How Good is Good Enough? by Andy Stanley

How Good is Good Enough? Reviews

• 
  Courtney Wyant

  I was in my moms bathroom and saw this on the shelf and picked it up. best thing I ever did.
• 
  Dorine

  Great little book with a positive message. Full review coming soon at TheZestQuest.com and reposted here
• 
  Juna

  wonderful book! im so glad kenny encouraged me to read it. stanley basically wants you--for your own peace of mind, really--to stand toe to toe with your undeniable mortality (i love the way my mother always put it..'thats the thing about this world--nobody makes it out of here alive') and your beliefs on whatever 'eternity' awaits you on the other side. and its a task thats supremely uncomfortable and distressing for lots of folks, probably more so for me than most i associate with (mainly, because most of my friends my age arent thinking about dying, in my opinion the hidden curse of youth, that leads many to devalue life and act recklessly). BUT as stanley points out its such a fearful prospect for some because it is the ultimate unknown, uncharted 'territory'. we dont know where it is, what it looks like, or if it even exists. so in reading this youre forced to really focus on what your beliefs are about heaven, because as he points out, most of what youve held onto as the definitive understanding of paradise and who deserves to reside there, are skewed and erroneously steeped in scripture taken out of context. it also requires you to ask of yourself who you believe 'belongs' in heaven, and if there is a guest list, what about you, your character, and your faith qualifies you to be on it. really poignant concept really...i know plenty of christians who are so sure theyre going, theyre already picking out curtain swatches for their spot in heaven but wouldnt cross the street to spit on their fellow man if he were on fire. me, i know i try my best to 'be good' but i still dont think i deserve anything better than damnation--isnt that whats reserved for sinners?--no i havent murdered anyone or coveted anyones husband but im no better, im a sinner all the same
  
  if i had to categorize i would call it a 'christian' book but reading it made me realize that even as a christian i cant be categorized. my faith, as it turns out, much like my musical and artistic tastes are surprisingly eclectic...
  
  which leads me to wonder
  is that even ok? to be an 'eclectic' christian?? to believe in the supreme, tandem humanity/divinity of jesus but also have a decidedly buddhist, 'brahmic' understanding of god???? ah well, im going to hell anyway...
• 
  Matt

  It is hard to know if you've done enough good things to earn your way into Heaven, and this book addresses that issue. As a Christian, I sometimes struggle with the balance between "faith" and "works." Which is more important, and how do they work together? This book was a helpful resource as I continue to think through the relationship between "belief in Jesus" and "doing good deeds."
• 
  Brad Bolton

  Every once in awhile I read a book and think: "I wish I had written this!" because it touches on so many thoughts I've had or discussed with others. That's how I felt reading Andy Stanley's 'How good is good enough?'. Many concepts are drawn from the works of CS Lewis, Josh McDowell and others but Stanley's description of the difficulty relying on one's conscience was insightful. In fact, he expands on Lewis' position that conscience is a relatively consistent guide amongst people of different regions and historical periods, pointing to an external source of our internal 'moral law'.
  
  In response to the majority belief that 'something' good will happen to good people when they reach the other side, Stanley does a terrific job explaining the impossibility of knowing just how good one needs to be when the definition of 'good' itself differs amongst individuals, societies and religions. Where I felt he touched on something rarely discussed but I think of often, was how he tied the practice of ancient sacrifice into Christ's own. We see sin lead to death around us all the time, any belief system that is true should reflect that observation. We also expect those who commit sin which hurts us, or others, to be dealt with justly but we prefer not to face justice for our own sinful acts. Finally, Stanley's description of how we rarely expend much emotion demanding fairness when we get more than we deserve certainly hits home. Whether it's an erroneous call made by a referee in my team's favour, or my reluctance to redistribute excess wealth beyond what I really need to those born into unfair circumstances, I'm guilty!
  
  Good people don't go to Heaven because there are no good people, and while Stanley doesn't elaborate with the following I would add that it's logically impossible. If an imperfect person was allowed into a perfectly good Heaven, Heaven itself would no longer be perfect! Fortunately, there is a solution for this conundrum because God doesn't require justice when it comes to our sins and Stanley outlines the solution as well as anyone in the final chapter...
• 
  Dorothy

  I traded a box of old books for a box of someone else's old books and found this. I almost didn't want to add it because it was so short, but my OCD wouldn't allow that because it does come up as a book although only 92 pages. I was actually very interested in his discussion and waiting for the shoe to drop. Bam! Last chapter. If you're a born again Christian I'm sure you love this book. I'm an atheist who still finds the subject of religion interesting. My first thought on finishing this book was, What a crock of 💩. And aren't we special. So if you are any other religion your beliefs no matter how ancient or dearly held are wrong. It's not about fair. It's about we know the real truth so we will be rewarded even if our whole life we were horrible individuals. Well, all I can say is I disagree. I expect at some point to die and have my basic elements go back into their component parts as do all living things. I don't however condemn everyone who doesn't believe that. Can't we just live and let live and accept that basic societal laws should be followed? Ex. Don't kill, steal, etc. But it was interesting to read so I gave it 2.
• 
  Tara Tetzlaff

  Stanley starts off well in exploring the insufficiencies of the " good people go to heaven" argument, but his argument falls apart in the second half. a few points of contest: 1.) Stanley seems to make the assumption that getting to heaven is the goal, which is not necessarily the belief or focus of Christianity. 2.) It is unnecessary to link grace and forgiveness with the concept of sacrificing atonement. what does it say about God if God "requires payment"? So God is vindictive and carries out vengeance against God himself? Stanley's argument is highly individualistic and self serving, ignoring Jesus' emphasis on caring for the marginalized (Matt. 25), but preserves the status quo. A disappointing read and one that does little to proclaim the gospel message of hope for the hopeless.
• 
  Jeremy

  
  
  Notes:
  
  Here is the gospel according to Andy:
  + Good people don’t go to heaven, forgiven people do
  - “There is no connection between the ten commandments and heaven… There is no promise of heaven for people who keep the ten commandments”
  - “There is no universal consensus regarding what is right and what is wrong”
  - And even if there were, if “good” people go, how good is good enough? This question is not adequately answered by any world religion
  - It’s unfair to be held accountable to a standard you aren’t clearly informed about at the outset. What if you fell one deed short of heaven? The good news in the Christian view is that God treats us better than fair and we don’t get exactly what we deserve
• 
  Elizabeth Castellanos

  El autor quiere explicar el cristianismo desde una perspectiva más comprensible para personas ateas, pero en este intento por ser más "empático", se torna en un texto reduccionista. El propósito del cristianismo no es ir al cielo, no es cumplir con una serie de requisitos. Es una exégesis muy deficiente para venir de alguien que dice ser pastor cristiano. Apenas y explica en un par de párrafos (literalmente) la gracia, cuando esta es LA base del cristianismo. Honestamente, este libro no tiene bases bíblicas y NO lo recomiendo. Es un texto peligroso que puede confundir a nuevos creyentes.
• 
  Eric Ryan

  loved the book. bought a 10 pack for my mother and she gives them out to peeps. Great look and in simple language of how to deal with being imperfect and a perfect God.
• 
  Alyssa

  Wished it was longer. His sermon series with the same title was a good listen also.
• 
  Ryan Rindels

  I really like Andy Stanley's style. This is a good little read. He pleads convincingly in a unique oblique approach
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  Toni

  I did not like this book until about 1/2 way through. The beginning made me slightly irritated for some reason. I think I didn't like the fact that it was hard to decide what point the author was trying to make. I wasn't sure if he believed in Heaven, God and any specific religion or if he hated it all. finally by the second half of the book, it was clear where he stood and things fell into place. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it really drives home some things that are often preached in my church and Bible study groups.
• 
  Cynthia Sanders

  I enjoy his stories and I also like 1) his style of presenting the type of circumstances we could face, 2) the questions that might cross our minds, and 3) his commentary of similar temptations we may deal with more often than we realize. Not sure I agree with everything he says, but I do believe that through the grace & mercy of God & our faith in His sacrifice of His son, our Savior, that we are forgiven
• 
  Ryk Stanton

  My aunt gave me this book after a series of conversations we had been having about GOODNESS as a major consideration for entrance in to heaven. This author asserts that goodness is no measuring stick and the only means into heaven is to be *forgiven* for our sins, and that only by being washed in the blood of Christ.
  
  I don't know, man. This didn't seem like a studied piece of theology, more like someone trying to figure out something that couldn't be figured out.
• 
  David Kitz

  This is a short yet powerful little book that clearly refutes the notion that only good people go to heaven. Author Andy Stanley systematically dismantles this commonly held belief by using sound reasoning and biblical texts. In the the concluding chapters he points out that according to Jesus and New Testament teaching it's forgiven people that go to heaven. Our goodness is never enough to merit heaven.
  An excellent read; cogently presented.
• 
  DocHolidavid

  Andy Stanley does a good job of describing the futile struggle of achieving salvation through good behavior, meritorious works, repentance and religious efforts.
  
  The second part of the book discusses the only way to salvation, and he even provides the open door through which to step.
  
  It's a good book.
• 
  Joni Fisher

  This small book explores the subject of redemption and good works from a Biblical perspective. Stanley is the senior pastor at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. This is one of many devotional and Bible study guides he has written. His plain-spoken approach to challenging topics draws the reader in as if he is speaking in person.
• 
  Susan Heim

  This was already very short - about a two hour listen, but it could have been even briefer. It reminded me of when speakers take a commencement address and fluff it up a little and sell it as a book but this was a sermon instead. I enjoyed what he had to say but he could have made his point in half the time.
• 
  Susan Robinson

  Very good book. It begins with the premise that most people in the world seem to believe they just have to be "good" in order to get to heaven. The question is: how good, what is good, who determines what good is, what if you miss good by one thing, etc. Well worth reading and passing on to anyone within your circle about how to get to heaven.
  
• 
  Adrianne

  I love Andy, and the way he teaches! This book is a quick and easy read. It’s scratches the surface of how to secure a spot in Heaven and what it means to accept Christ as your savior. It’s a good starting point for anyone who isn’t sure about their beliefs as well as anyone who wants a quick refresher course.