As believers, many of us now find ourselves navigating a post-Christian world. Our friends, neighbors, and colleagues increasingly reject God, His Word, and the truth and sufficiency of the Bible. What are we to do? The well-known book Death in the City, written by theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer, encourages us to respond not by hiding away but by being highly motivated to share the Gospel.
Written against the countercultural backdrop of the 1960s, Death in the City draws from the book of Jeremiah, where the prophet in his day saw the large-scale rejection of God all around him, causing him to proclaim, “There’s death in the city!” Jeremiah’s response was to preach boldly to those who were perishing. And that was Francis Schaeffer’s reaction, too, amidst the chaos of the ’60s. Schaeffer concluded that the most compelling way to make the Gospel message resonate with those outside of Christ’s salvation was to share the bad news explained in the book of Romans first: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and all will perish in their sin without a Savior. Death in the City makes a bold plea to believers to push past their fear of rejection and tell others the bad news so that they can then share the good news!
Death in the City is a book that will motivate you not to be ashamed of the Gospel, because it is “the power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16). This is a message that Schaeffer implores believers to share lovingly and compassionately with those who will perish in their unbelief.
If you’re looking for a boost of encouragement to be confident in leading those you love to eternal hope in Jesus, read Death in the City, available by request today when you donate to Truth For Life.
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