Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God
By Frank Viola (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)
The dedication page in Frank Viola’s book, From Eternity to Here provides a gripping preview of what to expect; it reads, “to every follower of Jesus who knows with their deepest parts that there must be more to the Christian faith.”
His goal, both ambitious and poignant, is to reveal to readers the ageless purpose of God; that is, God’s eternal plan.
Towards that end, Frank shares a trio of stories, one in each of the book’s three parts. The first shows God as “an ageless romantic,” the second is of God searching for a home, and the last is about establishing himself on earth.
Although three in number, these views of God are not isolated, but rather unified, collectively presenting his desire for a bride, for a place to live, and for community.
These are revealed in four familiar, yet grossly underappreciated phrases: the bride of Christ, the house of God, the body of Christ, and the family of God.
To explain this, expand this, and elucidate this, Viola holistically taps into the Bible story, seeing the New Testament through the Old—and vice versa, connecting Genesis 1 and 2 with Revelations 21 and 22, and weaving in the whole Biblical narrative along the way.
The result is that readers begin to see God differently and are granted permission to relate to him in a fresh and deeper way.
If you yearn for more in your faith journey, this book will reveal it and guide you to it. It has the potential to forever change the way you view God and increase the intimacy of your relationship with him.
[From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God, by Frank Viola. Published by David C. Cook, 2009, ISBN: 978-1-4347-6870-4, 315 pages.]
Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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