The World Is Not Ours to Save: Finding the Freedom to Do Good

by Tyler Wigg-Stevenson

Publisher:

IVP

, 2012

Overview

Christianity Today Book Award Winner

Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year

We want to save the world—and we have a dizzying array of worthy causes to pursue.

But passionate enthusiasm can quickly give way to disillusionment, compassion fatigue or empty slacktivism. As we move from awareness to mobilization, we bump up against the complexities of global problems—and liking Facebook pages only goes so far.

Veteran activist Tyler Wigg-Stevenson identifies the practical and spiritual pitfalls that threaten much of today’s cause-driven Christianity. He casts an alternate vision for doing good based on the liberating truth that only God can save the world. Wigg-Stevenson’s own pilgrimage from causes to calling shows how to ground an enduring, kingdom-oriented activism in the stillness of vocation rather than in the anxiety of the world’s brokenness.

The world is not ours to save. And that’s okay. Discover why.

Contents

Foreword
Part I:The Limits of Activism
1. The World Is Not Ours to Save
2. Don’t Be a Hero
3. Broken beyond Our Repair
4. Fear God
5. Take These Snakes
Part II: A Deeper Calling
6. The Peaceable Kingdom
7. Peace with God: Worship, Discipleship, Evangelism
8. Peace among the Nations: Justice, Industry, Nonaggression
9. Peace in Community: Dignity, Prosperity, Fearlessness
10. Living Out Our Callings
Acknowledgments
Notes

Praise for The World Is Not Ours to Save

”Tyler Wigg-Stevenson points us beyond the all-too-trendy and empty hope of mere activism and toward a life of freedom and faithful living. He writes that trusting God in our pursuit to do good and looking to the future for God’s ultimate works of kingdom justice help us avoid activism fatigue. He reminds us that the world is, indeed, not ours to save but to love and serve while reinforcing the important synergy between theology, evangelism, mission and practical, compassionate living. With an emphasis on the person of Jesus and his paradigm for kingdom justice, Wigg-Stevenson paints a picture of sustainable, personal responsibility in a world of unimaginable evil and relentless need. This book is an essential contribution to the burgeoning body of literature in pursuit of compassion and justice, and it’s a deeper and more holistic understanding of what it means to love God and his world."

"Wigg-Stevenson offers insight and advice to a generation badly in need of visionary yet earthy wisdom. This book is freighted with the kind of realism capable of restoring and sustaining high ideals."

"This is a powerful book. The author is an expert storyteller, harnessing the power of narratives—some deeply personal—without being sensational or manipulative. For those who are skeptical of Christian activism for various reasons, Wigg-Stevenson offers an approach that is deeply rooted in a biblical worldview and richly informed by sound theology. He replaces the false dichotomy between activism and evangelism with an approach that incorporates both naturally in an exhortation to embody the kingdom of Jesus Christ now, wherever possible. For the burned-out activist, the author provides encouragement to be energized by the gospel and by a simple embracing of the fact that the victory over evil has already been won."

"In an age of growing activism and mounting anxieties about the main injustices of our world, Tyler provides a thoughtful, Christian narrative of how we can work for good while also maintaining spiritual vitality."

"If Shane Claiborne’s Irresistible Revolution began the conversation about biblical justice for many young evangelicals, then Wigg-Stevenson is a necessary voice to ensure the conversation matures. The book reminds us of the scope of the world’s brokenness as well as our inability to effect lasting and just change. But the author is no cynic. The chapters are full of heartening examples of justice, glimpses of life within God’s coming kingdom."

"Wigg-Stevenson is my favorite kind of writer—a great storyteller. His stunningly worded turns of phrase give delicious (and memorable) shape to his ideas. In tickling our imaginations with moments from his travels around the world, he consistently honors the tension between a world that needs to be saved, eager activists who are ready to do the saving, and the reality that there is One alone who saves. He exercises integrity, presenting and dealing fairly with the arguments of others. He writes with a relatable, intelligent, compassionate voice. . . . If you’re someone like me, committed to partnering with God . . . this book is for you."

"The theology that Wigg-Stevenson offers in this new book is indeed freeing, not only liberating us from cause-fatigue, but posing key questions about our identity: Are we activists who happen to be Christians also, or are we primarily Christians who are called to engage in God?s work of reconciling all creation? The sort of conversation between theology and activism that Wigg-Stevenson proposes is deeply needed in our times."

"I love Tyler. He has style, and wit, and innovation, and sass. I didn’t like the title of the book. But then I read it. Tyler corrects some of the errors of activism and challenges the assumptions of belief-only Christianity. He reminds us here that works don’t earn our salvation, but they do demonstrate it. And Tyler insists that we pray as if we depend on God, because we do . . . but that we also live as if God depends on us, because God does. May Tyler’s words inspire us all to become the change we pray for."

"Tyler Wigg-Stevenson’s The World Is Not Ours to Save walks Christ-followers through both his own journey and the story of Scripture, helping us arrive at a kind of world engagement and activism that is more effective than slogans and social media and more humane and healing than shouting down the world on cable news. This is a kind of activism that is drenched in the story of God and Christ’s love for humankind. The World Is Not Ours to Save is a pilgrimage of the heart for those longing to see the fullness of God’s kingdom."

"Tyler Wigg-Stevenson is a great communicator. I haven’t had a book challenge me so deeply or prompt so many valuable conversations in a long time. This book is smart, thoughtful, thought-provoking and important for anyone desiring a long obedience in their advocacy and activism. "[It] is impossible to paint over a rotten wall or build a large structure on a compromised foundation. We live on top of unmendable cracks, and the insoluble nature of the world means that the question posed to us is not ‘how do we fix this?’ but ‘how can we live out the love of God in the midst of such brokenness?’“ In answering this question, Wigg-Stevenson casts a vision for the Christian activist devoid of the weight of the world, rooted in Christ and oriented toward the kingdom coming."

Product Details

• Title : The World Is Not Ours to Save: Finding the Freedom to Do Good
• Author: Wigg-Stevenson, Tyler
• Publisher: IVP Books
• Publication Date: 2012
• ISBN: 9780830864522

About Tyler Wigg-Stevenson