Jared C. Wilson. The Pastor’s Justification: Applying the Work of Christ in Your Life and Ministry. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013. 192 pp. $14.12.
Jared Wilson has rapidly become one of my favorite authors of powerful, gospel-filled, and helpful books for pastors (and others I’m sure). Wilson writes with an honesty and clarity that make his books easy-to-read while presenting just the right balance of challenge and encouragement.
In The Pastor’s Justification, Wilson speaks from his own pastoral experience to remind pastors that the gospel matters in great ways. The message of Jesus is not only the message that we preach to others. If we are to pastor well, we must see that the gospel impacts every aspect of our ministry from our calling to how we handle ministerial hardships.
As I read this book, I found myself encouraged in so many ways. Wilson seems to have lived through some things that I have also experienced. He reminded me that, though preaching the gospel may seem counter-productive in some settings, it is still the only real way to preach. He reminded me that a pastor who does not have friends in the church is in real danger–an encouraging thing for me since I have seen pastors without friends, and they terrify me. Wilson showed in the book time and time again that pastors are greatly in need of the grace of God and that, thankfully, they have that grace.
This would be a great book to give to a pastor as a gift, for a seminary student to read, or for a deacon or elder to look over as a means to find ways to encourage other elders.
I would encourage any pastor or elder in any church to give this book a try.
Pastor Travis Peterson 