Living in Christ
In Living in Christ, Dan Lynch seeks to unlock the meaning of Bible verses containing the words “in Christ,” “in Him,” or “in Whom.’” Lynch shares with readers what, in his view, it means to live life “in Christ” and the benefits received by those who do—completeness and wholeness.
The book presents both a challenge and an inspiration for Christians who want to know the fullness of what it means to live the “new dimension” that is “in Christ.”
Living in Christ contains numerous verses from the Bible that bolster Lynch’s ideas. He’s also careful to root each topic he discusses in ideas from the Bible, lending his efforts credibility. While the book does include some material on Lynch’s life experiences, as well as ideas from scholars and theologians, its content is dominated by the Bible and the author’s own thoughts, which ultimately gives the book a flat feel.
Lynch doesn’t shy away from abstract ideas like what it means to “walk with Jesus” or what “the progressive state of becoming” looks like. While appropriate to the subject matter, this approach will frustrate some readers who are looking for more practical, actionable guidance. Some statements will leave readers eagerly asking, “Yes, but how do I do that?” For example: “If we are to really walk with Jesus we must THINK with His heavenly thoughts, SEE with His spirit-eyes, and LOVE with His heart of compassion.”
The book ends by inspiring spiritually minded readers with thoughts of heaven and how those thoughts are present in the lives of those who live “in Him”: “The Glory of the Lord has now filled our body-temple …..[sic] and we are totally consumed …….[sic] totally dissolved in His Love.”
Living in Christ contains many words that are unnecessarily printed in capital letters as well as ellipses that sometimes contain more than three dots—distractions that make the writing feel like a heavy-handed lecture by someone who too often raises his voice or pauses for emphasis. The use of such stylistic flourishes becomes quite wearying over the course of the book.
Lynch is an earnest and well-studied Christian writer who doesn’t note any particular degrees or credentials in theology in his biography. As such, his insights, while sound, are somewhat commonplace.
Reviewed by
Melissa Wuske
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
