Andrew Farley - God without Religion: Can It Really Be This Simple?

2011 by Andrew Farley

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

E-book edition created 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-3212-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations labeled Message are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled TNIV are from the Holy Bible, Todays New International Version. TNIV. Copyright 2001, 2005 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Italics added to Scripture quotations represent the authors emphasis.

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, www.alivecommunications.com .

Andrew Farley is one of the best young writers yet most mature thinkers in the church today. Read God without Religion to hear the voice of a twenty-first-century Bonhoeffer who shows how to ring in the good times when Jesus (not religion) is the cantus firmus , the enduring melody, of our lives. Leonard Sweet , bestselling author; professor, Drew University and George Fox University

Never have I encountered a book that so clearly and biblically explains new covenant Christianity. If you want to dump the religious burden and live in the true freedom and joy of Christ, God without Religion is for you. David Gregory , bestselling author of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger and The Rest of the Gospel

God without Religion is brave, genius, and full of the best kind of hope. Andrew Farley offers us a clear, more joy-filled, and peaceful route to God, without religion! And we need that now more than ever. Matthew Paul Turner , bestselling author of Churched and Hear No Evil

This is a book that every Christian simply must read before going one more step in their walk with Christ. Dont waste another day living under religious bondage. Stop everything youre doing and read this book now. Darin Hufford , bestselling author of The Misunderstood God

Andrew Farley exquisitely communicates the beauty of grace. He shows us how to live every moment of every day from the intimate relationship with Christ that is ours to enjoy. If you want to soak in the abundance of Gods love, I highly recommend God without Religion . Jan Mugele , twenty-year Wycliffe missionary to the Chinantec people in Oaxaca, Mexico

Get ready for a life-changing adventure. A master storyteller, Farley turns conventional thinking on its ear with this paradigm-shifting tour de force . If you read one Christian book this year, let this be it! John McCuin , professor, Dallas Baptist University

Is it really possible to enjoy intimacy with God without the trappings of religious expectation, guilt, and shame? If it sounds too good to be true, youll be blown away by this book! Farley leads us out of religiosity and into the exhilarating reality of knowing Jesus as life . Bob Perdue , lead pastor, Grace Life Community Church, Bristow, VA

Andrew Farley stands with the most insightful and engaging Christian authors of our time. God has equipped this man with an extraordinary ability to grasp and illuminate Scripture with vivid clarity. God without Religion may be the most Christ-centered book youll ever read. Chip Polk , cofounder, Ragtown Gospel Theater, Post, TX

The message of God without Religion is theologically rich, profoundly simple, and deeply life changing. This is exactly what youd expect from an author who doesnt just talk about Gods grace but has experienced it firsthand. Jeremy White , lead pastor, Valley Church, Vacaville, CA

Andrew Farley introduces us to a Father who is more interested in us resting in him than working for him. With so many Christians trying hard to measure up, God without Religion is timely and relevant. Read this book to discover the Like button on your heart and the God who has clicked it. Andy Knight , executive director of Lifetime Guarantee; designer for LifeChurch.tv

In God without Religion , Andrew Farley returns with inspired clarity to make the solid biblical case that freedom is what God has always intended for us. The presentation of these truths just doesnt get any better. I will forever be thankful for the hope presented in this book. Danny Gutierrez , pastor and missionary, Bloom Church, Minneapolis, MN

For my son, Gavin.

How much joy it brings me just to watch you play!

re-li-gion \ri-li-jn\ (noun)

A return to bondage. The word religion is traced to the Latin re meaning again and ligare meaning to bind.

THE EXTORTIONIST

D rew Dog! How you doin, Drew Dog? Hey, listen, I know what happened to your stuff, and I can get it back for you. Crime Stoppers offers a thousand dollars for information about a burglary. But if you give me a thousand bucks, Ill get your stuff back right away.

Wed been robbed. While our family was away, our Indiana home had been cleaned out. Now, just one week later, this guy was on our doorstep trying to extort money. On top of that, I knew him! He had come by a month ago asking to rake leaves in our yard, and we hired him. Apparently, hed taken that opportunity to scope out our place and strategize his entry through a rear window.

Welcome to life in downtown South Bend. Wed only been living there a few months. This was the latest in a series of indicators that maybe there was a reason our home had been so affordable.

Hang on just a minute, I told the guy. Ive got something I need to take care of in the kitchen. Ill be right back. I closed the door and headed to the kitchen to call the police. When I returned, I expected the guy to be gone.

He was still there.

I kept him talking. We chatted about, you know, the weather and sports. After several minutes, the police pulled up and hauled him away for questioning. We were sure wed never see him again.

Knock. Knock.

It had only been a couple of hours. I peered out the window to see who was on the front porch. Sure enough, it was him. I opened the door to a loud shout. Drew Dog, I went downtown for you! I got knocked around for you! You owe me, Drew Dog! You owe me!

In a weird way, I enjoyed the nickname. But I wasnt sure how to respond, so I fell back on what had worked in the past. Hang on just a minute. Ive got something in the kitchen I need to take care of. Ill be right back, I said.