Bound Together: How We Are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices by Chris Brauns

"principle of the rope" -- the simple truth that our lives, choices and actions are linked to the lives, choices, and actions of other people."

This book is not only timely in offering hope and practical action for today's questions about original sin but also timeless in that Chris Brauns digs deep into scripture and the reformed tradition, giving us much to meditate on and ultimately enlarging our vision of Christ, the gospel and the church.

This is an amazing book! The main idea is what the author calls “the principle of the rope” in that we are all bound together. He starts with an explanation of the doctrine of original sin and shows how that principle, “the principle of the rope” is not just bad news; We all get dragged down by Adam's mistake, but it is also great news; We all get lifted up by Christ's obedience if we are “bound together” with Him. Chris Brauns shows how this is true in scripture and offers very practical applications for those who have suffered from the poor decisions of family members.

“Our union with Christ is more than a legal matter, it is also a vital organic connection.”

I was also surprised and delighted by chapter 7 which applies these ideas to Christian marriage. Husbands and wives will have a lot to think about what union really means.

The fear of death is treated in a marvelous way from Hebrews 2:10-18.

“The author of Hebrews understood that if Christians were to be confident in the face of death, they must first be confident they are truly bound to Christ. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin.”

Finally the author offers a cure to our cultures radical individualism. The Gospel and the Church are shown to be the means of change. And by not understanding the solidarity that the Gospel creates in the community of the Church we have not had an answer for radical individualism.

Thank you to Zondervan for providing me an ePub copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.