The subtitle “The Sins We Commit & How You Can Quit” tells us both what we do not want to talk about as well as what we have all given thought to often. It’s uncomfortable to think about the sins that we not only commit, but actually fail in regularly. Fortunately, since Mr. Hunter stirs up such subjects for us to face, he goes on to tackle what we should do to overcome these temptations that follow us all through our lives.

In launching into his subject, Mr. Hunter admits the battle that we all face with temptation. He never hides the fact that the battle has been as fierce in his own life as he knows it is for we readers.  Quickly he establishes that our wrong desires, springing from pride, are deep inside us and are the ultimate problem  in the sins we commit. He makes an understandable and strong case here. I was convinced.

He explains how well we rationalize our sins. His description is really uncanny as I know I have rationalized the way he describes.  Then he describes the all too common situation of living years as a Christian and never quite getting victory. In that many of my failures are similar to what they were years ago, I too well know what he means. Add to that the fact that temptation is here to stay, and we are discussing one of the biggest issues of the Christian life.

In probing this issue for us he recognizes that what tempts me probably is not what tempts you. Based on those deep “disordered desires”  He ties it together in a clear way the process of desire, rationalization, and then failure. We become creatures who live to feed our desires. We feel helpless and only fail more. He analyzes survey respondents on how they handled temptation and shows that if we even try at all, our pathetic responses are doomed from the beginning.

Then he takes us on an expose of the most common temptations of our times. There’s worry, procrastinating, over-indulgence, social media addiction  (Let’s look out as I write on here as you read on here), and laziness. In chapters 9 and 10 he takes these common temptations and brings us back to his premise that our desires must be re-ordered though the power of Christ. It’s helpful stuff.

He has 2 chapters on Sacraments and the Lectionary that I found of little use. He’s an Anglican who uses these things though you would never know it outside these 2 chapters.

This is a great read that highlights the need of a transformational approach rather than the pitiful failing attempts we have used for years. This book can help us.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 .