Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty

by Aaron Armstrong (Goodreads Author)

4.42 of 5 stars 4.42 · rating details · 26 ratings · 14 reviews

What causes poverty? What am I supposed to do about it?

These questions are driving a new generation of Christians to take action on behalf of the poor through social and political action, global partnerships, and financial generosity, as they desire to become the generation that ends poverty forever. Yet in pursuit of this goal, they risk losing sight of a fundamental real...more

Paperback, 112 pages

Published October 1st 2011 by Cruciform Press

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 84)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 20, 2013 Mathew rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology

If you recall I reviewed When Helping Hurts this last December and was impressed with the practicality provided by it. Awaiting a Savior in contrast would be a theological foundation for dealing with poverty which “is fundamentally a spiritual issue” (p. 20). Aaron connects poverty with the gospel story. He looks at the fall (p. 18 “the fall has made poverty the default setting” emphasis original; p. 22), redemption (p. 45), and consummation (pp. 11, 97) as they relate to poverty. Says Aaron, “T...more If you recall I reviewed When Helping Hurts this last December and was impressed with the practicality provided by it. Awaiting a Savior in contrast would be a theological foundation for dealing with poverty which “is fundamentally a spiritual issue” (p. 20). Aaron connects poverty with the gospel story. He looks at the fall (p. 18 “the fall has made poverty the default setting” emphasis original; p. 22), redemption (p. 45), and consummation (pp. 11, 97) as they relate to poverty. Says Aaron, “The root cause of poverty is sin” (p. 8) and
Therefore, the basic premise of this book is that our good faith efforts to address legitimate questions of poverty and injustice must never lose sight of the fact that poverty will persist as long as the heart of man is ruled by sin. (pp. 9-10).
and lastly
While we are responsible for pursuing biblical solutions to poverty, our only hope for an ultimate solution is in the return of Christ, when he will put an end once and for all to sin, suffering, and death, and bring about the new creation. (p. 11)
You can taste the flavor of Awaiting a Savior through these statements.

What I also appreciate is Aaron’s faithfulness in expounding the gospel and making sure the issue of social justice is emphasized in a way which honors the gospel while also not downplaying the importance Scripture places on serving the poor. Let me provide you an example. Aaron says,
Those whose hearts are inclined to the Lord will seek true justice on earth as it is in heaven. Covenant faithfulness always leads to ethical faithfulness. (p. 56 emphasis original)
Such a small phrase but so important--“covenant faithfulness.” He connects the issue of poverty and the Christian duty to combat poverty within the larger theme of covenant in Scripture. It’s how the OT attacks the issue and provides continuity with a New Covenant ethic. A few pages later he fleshes this out,
We are called to care for the poor because God is glorified in our doing so. We care for the poor because we know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of grace. We were the poor in spirit. We were lost and without hope. We were separated from God and enslaved to sin. (pp. 67-68)

Social issues are important not because it’s popular amongst hipsters but because justice is important to God. Justice is part of who he is. You cannot preach the gospel in word without demonstrating its transformative effect in deeds. The one without the other is empty (James 2). Aaron has written a balanced and engaging book. And if justice is important to God then understanding foundational issues related to it should be important to Christians.(less)

like · see review

Jan 22, 2012 Daniel Henderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the October 2011 release from Cruciform Press Aaron Armstrong delivers a quick and concise biblical theology of poverty. A quote taken from the back cover summarizes the main message of the book;
Christians are called to serve the poor…generously, joyfully, by grace, to the Glory of God. But elimination poverty is a misguided and dangerous goal. Poverty is rooted in the fall of man and there is only one savoir.
The books starts by unpacking for us the root cause of poverty. We are not dealing w...more In the October 2011 release from Cruciform Press Aaron Armstrong delivers a quick and concise biblical theology of poverty. A quote taken from the back cover summarizes the main message of the book;
Christians are called to serve the poor…generously, joyfully, by grace, to the Glory of God. But elimination poverty is a misguided and dangerous goal. Poverty is rooted in the fall of man and there is only one savoir.
The books starts by unpacking for us the root cause of poverty. We are not dealing with lack of financial resources, lack of proper education or lack of family support. Poverty is rooted in sin, and as long as sin reigns in our mortal bodies poverty will persist. For me, this was very helpful. To see poverty fundamentally as a spiritual issue and not a material issue helps me focus how I serve the poor in my community. Aaron says: Ultimately, poverty can only be addressed at the heart level, one person at a time, as salvation through the shed blood of Christ pushes back against the fall of man (46-47). And looking back to the end of Chapter 2 he explains that our motives must be nothing other than making God’s name great.
A statement that is brought to light in chapter 3 really made me stop and think. Aarons writes, Sin thus not only causes poverty, but also poisons our attitude towards those suffering within it in (46) How often have I been walking downtown and had a homeless person asks me for change and I walk by and ignore them. Sometimes we don’t give people in need the time of day, or how often do make a demeaning remark about them to our friends or say nothing when they do. Every person, even the homeless man who takes our money to buy drugs or alcohol needs to Jesus Christ through the Gospel, and our ministry to them must lead them to the Gospel. We need to remember our state apart from Christ. We were enemies of God, but it was while we were enemies of God that Jesus Christ died for to reconcile us to himself.
In chapter 4 Aaron shares with us what Jesus taught is the greatest commandment—Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and love your neighbour as yourself. If we separate those two commandments, we fail to obey either one. Loving out neighbour in real tangible ways is a much a proof of our salvations as anything else. How we relate to God directly affects how we relate to others. Unfaithfulness to the Lord will lead to lack of concern for our neighbour—but the opposite should also be true. I really appreciate this point, I have heard this taught many times and I have studied these words many times, but I have never made the connection serving the poor.
We cannot separate what we believe from what we do. Aarons backs this point with an outstanding quote from William Wilberforce, the famous abolitionist, Christianity calls on us, not merely in general to be religious and moral, but especially to believe the doctrines, and imbibe the principles, and practice the precepts of Christ.” It is not enough for Christians to just be good moral people. We are called to believe the doctrines, drink deeply of the principles, and practice fully the precepts of Christ. Again and again Aarons brings us back to the greater goal of our helping the poor—the glory of God.
Awaiting a Saviour is definitely a homerun! It is insightful, biblically grounded and has really helped me develop a Gospel-centered understanding of poverty and my role in alleviating it(not resolving it) until the Return of Christ when he will put an end to sin, suffering and death as he brings about the new creation. Even as I am writing I am tempted to continue interacting with the ideas from the book and share them with you. But, it is probably better to read the book for yourself. Finally, Kudos to Cruciform press. Firstly, for finding great authors and secondly, for packaging the books in such as accessible format.
The book can be purchased directly from Cruciform Press
http://cruciformpress.com/our-books/a...(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 26, 2011 Mike Hyatt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Poverty is a topic that receives a lot of discussion these days. People are talking about the poor in their own cities as well as the poor in parts of the world that have been affected by wars and other disasters. What do we do about the problem of poverty? More specifically, how should Christians think about and address this problem? “Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty” by Aaron Armstrong seeks to get to the heart of the issue surrounding poverty as well as p...more Poverty is a topic that receives a lot of discussion these days. People are talking about the poor in their own cities as well as the poor in parts of the world that have been affected by wars and other disasters. What do we do about the problem of poverty? More specifically, how should Christians think about and address this problem? “Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty” by Aaron Armstrong seeks to get to the heart of the issue surrounding poverty as well as providing the best way to help the poor.

This book is written from a Biblical perspective which means that Armstrong locates “the root cause of poverty” in the fall of mankind into sin and rebellion against its Creator (Kindle Location 224) and because of this poverty "will persist as long as the heart of man is ruled by sin." (Kindle Location 238) Armstrong seeks “to show that the best way to help the poor is to minister to them as the Church, in both word and deed, to the glory of God” (Kindle Location 245). The rest of the book (8 chapters) draws out the implications of sin, the gospel of Jesus Christ as the solution to mankind’s sin, and the hope of a new creation where sin and poverty will be brought to an end.

It’s within this framework that the Christian response to poverty is found. Christians should avoid a utopian vision of eradicating poverty as well as a cold-hearted, do-nothing approach. Instead, Armstrong argues that the Christian response to the poor should be rooted in grace (Kindle Location 1221). Christians after all have been the undeserved recipients of God’s saving grace in Christ Jesus and so we know what it is like to be on the “receiving end of grace. We were the poor in spirit. We were lost and without hope. We were separated from God and enslaved to sin.” (Kindle Location 1244)

Not only should this lead one to give to the poor but more importantly (and this is why this book is so good) “as Christians, our agenda should be to see rebellious sinners reconciled to the Father. That includes doing what we can to minister to the poor amid their suffering, but it obviously goes well beyond it as well. Our ultimate desire should be to see God glorified as he becomes their Savior.” (Kindle Location 1355)

Overall I found this book very helpful. It is Biblical. It has the problem with this world, sin, and the solution, God’s grace in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, at the center where they should be. The less than generous Christian will be convicted by their lack of generosity and desire to help the poor both physically and spiritually (Chapter 7). The overly optimistic Christian who thinks poverty can be dealt a fatal blow because of their ministry will be brought back to earth with the stark realism of sin and Jesus’ own statements about the poor (Chapter 6). It directs our attention to the consummation of all things and a new heaven and a new earth (Chapter 8). I highly recommend this book to Christians who are wrestling with how to help the poor around them. In fact, the sections in Chapter 7 “Should I Give at All”, “To Whom Should I Give” and the Appendix are worth the price of the book for their practical advice on giving and helping the poor.

Five out of five stars.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 12, 2011 Jeanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cruciform-read

Because poverty is a spiritual issue, you see in the pages the heart of God. In today's world, we are big on social justice and ending the injustice of poverty, slavery, clean water, etc., however, just as Jesus as said, you will always have the poor with you, maybe that was the first clue of how we as God's people we need to look at these social injustices. Aaron does that quite well. The focus being on our problem, sin, and the solution Jesus and what the cross signifies. A great reminder that...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 09, 2012 Drew rated it 4 of 5 stars

A helpful, easy-to-read, introductory primer on the spiritual nature of poverty and the need for a Savior to alleviate it. This book would pair very well with When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by providing a biblical theological framework within which to better understand poverty and how to best alleviate it.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Mark A Powell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Poverty is the result of sin, argues Armstrong. Thus, the only way to truly end poverty is to truly end sin, which Christ will do at the end of the age. In the interim, he offers some practical insight into what the Christian response to poverty should be. If you haven’t read some of the recent, more thorough works on poverty, this is a great primer to the issue. Otherwise, it will likely retread familiar ground.

like · see review

Apr 01, 2012 Becky Pliego rated it 4 of 5 stars

Aaron Armstrong does a great job in dealing with the difficult issue of poverty and our response to it.

My review is on my blog:

http://www.beckypliego.com/2011/10/aw...

1 like · like · see review

Oct 07, 2011 Casey Lute added it

Awaiting a Savior is a good book which provides a biblical framework for working through the issue of poverty and how the Christian is to view it. See my complete review here: http://caseylute.com/uncategorized/bo...

1 like · like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 KC McCauley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: apologetics, christian-living, theology, missions, e-book

This short book provides a biblical, helpful perspective on poverty. Instead of making you fee like you can't do anything to help, or trying to persuade you that you can solve global poverty by yourself, this book points you to seeing Jesus' return as the ultimate solution while providing practical ways to help in the time we have now. Great read!

1 like · like · see review

Dec 05, 2011 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cruciform-press, reviews-all

An excellent, clearly laid-out, gospel-centered theology of social justice. A short, but worthy read.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 14, 2012 Chris Giovagnoni rated it 3 of 5 stars

The basis of the book is that covenant faithfulness leads to ethical faithfulness.

like · see review

Apr 07, 2012 Phoenix Carvelli marked it as to-read

Shelves: first-reads, goodreads-com

Review copy won on Goodreads.com on 4-7-12.

like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Aaron added it · (Review from the author)

Since I wrote the book, I'm not allowed to review it (I'm a bit bias). But if you're reading the book, I hope you find it helpful—and be sure to check out some of the endorsements and reviews at CruciformPress.com.

like · see review

Nov 29, 2012 Marguerite Harrell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book to read. I have that in e-book format.

like · see review

May 11, 2013 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 09, 2013 Dustin Carpenter added it

Shelves: theology

May 08, 2013 Annette Thompson marked it as to-read

May 06, 2013 Chris Land marked it as to-read

Mar 09, 2013 Jehsa marked it as to-read

Feb 03, 2013 Regina marked it as to-read

Jan 25, 2013 Brenda marked it as to-read

Jan 20, 2013 Peter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: helping-poor

Jan 13, 2013 Kelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology

Jan 01, 2013 Gary Good marked it as to-read

Shelves: religion

Dec 26, 2012 Lori marked it as to-read

Dec 27, 2012 Sean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: poverty, the-gospel

Dec 07, 2012 Alison marked it as to-read

May 25, 2013 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nov 14, 2012 Jared Totten is currently reading it

Oct 24, 2012 Conrad is currently reading it

« previous 1 2 3 next »

See top shelves...

Books by Aaron Armstrong

Contend: Defending the Faith in a Fallen World

Called Out: Kingdom Living for Missional Teens

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Awaiting a Savior...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty
avg rating	preview: Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty Goodreads rating: 4.42 (26 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12777784-awaiting-a-savior?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1318793044l/12777784.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12777784-awaiting-a-savior?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty by Aaron Armstrong[/url]

Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Books by Aaron Armstrong

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Awaiting a Savior...

Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (1)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Books by Aaron Armstrong

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Awaiting a Savior...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (1)