Saving the Saved: How Jesus Saves Us from Try-Harder Christianity into Performance-Free Love

In a world that often measures approval based on performance, Loritts (Right Color, Wrong Culture) sets the stage for a revolution against meritocracy, an “always-try-harder” philosophy that he sees as at odds with the performance-free life God offers through Jesus. Everyone has a longing to make a difference and to feel a calling in life, writes Loritts, pastor and president of Kairos Ministries, but when people start using gifts and skills to earn social approval—instead of for God’s glory—that pride gets in the way and the true path of faith is obscured. Lorrits writes passionately on how society’s meritocratic orientation makes the daily struggle to rest only in Jesus even more difficult than it would otherwise be. Looking closely at the temptation of Christ, the Sermon on the Mount, and racial issues, Loritts explores how attempts to attain public success often hide private failure and lead to hypocrisy in pursuing “goodness.” When hope and purpose come from responding to a future based on Christ’s victory over death rather than on dependence on one’s own merits, Loritts argues persuasively, a performance-free existence will arise, resulting in peace over worry, a desire for social justice, the ability to forgive, and improved relationships. Agent: Andrew Wolgemuth, Wolgemuth & Associates. (Oct.)