Distinctives by Vaughan Roberts

by Vaughan Roberts

In a fresh and readable style, Vaughan Roberts, issues a challenging call to Christians to live out their faith. We should be different from the world around us.Targeting difficult but crucial areas such as our attitude to money and possessions, sexuality, contentment, relativism and service, this teaching is holiness in the tradition of J.C Ryle for the contemporary generation. Roberts helps us to consider how we are to respond biblically to the temptations and pitfalls surrounding us--giving what we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Theology

Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Vaughan came to faith as he read through Matthew’s Gospel for himself as a teenager. After studying law at Cambridge University and a brief spell doing student ministry in South Africa, he moved to Oxford to study Theology at Wycliffe Hall and has lived in the city ever since. In 1991 he joined the staff of St Ebbe’s Church to lead the student ministry and since 1998 he has been Rector. He is also the Director of the Proclamation Trust, an organisation that encourages and equips Bible teachers. In his spare time Vaughan writes books and plays cricket and golf.

see also Vaughan Roberts' sister Clare Heath-Whyte

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. It challenges us to live distinctively Christian lives in practical ways and provides us with Biblical motivation. It's a well-written, accessible, short book, so it's suitable for an audience from teenagers to adults.

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I read the 2007 reprint - Roberts may have updated this and changed some things. I hope he did.)

I think this book needs more Jesus. More time spent in the Gospel rather than just its implications and outworkings.
There was also a big stress on how worthy it was for people to give up their jobs and go into the mission field or full time ministry. It is a wonderful thing, but not for everyone. We need Christians in allsorts of different contexts and workplaces, but Roberts seemed to imply that a Christian ministry calling was of more value, or showed more willingness to sacrifice and live for Jesus. He could have spent time reflecting on how we can all be distinctive for Jesus in every different context and situation we're in.

I think this book may leave lots of people feeling guilty and that they don't really love Jesus enough. So again, we needed more time spent seeing Jesus and being pointed to Him in our weakness. The book ends with the question, are you giving up enough for Jesus? I wanted the book to end with Jesus, for us to lift our eyes to Him, to see how He lived distinctively for His glory and our good, how He lived the life we ought and never could, how He died in our place for all our sin and worldliness, and how by His death and resurrection He brings us into a life we could never deserve or earn. And it is Him who gets the glory!!

Here are a few quotes I did enjoy:

'A soldier in the First World War was badly wounded in the trenches. As he lay in hospital a doctor had to give him some bad news. 'I'm sorry - you've lost your arm.' The soldier replied, 'I didn't lose it. I gave it.' In a similar way, Jesus did not simply lose His life - He gave it. There could be no greater gift. And it had a purpose - to 'redeem' us. Without Christ, our situation was helpless, but He has set up free.' p.9

'And if you are single and tempted to feel sorry for yourself for being 'left on the shelf', remember that God does not have a shelf. Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth: 'I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him' (2 Cor. 11:2). If we are Christians, we can be confident that Christ has chosen us as 'his bride' and we will remain married to him for ever.' p.66

[Gary Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberts cuts to heart of key issues for holiness for a 20th/21st century Christian. His call is clear and compelling and demands a response. He includes some helpful apologetics and illustrates his points well. His treatment may have been improved by sharpening up the chapters, dropping out some material and making it more succinct (however, this may be a result of my modern condition of reading shorter and more succinct articles, blogs and books—this was published 20 years ago).

[Steve Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some thought-provoking, good stuff here, but in the end it sets up too much of a false dichotomy between a perception of Christian work and secular work. The focus should be on bringing all work under the lordship of Christ, not setting up a system of some jobs are good and some aren't as good.

[Hannah Ferreira-Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Especially great for new Christians. (It was published in 2000 so some of the references are a bit dated).

[Lila · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gay now soz guys

[Scott Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vaughan Roberts challenges Christians to be different. He begins by reminding us of the perspective we need; what Christ did in the past, and his future return. These two events need to inform our present life. In other chapters he focusses on service, contentment, purity, certainty and holiness. The last chapter was apparently about wholeheartedness, but it seemed more of a conclusion reminding Christians to be like Moses and sacrifice things like prestige, pleasure and prosperity now for the sake of Christ and his kingdom.

I was definitely challenged by aspects of this book, and I'd recommend it as an easy read that reminds us of our calling to live out our faith.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Distinctives is about how and why we should live holy lives as Christians. It is split into 7 chapters, each focusing on a particular area of life in which we should be different from the world around us - for instance, our attitudes towards possessions and relationships. It provides a great overview of Christian morality and why living distinctly from the world is not optional, but critical, in our life as followers of Jesus. I highly recommend it to new believers or those who want to get back to basics and understand the practical applications of the Bible in daily life

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a topic I was quite interested in (learning to be distinctive from "the world" as a Christian.) The book was helpful but I was hoping it would give more practical guidance.

[Samson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is frequently my gift to Christian friends who think they are living perfectly as Christians because they follow most of the moral rules in the Bible.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this some time ago, and I don't remember that much. But it's a bit basic, and I didn't find it particularly challenging.