The Church in Babylon – Erwin Lutzer (2018)

Erwin W. Lutzer, The Church in Babylon (Chicago: Moody Press, 2018), 295 pp.

These are perilous times, especially for Bible-believing Christians. We are daily faced with bowing down to an increasingly secularized culture and capitulating our Christian beliefs. Indeed, as one wise writer says, “He who marries the spirit of the age will soon become a widower.” While the zeitgeist beckons us to bow, the call of Christ towers above culture and has transcendent authority over every principality. It is in this context that Dr. Erwin Lutzer seeks to encourage readers in his latest work, The Church in Babylon: Heeding the Call to Be a Light in the Darkness.

Lutzer challenges readers to be bold and courageous in these compromised times: “We have to be a church that is, in some ways, repulsive to the world because of our authentic holiness and yet very attractive to the world because of our love and care.” In other words, as Lutzer says, “If we are not distinct from the world, we will have nothing to say to the world.” The author immediately places his finger on the essence of the problem – which is addressed in the remainder of the book.

The Church in Babylon is a multi-layered invitation. It is an invitation to fight. It is an invitation to invitation to faithfulness. And it is an invitation to flee from the darkness. When Christians commit themselves to live faithful lives in a postmodern culture, they experience the blessing of God.

The Church in Babylon is not only a multi-layered invitation; it is a multi-layered challenge. The author challenges readers to stand strong by defending the faith. He urges them to fearlessly proclaim the message of the gospel. And he prompts them to be people of prayer and power.

Ultimately, the church is called to love people: “The church that survives in Babylon is one whose members accept their lot with both sorrow,  but also a joy that is inexplicable. It is a church that attempts to silence its critics by its authenticity and commitment to others. It is a church that is willing to follow Jesus all the way to the cross.”

The Church in Babylon is Erwin Lutzer at his best. His passionate appeal to faithful Christian living will deeply encourage many Christians as they face trials and temptations in contemporary culture. Lutzer’s work would work nicely in an adult Sunday School class and should also be utilized in youth groups.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.