The Truth You May Never Hear in Church - The Naked Gospel

There are few books out there that just cut through the "religious" crap and present the gospel in its purest form. The finished work of Jesus!

I came from a very law based upbringing. Keeping the big 10 and trying to be as faithful as I could be. And one of Andrews statements stuck with me! "Jesus hated hypocrisy, and the law only breeds two things; defeat if you're honest and hypocrisy if you're not." -- Andrew Farley

I'm learning that my work is to stop working and now putting my trust in / resting in what I could never accomplish!!

Thank you Andrew!!

Incredibly insightful and thought provoking. Will cause the serious believer to reconsider long-held subconscious and conscious beliefs related to the Old Testament Covenant of Law and the New Testament Covenant of Grace. I'm still chewing...

Absolutely revolutionary to me personally. Always taught the strict adherence to the law but also God's love and salvation. This always seemed like a railroad track that was impossible for me to ever meet what God expects from me. I was always struggling with sin and always asking for forgiveness for most of the things I deemed to be wrong based on God's standards. This book has set me free to love, worship and serve God without any question remaining to produce doubt. A wonderful book that will change your life.

This book examines how we have learned the Gospel, how it has been distorted by the church, and what Jesus clearly wants us to believe. This book is life altering freeing you from a combination of grace and law that most of us have been raised in. Highly recommend as a must read for any Christian.

Prior to understanding God's grace I was living under a gospel of do more, be more, love more. I never knew where I stood with God, even though I was a minister. Thanks to Drew writing TNG I understand how I fit with the gospel and I can relax in my spirit and know all is well and God is the most gracious person I will ever meet. I have no fear of what heaven will be for me nor if I will fit in. My fickle feelings no longer rule my sense of being an approved and loved child of God.

Wow!!! Truly and amazing book! The truths taught in this book should be proclaimed through all modern day churches! The body of Christ has missed what the Gospel truly was intended to be! So freeing and clearly teaches that we were created to enjoy God nothing more!!

I really want to thank Andrew Farley for this book. I was raised Southern Baptist, was heavily involved in church as a teenager and young adult, and frankly never could make sense of it all. What supposedly would give us joy and eternal life seemed to depend on guilt and rigidness. Yet there were a few people I met along the way that just beamed with the joy of Christ, my grandmother being one of them. As I grew into an older adult (I am now 52), I met a few more of these people, so filled with the Spirit of Christ they just bubbled! I wanted that..and was clueless as how it happens. It wasn't that I didn't believe, it was simply that much of it was very unclear. Now I know. It is not something I have to work for, wait for, pray for, it is already there. All the joy and works flow FROM that which is already there! This is the first time I truly grasp the meaning of Jesus' dying on the cross for us, why it is so important, and why my grandmother and friends have that joy inside! My life feels so good again! I know I am filled with Christ's spirit, and I can say "Praise God!" and really mean it!!!

This amazing book, with Scripture along side, has given me a Spiritual boost! I have been associating with a "new to me" denomination for a few years and had become literally bogged down in religion. My joy was slipping away. Joy has now returned with the help of this book, the Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit and prayer. Thank you God and please thank Mr. Farley!

This is one of the best publications available that helps give clear understanding of our intended relationship with our creator and presents us with the challenge: live under the weight of religious rules or find freedom in a gracious offer.

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend who said he found that it was life changing in the way it stripped away many of the hang-ups of Christianity still proclaimed in churches to day. The first chapters are challenging because they certainly begin the thought and research process to go back to the Bible and correctly distinguish between the old LAW of the Old Testament and the true freedom in Christ that comes with the Death and Resurrection of Jesus for a believer in the New Testament which starts at the CROSS not Matt 1:1

I have also found it to be releasing and refreshing as I come to understand more clearly my Identity in Christ Jesus. Subsequent discussion with Philosophy students talking about Post modern thinking confirmed that this was really the other side of their thinking - Very Practical instead of pure theory.

Andrew has given an understanding of scriptures that I had viewed so differently, but as I see now, I had been locked into a religious way of thinking without realising it. How liberating, but more importantly, to receive a fresh revelation of God's absolute unequivocal love. That His wrath upon sin was totally appeased at the cross, setting me free from all guilt to live the abundant life Jesus came to give. This is a must read for anyone who has been living in bondage to traditional religious thinking and is seeking truth.

clarified the line of the old testament with the rules and regulations from the new testament with the freedom from rules to the love and grace which now guides our lives. It resolved a life time of questions for me.

I am not surprised by the negative comments that are coming against the gospel message of grace. Jesus faced the same kind of opposition by the religious leaders of His day.

Jesus enjoyed relationship with people who were the un-religious types. He was maligned for keeping company with sinners and rejects, those who were looked down upon because they did not/could not keep the law. Jesus came to set us free from the pressure and obligation to keep the law and gave us a new heart in which God Himself dwells, and now He lives through us.

It is obvious that the negative comments against this book are coming from learned theologians (not meant as a compliment). The Pharisees knew the law better than anyone and took much pride in their knowledge the scripture. Jesus called them white-washed sepulchers, full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. Until Jesus came along to expose them, most people looked at them as spiritual leaders.

Martin Luther faced the same kind of opposition when he confronted the church for it's works and performance based ideas that had almost wiped out the message of the grace of God. It seems that God has seen the need to "reset" His children onto the the right track many times through history. After all, we still live in a fallen world and we have been warned that there will be many who are deceived (I know some will read this post and say that I am the one who is deceived-not true. The truth of the grace of God brings FREEDOM, not bondage).

The heart of the message is this: Was the death and resurrection of Jesus enough to save me, or do I have keep the law to be in right standing with God?

As for me, I choose to accept the finished work of Jesus, walk in close fellowship with Him and allow Him to express His finished work through me!

I am not surprised by the negative comments that are coming against the gospel message of grace. Jesus faced the same kind of opposition by the religious leaders of His day.

Jesus enjoyed relationship with people who were the un-religious types. He was maligned for keeping company with sinners and rejects, those who were looked down upon because they did not/could not keep the law. Jesus came to set us free from the pressure and obligation to keep the law and gave us a new heart in which God Himself dwells, and now He lives through us.

It is obvious that the negative comments against this book are coming from learned theologians (not meant as a compliment). The Pharisees knew the law better than anyone and took much pride in their knowledge the scripture. Jesus called them white-washed sepulchers, full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. Until Jesus came along to expose them, most people looked at them as spiritual leaders.

Martin Luther faced the same kind of opposition when he confronted the church for it's works and performance based ideas that had almost wiped out the message of the grace of God. It seems that God has seen the need to "reset" His children onto the the right track many times through history. After all, we still live in a fallen world and we have been warned that there will be many who are deceived (I know some will read this post and say that I am the one who is deceived-not true. The truth of the grace of God brings FREEDOM, not bondage).

The heart of the message is this: Was the death and resurrection of Jesus enough to save me, or do I have keep the law to be in right standing with God?

As for me, I choose to accept the finished work of Jesus, walk in close fellowship with Him and allow Him to express His finished work through me!

Andrew Farley has an unbelievable gift in how to make the truth of the GOOD NEWS relateable and understandable. This book completely liberated me to opening my eyes to what a real relationship with God is to look like. No more performance and trying to live up to a man-made standard. Love God and Love Others....can't get any better than that.

I am so grateful to Andrew Farley for sharing his insights in this book. It is simple, plain, clear and overwhelmingly freeing. The truth is the truth and has been forgotten, muddied, dumped on. Read the book, check it against scripture and let the Holy Spirit rekindle the fire and the joy of your salvation. Must read for Christians.

The real thrust of this book is about whether Christians are still bound by the Old Testament LAW. The author sets forth, very clearly, the case that Paul makes throughout his letters. Jesus annulled the Law
(for believers), and it is tragic that so many Christians still want to live under that Law, which condemns.

I don't necessarily agree with everything the author says, but the his heart speaks loudly. It is a book that should be read with an open mind, and any questions verified by scripture. It is a MUST READ.

Andrew Farley wants all to know that the good news is that Jesus has accomplished all things necessary for salvation. You don't have to evangelize one more person to assure your standing with God. You don't have to be consistent in prayer or Bible study, church attendance, or other religious activities to secure your eternal destiny. You simply have to trust Jesus.

Farley is a recovering legalist, someone who added a great deal to the simplicity of the gospel in order to prove his keep to the God that supposedly loves him. In a story that has been told repeatedly with many small variations, during his high school years Farley was a popular, intelligent, athletic, and attractive young man who seemed to have everything going for him. Yet, by his own recollection, all of those successes provided him with little sense of security, for he felt that in his spiritual life he was nothing but a failure. He always felt as though he wasn't doing enough. It wasn't until he discovered the heart of the gospel, a stripped down account of Christianity, "an intravenous shot that wasn't poisoned with religiosity," that he experienced freedom in Christ. He discovered grace.

The beauty and simplicity of this book is compelling. Jesus plus nothing. Those words are featured on the jacket, are prominent throughout the argument, and are the clear implication of Farley's presentation of the New Testament message. In essence, those three words sum up the book from beginning to end. And though many Christian preachers may betray that message with their actual presentation of what constitutes the Christian life, on the surface I believe that most in Christian circles would agree with Farley's message. The question then becomes how Farley makes the case. Is his argument convincing; his logic sound? Is his exegesis true to the text on all occasions, or does he prooftext his argument? In the words of Scripture, does Farley "rightly divide the word of truth?"

In this regard, I submit that he does not. It isn't that I disagree with the gospel of grace, or the magnitude of such a claim. I disagree with Farley's use of the texts that underly his argument. I disagree with Farley's assessment of "supercessionism" and his claim that he is most definitely not guilty of suggesting that his argument leads to such a conclusion. I disagree with Farley's suggestion that the gospel of grace is as rare as he claims it is in Christian proclamation, and that the church today is wrought through with a rampant form of legalism that suffocates, misleads, and binds most Christians today to various forms of inaction, guilt, and works-righteousness. I think that Farley's own testimony, which includes transparent accounts of his own struggles with guilt-ridden perfectionism and a need to prove his worth to God, is overextended in its application to most of Christendom. Farley projects his story, in my opinion, too broadly. And while there will be others in Christendom who resonate and identify with his testimony, I think the reality on the ground is much more complex. His diagnosis of the malaise the church exhibits is too simplistic, focusing on one symptom of a much larger disease.

In addition, throughout The Naked Gospel I found myself faced with eisegesis and straw-men arguments. For example, very early in the book, Farley presents his readers with a quiz intended to expose forms of legalism that have been adopted in contemporary church practice. The quiz itself is a farce, reducing such important ideas as repentance, confession, the Old covenant, Christian anthropology and sin, judgment, tithing, God's wrath, and imputed righteousness to simple statements, and then brushing them aside by saying that all of these things are forms of "religiosity" that the gospel has abolished. Later, Farley tells a story of his encounter at a pastor's training event, and recounts an argument concerning the relevance of the Ten Commandments to those under the New Covenant with a group of other pastors. In sum, Farley wins the argument by saying that because the pastors with whom he spoke said Sabbath observance was no longer mandatory, neither does the remainder of the Ten Commandments have any binding force for Christians today. Farley lacks a sophisticated account of the relationship between the Old and New covenants. As for eisegesis, I do not care to recount places where I would contend that Farley's interpretation of Scripture is problematic, but from my recollection my most serious concerns stemmed from his handling of Galatians, as well as his handling of Romans 7.

I trust that Andrew Farley is a wonderful person. He has a significant ministry in the city of Lubbock, and serves on the faculty of Texas Tech University. He has a TV program that is an extension of his ministry as Pastor of Ecclesia: Church Without Religion. He has a family, and I'm certain he is a loving person. Though it is difficult to separate any assessment of a work with the person who created it, I believe I must state boldly that my review is not meant as a personal attack on Andrew Farley. Yet I strongly disagree with his theology. I found this book lacking in so many ways. I found the biblical evidence lacking and even myopic, with too much focus on Hebrews and too little attention to how that book fits with the full scope of the canon. I found the personal anecdotes tiresome, and overly sentimental. I found the theology undergirding the doctrine of sanctification far too weak. I also found his historical account of the early development of Christianity hollow, full of two-dimensional caricatures that opposed the "Jesus plus nothing" message, clinging to "religion," as though those who opposed early Christianity were a cast of cranks firmly committed to keeping the rules. I think this is poor historiography, and therefore poor evangelical theology, which seeks to understand the texts as they were intended for their original audience.

I am seldom this harsh when it comes to book reviews. Most of what I choose to feature on my blog are works that I thoroughly enjoy. But this book provides a sterling example of the trouble with much of contemporary theology. This book is shallow, simplistic, at times theologically absurd, extremely selective in the application of the Bible, terribly neglectful of the significance of the Old Testament and Jesus's relationship to and significance for Israel, and, most regrettably, anemic concerning how Christians are sanctified by the work of Christ through his cross and resurrection. For all of these reasons, I do not recommend this book. Read something else. There are plenty of other works that have developed a better account of the "Jesus plus nothing message."

I agree whole-heartedly with Mr. Farley that once we are "in" Christ and He is "in" us that we are new creations and the old man is dead. I was always taught that the old man was my sinful nature. It is nice to hear that with Christ in me I have a new man or new nature. I still sin and my flesh wants what it wants but I am able to respond to God from a positive standpoint(because of my love for Him) rather than a negative (don't do that) perspective. This book has given me a whole new "lease" on my Christian walk. Thank you Mr. Farley.

Compared to the countless other books written on the Gospel message, this is by far the easiest to read. It is written in plain language without scholarly theological terms. It also highlights the greatly misunderstood or neglected aspects of the Gospel that many today are unaware of.
This is a great book for those who are just average day people, theology students, or theology scholars who want a new and refreshing look on the Gospel.

This book is an excellent scriptural explanation of the "Good News" the Bible reveals. It is something we don't hear in most churches. Easy to understand with lots of scripture references. I read it and then participated in a group study of the book. Because it is somewhat detailed we found it a little cumbursome in the group study. None the less, well worth the time.

Andrew does a wonderful job explaining the exchanged life. Our old life in Adam for a new life in Christ!
Two comments I received from people who read the book - "I have never felt so free in all my Christian life!"
Andrew writes about subjects that need to be made clear to the body of Christ. There is so many lies that are believed in 99% of the body of Christ. Thanks for writing this book.
Rick in Texas

Andrew masterfully breaks down and explains the Gospel of Jesus Christ to its basic and simplest form, as it should be. We try to add to the gospel things that do not belong there, I think because it is hard for us to believe that Jesus actually did it all for us and there is nothing left for us to do except to believe in Him. Thank you Jesus.

Really enjoyed this different look at the Gospels. The author presents an excellent case in most instances. While I cannot agree with him on all items., our discussion group had great interactions as we got further and further into the book.

I love this book because Andrew Farley has the courage to challenge the Christian System as it is today and will help any believer to be more at ease with himself. I'd recommend it to anyone with an open mind.

I agree with the author that our salvation is not dependent on our works, but is entirely dependent upon the grace and mercy of our loving God, but I think in Mr. Farley's attempt to free us from the work of the Law he forgets the benefits of letting the Law of God inform our decisions in everyday life. In Jesus Christ alone our salvation is assured, yet God desires us to have obedient hearts and submissive spirits as we live out our faith each day and in every situation we find ourselves, and while we can never live up to the letter of the Law, as Christians we need to let the spirit of the Law influence our attitudes and actions. To accept God's free gift of his son's sacrifice without letting the Holy Spirit work in us to change us and transform us more and more into the image and likeness of Christ will result in the continued weakening of the impact authentic Christianity can have in the world around us.

This book along with Relaxing With God by Andrew Farley woke me up from a dormant faith. The message of Grace can and will set one free from the dogmas of Christianity taught today by many. "Jesus plus nothing," as Dr. Farley says.

This work is a superb tool for returning the Church focus to the original reason for our existence.
It plainly and biblically lays out our dilemma of ingrained mixture of effort by the individual Christian being proclaimed from the majority of pulpits today, as the means to please God, with a minor emphasis on the purity of the Gospel' message of personal freedom from performance measurement Church.
This work, is lifechanging for the Christian world if they had enough courage to take it seriously.