‘Bound Together’ by Chris Brauns

Bound Together: How We Are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices by Chris Brauns.

Bound Together is a highly readable and engaging book on a vital yet often neglected truth. Here’s the publisher’s commendation: “We are not just isolated individuals. Instead, our lives are woven together with others. We have solidarity with other people—the choices one person makes affects the lives of others, for good and for bad. Because much of the pain we endure in life is in the context of relationships, this truth often strikes us as unfair. Why should a child suffer because of the choices of his parents? And on a grander scale, why do we all suffer the curse of Adam’s sin? Why should anyone be judged for someone else’s sin? In Bound Together, Chris Brauns unpacks the truth that we are bound to one another and to the whole of creation. He calls this, “the principle of the rope.” Grasping this foundational principle sheds new light on marriage, the dynamics of family relationships, and the reason why everyone lives with the consequences of the sins that others commit. Brauns shows how the principle of the rope is both bad news and good news, revealing a depth to the message of the gospel that many of us have never seen before.”

In chapters 2, 3 and 4, Chris explains two vital truths – truths that lie at the heart of the Gospel message.

●People’s union with the first man, Adam. In chapter 2, Chris explains how everyone has been bound to Adam. So, when Adam committed his first sin in the Garden of Eden, every human was involved in that sin. This is what is called the doctrine of ‘original sin’.

●Believers’ union with Christ. Everyone who repents and trusts in Jesus Christ for their salvation is, so to speak, unbound from Adam and bound to Jesus Christ. They are united with Christ. In other words, they are, as Paul often says, “in Christ”. And that changes everything. Robert Letham writes, “Union with Christ is right at the center of the Christian doctrine of salvation”. In chapters 3 and 4, Chris explains what it means for believers to be united with Christ and takes us through images that the Bible uses to illustrate this union.

Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California writes: “In Bound Together, Chris Brauns cleverly unpacks two key theological concepts—union with Christ, and original sin—and manages to explain them in a way that any reader can understand. Highly recommended.”

View the publisher’s description page HERE.

Read some reviews HERE and HERE.

Chris Brauns’ website A Brick in the Valley is HERE. I recommend it.

Chris Brauns is senior pastor of the The Red Brick Church, Stillman Valley, Illinois, United States. He is the author of three books and numerous articles. Chris and his wife Jamie have four children. You can read more about Chris background HERE.