Book Review: Above All by J.D. Greear

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting was held just recently. Their theme was "Gospel Above All" based on 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, which says, "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." The purpose of the annual meeting was not just to conduct business in the SBC was that the gospel is above our programs, politics, preferences, and anything else. The gospel was to be of first importance as 1 Corinthians 15 says.

This same idea about the gospel being above all was not just the theme for the SBC Annual Meeting, it is also the subject of J.D. Greear's new book, Above All. Most of you know J.D. Greear as the pastor the Summit Church in North Carolina and is currently serving his second term as president of the SBC.

When it comes the gospel message, Greear is solid. He talks the gospel as the power of God for the salvation to those who believe as Romans 1:16 says. He writes on Jesus being our substitute who took the penalty of sin. We do not have to do anything to gain God's approval, it has been accomplished in Christ. Because we embrace the message of the gospel, there is a change that happens through the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. Those who embrace Jesus as Lord, now have a mission. That mission to make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We can all say, "Amen" to these things. We agree on these issues.

We can also agree that we want to see racial unity but only the power of the gospel can do that. Ephesians 2:11-22 tells us that everyone, regardless of nationality, have been reconciled to one another through the cross of Christ. We can say, "Amen" to this without being "woke" or embracing the social justice movement, which Greear seems to be communicating towards the end of the book.

When he addresses the gospel above our preferences, Greear seems to suggest that musical preference in worship should be shaped by all the ethnicity in the church. Yes, it is true that all musical preferences were left out of the New Testament, but our worship should be shaped by the Bible, not by the culture in or around the church. That turns worship into, "Its all about me," rather than, "Its all about God." I was already losing interest in this book already and now I have completely lost interest.

This was hard for me to read and review because I like Greear. I love his first book on the gospel. I have benefitted from many sermons by him, but ever since that sermon from Romans 1 back in January, I have not had doubts about his theology and where he stands on certain issues.

Thanks B&H Publishing for letting me review this book.