Review: Returning to Holiness

                                                                                                                                                                  Vol. XVI, No. 8, Sep/Oct 2003

reviewed by Steve Dalton

                   pastor, Forest Lawn Baptist Church, Danville

Dr. Greg Frizzell, a special missionary for the North American Mission Board has written a book that is changing lives and churches all over the nation. The book is Returning to Holiness - A Personal and Chruchwide Journey to Revival. The book is full of scripture and has been used by the Lord to bring personal revival in many lives including mine.

The book addresses seven major categories of sin: “Sins of Thought”, “Sins of Attitude”, “Sins of Speech”, “Sins of Relationships”, “Sins of Commission”, “Sins of Omission”, and “Sins of Self-Rule and Self Reliance”. For each category of sin, Dr. Frizzell quotes a great deal of scripture providing limited commentary when necessary and lists questions the Holy Spirit may use to convict the reader. Throughout the book the author encourages confession and repentance as the Spirit reveals sin in our lives and convicts us of that sin. This book is powerful if you pray through it. The key is a desire for holiness, a willingness to ask the Lord to use the book to convict you of your sins, and a humble spirit that will allow the reader to seek forgiveness and cleansing. 

In the Foreword of Returning to Holiness T.W. Hunt says, “Dr. Greg Frizzell has given every believer and pastor a tool for doing that most important of all works - purifying the church at this crucial time in her history.” As with any tool, this one must be used if it is to fix anything. So often it is sin, not a lack of programs, the wrong music, or poor location that weakens our churches and makes us unable to reach the lost for Jesus.