Brian Tome. Free Book. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009, 230 pp.

The title to this book might be somewhat deceptive. However, if you read the somewhat lengthy subtitle it becomes really clear what this book is all about. The author, Brian Tome, has a burning desire for freedom in the daily Christian life. After all, Brian points out in the very first chapter 2 Corinthians 3:17—Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Using fifteen chapters, he takes you on a journey to understand true Christian freedom and how to gain that freedom in your life.

The Free Book was definitely a very interesting read. I would not consider myself a fanatic about freedom, but I would most certainly say that I have a passion that Christians experience the freedom that God desires them to have in their lives. Brian brings out a lot of really great points in the book concerning Christian freedom. For example, he spends some time explaining how most Christians really don’t have freedom; rather, they have placed themselves under bondage in many areas of their lives. He explains how these areas can be identified followed by how to deal with them.

His writing style is very easy to read and understand. The chapters are short and lend well to those who might only have ten or twenty minutes at a time to read. However, there is really only one caution I would give you, the reader, when considering this book. If edgy language bothers you, then you may want to consider not reading this book. In the first chapter for example, he is explaining how trading in Christian freedom for bondage makes him angry and he wrote, “I hate the assumption that getting close to God means more rules and restrictions. I am also pissed that I’ll have to fight to keep the word pissed in this book because the publisher will want to cave to more conservative types who want to keep everyone boxed into a certain type of language.” I certainly wouldn’t characterize anything he says as cursing in the book, but I do realize that some people just don’t care for words like pissed off or the like. On the other hand, I think there are a great number of people who will find it easier to relate to his message because of his writing style and the way he expresses himself. It is only a point that everyone should be aware of before reading the book. Regardless of your position on the language, Brian Tome does an excellent job of explaining Christian freedom, what barriers we often face, and how to overcome those barriers and begin to experience true biblical freedom in our lives.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.