Review of Maximum Joy

Introduction

Andersons (2016) Maximum Joy is an application of 1 John to ones lifea navigational map of sorts to help one engage with the fact and gift of salvation offered by Christ through the cross. Where Luther and Calvin ran into the stumbling block of how or whether a sinner could still be saved, Anderson attempts to use 1 John to explain what it means to have a relationship and, most importantly, a fellowship with God. This review provides a summary and critique of Andersons book and shows that Anderson touches upon something quite important in religious studies: God wants His children to enjoy their relationship with Him.

Summary

John is often described as the Apostle who loved Jesus most. That love comes through in the first epistle of John, as Anderson (2016) points out (16). The epistle is from one child of God to another: it is a heart to heart, and that is where Anderson starts his reflection. 1 John is about love, Anderson notes; it is about intimacy and how intimate we are with God. The major stumbling block to intimacy is selfishness. Anderson gives the example of a husband and wife: the husband wants to feel admired; the wife wants to feel secure. Each is wanting something from the other and feels unfulfilled if he/she does not receive it. But does either focus more on giving? On being selfless instead of selfish? On living to make the other happy? That question gets to the heart of the matter: God gave Himself so that we would have the opportunity to be happy with Him in Heaven. To take that opportunity requires us to be selfless the way He was on the cross.

While selflessness might not seem an enjoyable task, Anderson explains that it can be and it will be, the closer we move towards God. Anderson (2016) describes Peter being unwilling to have his feet washed by Christ at the Last Supper and Christ admonishing Peter saying that unless he allow himself to be cleansed (of sin) he can have no part (no intimacy) in God (20). Anderson goes on to make the point that this moment is not about establishing a relationship with His followers. He already has a relationship with them. It is about establishing a fellowshipit is about establishing intimacy. He is not content just to have followers. He wants them to love Him. He wants them to love others. He wants love to be the force that binds them together. Peter resisting Christs act of humility was an act of...

Resisting love is akin to resisting Christ.

Anderson shows that Christ uses our senses to draw us to Him. We hear first; then we see; then we look (more deeply); and then we touch God finally. The closer we come to God, the more irresistible the force of love becomes. In response, we are motivated to declare His glory and His power not just to ourselves but also outwardly to the world. It is the kind of love that motivated St. Francis Xavier to go into the world as a missionary for Christ. St. Francis Xavier did not love God simply because of the promise of Heaven but because God loved him first from the cross. St. Francis Xavier recognized that love and adored Christ as his loving King in return.

Anderson pursues this line of thought throughout each of the books 22 chapters, concluding each chapter with a list of questions for the reader to ask himself so as to facilitate reflection. In this way, the book is not just...

…work is no good as it is; far from it; the book should be very well received by most readers. The stories that are told are told well and they do help to underline the important themes that begin in 1 John and that Anderson proceeds to discuss. The problem is not that the ideas are not supported sufficiently; it is just that they could perhaps stand to be supported by more references to Scripture.

Conclusion

All in all, Andersons Maximum Joy is a good book that describes an important point about mans relationship with Godnamely that man needs not just relationship but also fellowship and he needs fellowship really most of all. Anderson makes the claim that fellowship is what matters for ones salvation because fellowship is about love whereas relationship is about knowledge. One is asked to do more than know God and have some proximity to him the way a follower is close to a leader; one is asked to actually be intimate with God, to love Godfor it is in that act of love that one finds or achieves true salvation. The stumbling block of sin that affected Luther and Calvin is thus resolved in Andersons work, where it is shown that man may turn away from God to follow sin from time to time but that man can always turn back to God if he is able to turn back to love, turn away from selfishness and pride, and once more realize that it is Christ Who loves him more than any other does. It is this realization that must motivate the person to move towards love of God and love of neighbor for it is in this act of love that one becomes a child of God.

Bibliography

Anderson, David R. Maximum Joy: First JohnRelationship or Fellowship? Grace

Theology Press,…