Safe and Sound

Safe and Sound
Discovering who you really are through freedom in Christ
Author: Paul Anderson-Walsh,
of The Grace Project
Publisher: New Wine Press
No. of Pages: 206



Safe and Sound is the first book in Paul Walsh's "Until Christ is Formed" trilogy. In this series, Paul brings you on a journey of sonship, charting the spiritual growth of the believer (an expanded awareness of who they already are in Him) based on the three phases of the Christian life — child, teenage and father — as described in 1 John 2:12-14.

¹² I am writing to you, dear children,
   because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
¹³ I am writing to you, fathers,
   because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
   because you have overcome the evil one.
 ¹⁴ I write to you, dear children,
   because you know the Father. 
I write to you, fathers,
   because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
   because you are strong,
   and the word of God lives in you,
   and you have overcome the evil one.

Paul writes this book especially for those who have been burned and gotten sick on religion, and offers the grace of our Lord Jesus as the antidote. He writes for those who have ever been in a place of disillusionment and mistrust of God, and brings you on a journey of discovery where you'll fall in love with the Father all over again. He write to those who have always been seeking to belong to someone, somewhere, or who live in fear of being turned out anytime, and gives them the assurance of what it means to be "safe and sound" in Christ.

In a way, Paul's writing about himself, whom he described as "a reinstated outcast" and his journey into freedom. Through various life events, he sees how God reveals His love and grace even in the darkest of days. He talks about the times when he questioned God and whether he could trust Him anymore, which should strike a chord in anyone who has been through a crisis or loss.

The only way for someone to be able to fully trust God is for them to have a right understanding of Him. Do you see Him as a fearful, unapproachable God of judgement? Or do you see Him as He is — Love (agape)?

Paul's defines "GRACE" as "God's Ridiculous Agape Captivating Everyone" and shares how every crisis is an opportunity for God to unfold the story of His unfailing love for us. He challenges readers to turn to the Lord and see His love instead of focusing on the problems. Through the grace lenses, one is able to look at things (and Bible passages, such as The Parable of The Talents) and have the right perception of God.

This first book addresses the child phase, identifying the key need of every child as having confidence in their father. The child needs to be firmly rooted in the unshakeable love of God, knowing that all his sins are already forgiven, and that he is loved and accepted unconditionally.

In the first part, Know your sins are Forgiven, Paul addresses this fundamental, foundational piece of the Christian faith with simple yet in-depth explanations, helping you to reflect and examine several passages of Scripture on this topic. He also spends a bit of time explaining and expounding 1 John 1:9, the verse often (mis)used by crusaders against the grace message.

Yes, some sons may abuse the security of the relationship with their father, and some may have more of childish faith rather than a childlike faith, and some may never move beyond the child phase ever ... but, Paul contends, this does not change the fact that they are still a son. Their destiny may be affected by the choices they make, but their destination is secure. And unless a child knows that he is safe, he will never be sound.

The second part, Know the Father, brings you on a very different journey through a very familiar passage. Built on the foundation that not only that God loves but God IS Love, Paul re-introduces God to you via the various characteristics of agape in 1 Cor 13. [I bet your Sunday School teacher never taught you that passage that way before ;-)]

As you bask in the glories and wonders of His grace, Paul helps you to move on to the "what then now?" in chapters 31 and 32, "Growing Gracefully" and "What do I have to do?" He closes the book with God's promise of a "happily ever after" to all His children, as contained in Apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 and a fresh hope for a re-purposed body of Christ bringing healing to the nations.

This book may also be helpful for small group or personal study, with reflection questions inserted at the end of some chapters. You can read more about Paul and his ministry in my previous blog entry.