Book Review: The Gospel and Sexual Abuse by T. Samuel Nye

Sexual Abuse is a hard topic to discuss. For some it is so personal they have made their crusade to see those who have abused men, women, and children to see punishment. For others, it has affected them so much they have kept it hidden. 

Pastors have a hard time discussing it because they want to give proper, biblical council to someone who have been abused. T. Samuel Ney, with over 20 years of pastoral ministry experience, has provided a resource to help pastors to council those who have been abused. The book is titled, The Gospel and Sexual Abuse: A Healing Balm for Bruised Bodies, Battered Minds, and Broken Hearts.

Nye begins with the book by stating that the Bible is not silent regarding sexual abuse. He gives a few examples that has been recorded in Scripture. There is nothing new under the sun. 

Next, Nye addresses how abuse needs to be handled in the church. It needs to be exposed and reported to the proper authorities. The one thing that a church does not need to do is cover it up. The sin needs to be confessed, and justice needs to be administered. 

When abuse happens, and it dealt with properly, the next step, which Nye addresses, is the issue of forgiveness. How do we help the one who has been abused to forgive the person who committed the act. Nye writes on the biblical teaching of forgiveness and gives the reader an understanding of God's grace. We all know God is a God of justice, but He is also a God of grace. Grace may not seem fair and, to be honest, it is not. Grace is not giving us what we deserve. Does this mean the abuser should not be brought on charges and pay for he/her crime? No, but in the kingdom, forgiveness is for all who have received Christ as Lord. That does not mean they are exempt from the consequences of their actions.

I will have to admit reading this book was a little tough because of the topic and writing this review was a little harder. I know there have been many who have been affected by sexual abuse and I know churches who were blindsided by those who committed these acts within their walls. However, it is one thing that needs to be handled biblically and legally as well. I am delighted to recommend Nye's book as one of those resources to help a church or even a biblical councilor to use in dealing with this issue.

One last thing, Nye wrote in the last paragraph of the introduction:

The gospel is the only lasting hope! The Bible is sufficient to outline a course of action to heal the bodies, minds, and hearts of people who have been bruised, battered, and broken by sexual abuse.

The gospel, not psychology or philosophy is the hope for those who have been abused and the Bible is the best place we can go to figure out what needs to be done in ministering to people who have been abused. Yes, we can use other resources as a tool, but the Bible is the final answer for dealing with sexual abuse.

I received this book from G3 Press in exchange for an honest review.