Book Review: The Loveliest Place By Dustin Benge

If you asked everyday people what the church is, what kind of answers would you get? Some may answer the building down the road where people sing and hear a guy talk. Some may say a place where you are told you are not a good person, and you never will be. Other may say that is where people say they will like you, but they really don't Christians have confused the church with the building or even God's great social experiment. 

Dustin Benge's book, The Loveliest Place, is based on a quote from Charles Spurgeon as he called the church, "The dearest place on earth." Sadly, many, including some Christians, do not see the church as dear or even lovely. Benge continues with Spurgeon's teachings on the church saying there is not because the people are perfect or sweet, it is because God perceives the church to be lovely. 

The church was never a back plan for God after the Fall of man. The church was and has always been part of God's plan in history. Benge wrote, "The church is beautiful because the lens through which Christ regards her is his cross--the focal point of blood, righteousness, forgiveness, union, justification, regeneration, and grace, His cross makes her beautiful...The cross of Christ makes her beautiful not only inwardly by justification but also outwardly through sanctification. From giving second birth to final glory, the righteousness of Christ creates a beautiful church." Christ through His death on the cross is what makes the church beautiful even though it is not perfect because the church is not filled with perfect people. 

Throughout the remainder of the book, Benge goes through what the Bible says the church. He also goes through what the Bible says about who is supposed to lead the church and what their roles are. The final chapters are our responsibility as individual members of the church which is to walk in a worthy manner and how we are unified to one another as part of this lovely place we are supposed to be.

This is one of the most simplistic, biblically saturated books on the church that is out there. I highly recommend that you read it for yourselves and even read it with you church elders. 

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for an honest review.