The Selfish Gospel is a ‘gospel’ book. It’s a book on evangelism, and it’s also a book dedicated to Christian discipleship.
The book itself is very readable and has been recommended by Mike Pilavachi, co-founder of Soul Survivor. Mike asked Freddie Pimm to speak at the Momentum Festival in 2011. He calls Freddie, ‘wise and authentic’. My hope is that Freddie will be an authentic voice for the church.
In a previous interview, Freddie Pimm says,
‘How does the church move from a place where we are often marginalised and rejected by much of society, to a place where we are actively transforming culture and building God’s kingdom? I hope and pray that the book will inspire and encourage people to transform: certainly themselves of course, but also their relationships, communities and neighbourhoods and, gradually over time, our culture’.
Freddie lived in Hammersmith and Fulham for eight years. When the terrible tragedy of the fire at the Grenfell tower block happened in a neighbouring community, he noted that ‘the people living in their beautiful exclusive addresses were oblivious to the poverty on their doorstep’. How can God’s people impact their community?
The Author
Freddie Pimm is a junior doctor working in West London. He attends St Alban’s Church in Fulham where he preaches regularly and helps to lead the student work. He is in his 20s, he does not have a theological degree, but importantly he shares the Christian values of Soul Survivor, Momentum networks and HTB. This is important, as we urgently need more teachers of the gospel.
The Book
So why the ‘Selfish Gospel’?
Clearly, Freddie feels that the gospel as delivered by many churches today is ‘incomplete’. He believes that Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of God is far more radical.
This book is Freddie’s view of how the true gospel should be preached, particularly within the United Kingdom.
There are three parts to the book: The Symptoms, the Diagnosis and the Cure. This is Jesus’ picture of health. And it’s all very medical!
In the Symptoms, Freddie looks at the Delirious Disciples, the Locked-in Syndrome, and The Elephant Man. In the Diagnosis, he looks again at God’s Kingdom and the Gospel, The Selfish Gospel, and the Selfish Gospel at Work. Finally in the Cure, Freddie looks at Shaking off the Delirium, Breaking Out of the Locked-in Syndrome, and Rehabilitating the Elephant Man! All of which is extremely good.
Freddie Pimm says that ‘this book is a critique of myself as much as it is a critique of our church’. He does, however, help all of us understand that there is more to the gospel than we are currently experiencing.
‘The mixed picture of the church is a far cry from the will of Jesus’.
The view in the book is that much of our gospel is ‘selfish’. We have taken on the attitude of our ‘individualistic’ culture, and looked at the gospel through that lens. This is the culture that is trained to think of ourselves first, rather than others.
The gospel is free, easy and attractive. We are afraid that the real gospel may simply put people off. This is not the gospel of preaching the kingdom of God. It is something far less than this. The ‘Selfish Gospel’ causes us to miss out on so much that God has for us.
Discipleship is a lifestyle. It takes a long time, perhaps all of our lives. In chapter 7, Freddie Pimm looks at the Bible, fasting, meditation and journaling. He notes that ‘We’ve forgotten what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus’. Spiritual transformation is achieved through discipleship, not through a ‘selfish’ gospel.
‘Individualism would be dethroned…. And consumerism would be knocked out as we grow our lives that are perfectly satisfied with God’s awesome providence. Each of us would enjoy life in all its fullness through its relationship with Jesus’.
In the book, Freddie suggested readings from A W Tozer, Richard Foster, Tom Wright and Ronald Sider, as well as Mike Breen, Amy Sherman, Kris Vallotton and Tich & Joan Smith.
It’s a good read, and a valuable book for any Christian in the UK church at present.
The book is well put together, and my hope is that many people will be blessed by what Freddie outlines here. Yes, our selfish, individualistic culture has impacted the Gospel – and we need to reemphasize the importance of the kingdom of God in the life of the believer.
Moving from conversion to discipleship is always significant for every generation, and especially for the church in the UK at the moment.
In closing, Freddie Pimm says,
‘When we know the glorious wholeness and endless possibilities found in Christ and our role in building His kingdom here on earth, why would we settle for anything less? Why would we settle for the Selfish Gospel? Why would we not give it all’?
I wish Freddie Pimm all the best.
Eddie Olliffe
Bookseller and Distributor for the past 35 years. Now Consulting Editor of Together Magazine. I blog on Christian Spirituality, UK Publishing and Bookselling matters.