The Power of God's Redemption

If you've never read any of Julie Lessman's novels, I highly recommend them to you--especially her current release, A Passion Denied (Revell, 2009).

The message of God's redemption can't be any clearer than it is in this book. This story displays not only the redemption God brings in restoring our relationship with Him, but the redemption He brings in our relationship with others. Our past sins can cause a ripple effect in our relationships with those we care about the most. If we're not careful, Satan will use them to destroy us and the good God wants to bring about in our lives.

This book displays God's power to break the shackles the enemy tries to keep around our souls with the persuasive lie that our sins may be forgiven, but never redeemed. My friend, when Jesus redeemed us, God also chose to give us back what sin robbed from us in this life as well. Jesus died not only to give us eternal life, but life to its fullest on this earth. Part of giving us abundant life sometimes comes through blessings in certain areas of our lives where we feel we deserve a curse instead.

The characters in this novel are not ones you find in typical Christian fiction. These are real characters with flaws. Despite their flaws, we see evidence of God's grace working in their lives. At times you might find their behavior shocking--the same way solid people in our lives shock us. Yet in those same moments, the characters understand how much they need Jesus. They understand they can't overcome this area in their lives without His power working in them. The same way we realize it in our own lives.

Julie Lessman has done an awesome job with this novel. She takes us deep into the heart of human struggles with an entertaining story that will have you hanging on the edge until the last page.