12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee: Like Me

This book is great at demonstrating that we can all be judgemental at times. John Fischer tells personal stories that are very vulnerable and hit close to home. It is very encouraging and convicting to think about loving like Jesus does rather than picking apart anyone who is different. He uses the 12-step recovery model to show that it takes some real effort and honest self-evalutation to move from being a person who lives to do everything "right" to a person who is forgiven and ready to give grace and love to others instead.

Do you look at the title and hesitate for a moment thinking, "well, i'm not really a PHARASIEE?" If so, get this book. I got it because Brennan Manning recommended it, thinking, "well, this isn't my kind of book because I'm not one of these people," and whoa, was I convicted. Read it, learn it, inhale it, consume it. Trust me, you'll be a much better person after devouring these 170+ pages. I know because I now am. :)

The single greatest pleasure of a Pharisee is to judge other people. A Pharisee devises rules that make himself look better than others, while others are unaware of what the rules are, and wouldn't care if they did know. The Pharisee makes righteousness attainable by good works that only a select few are able to accomplish. Pharisees forget that Jesus blew that whole concept out of the water by making observation of the Law totally unattainable, thereby opening the door for all by grace, a concept the Pharisee thinks is unfair. If you struggle with Pharasaism, which puts you among the great Christian majority, don't miss this book. It's like looking into a mirror (at least it was for me), and it uses a somewhat tongue-in-cheek 12-step model for recovery from this spiritually deadly disease. When we realize that we truly are sinners, both pre- and post-conversion, and that the only way we can make it is by the grace and mercy of God, we will be quicker to show grace and mercy to others, and we will come a lot closer to rid ourselves of the judgementalism that keeps us looking down on those we deem spiritually inferior to ourselves. Another great book, like several I have read lately, that is hard to find at your local Christian bookstore unless you are looking for it. In fact, with the lack of the hype that is enjoyed by such bland offerings as the "Left Behind" series, you might not know this book even exists. Well, if you are reading this review, now you do. So order a copy today!

We modern-day Pharisees won't buy books that tell us we're worse than we think. In this case, I hope I'm wrong. In fact, I'm adding the book to my prayer list, to pray for its success. We evangelicals believe our righteousness BEFORE regeneration was filthy rags, but that our righteousness SINCE becoming a Christian, is not too bad. It's ALL dung. There's nothing that any of us have ever done simply and ONLY because we love Jesus. The more we understand how rotten we are NOW, the more precious Jesus is to us NOW. He who has been forgiven little, loves little. The watching world knows only too well what poor lovers-of-others we are, especially of those who are very different from ME. Is it any wonder then, that the Church is so dismissed today? About as effective in reaching the lost as the Pharisees were in their day. We need Fischer's message if we are to be EFFECTIVE at what Jesus has called us to do.

John Fischer is a honest-till-it-hurts kinda writer. He asks the questions no-one else wants to ask or hear. That's why this book is a must read. John helps us to look honestly into the mirror and recognise the 'pharisee'.Cleverly using the steps of AA, but changing it to fit a new context, makes for fascinating reading. This isn't a how-to book. This is a thought-provoking look into the mirror. Healing and recovery begins by admitting: "I'm a Pharisee, please help." This book is a welcome addition to Fischer's collection of challenging and thought-provoking books. "Hi, i'm Francois, i'm a recovering Pharisee."