaven. And this, though well intentioned is not correct.
The book has two parts, the first is dealing the story of Affable where the rewards and punishment of heaven are written in a parables type fashion. The second or latter half deals with the living a lifestyle based on a believers final destination. Having an Eternal value system and perspective if you like. Where "driven" shines and is excellent; is in the challenging of our faith towards rewards and commitment. But I feel john confused this aspect of heaven with salvation.
It is easily done, as there are certainly 'difficult" passages to understand. Especially where Jesus speaks in the bible about rewarding and condemning people for their deeds in this life. (Foolish and wise virgins etc). And I certainly don't even pretend to have a clear blueprint of how heaven truly works. i.e. who's the true church, who gets a mansion for the intentions of their heart etc .
But there is a clear message that Jesus died for our sins, so it is by Faith we enter heaven. Yes we'll have to give account for every word and deed done somehow, but our entry is not according to how "good' we've been. The bible does seem to indicate that some people will only just make it(i.e. they'll have the smell of fire on them) 1 Cor 3.15; but they will be saved. Somehow the unfaithful children will suffer loss, but they will still be children of God (and hence get to live in God's house-heaven). I am defiantly not a Calvinist and believe in once saved always saved stuff. ( If anything closer to the Armenian school). But I feel Bevere did overstep his case, that by pushing the need for repentance to the Kingdom standard, he neglected Grace and forgiveness.
We are not under condemnation (Romans 8) but grace. And as I have stated before, trying to figure out "works" and "faith" is a difficult complicated business. Unfortunately John's book doesn't really give much help in balancing the two, it ultimately comes down heavy handed on the "Be ye Perfect" side. When you can apply this to working out your salvation with fear and trembling, it's great. But when it comes to resting on the work of the Cross it's in error.
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Most people would be left destitute if they planned their futures as carelessly as theyve prepared for eternity. Drawing on the principles in 2 Corinthians 5:911, John Bevere reminds us that all believers will stand before God and receive what they have earned in life. In building their lives to be ready for that day, and maintaining an eternal frame of reference, readers will develop significant lives. In keeping sight of the goal, readers will learn to labor for rewards that endurefor timeless eternity.
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