Reverend Comb's history states that as a Pastor, he loved to paint word pictures. This book is full or writings that are vividly painted across the pages. Try the introduction for starters!
I got this book from Onlinebookclub.org when I agreed to do a volunteer review. In hindsight I went overboard with my review, but the book was that good and I would still go overboard but much more slowly! This review is my opinion ( )

I really enjoyed how the author told the story of Adam and Eve and brought out points that made things clearer . It is one of the Bible stories that most people have heard, but not really broke down into sections that help readers understand the significance of this story. I loved how the author said that instead of looking at what they did wrong " it might more appropriately be viewed as separation or alienation." When we sin do we feel naked? I thought about that question a lot. For me, when I do something that is not of God I do sense a feeling of nakedness. I feel vulnerable and not covered in His protectiveness.

The author goes into depth about other people in the Bible who had gone against God. I loved how he explained the scriptures and gave examples to help readers visualize what the Word is saying. The author does explain that he has taken some liberties in the retelling of some of the stories in the Bible. I found it refreshing to look at a different point of view and understand about where sin came come. So many of us do wrong things and then try to blame someone else for the deed. What would it be like if we owned what we did wrong ? What freedom would it bring?

One of my favorite chapters is when the author talks about anxiety. I have suffered from PTSD for a long time. Anxiety and depression is part of living with PTSD. It can keep you locked away so no one can get close to you. "Anxiety is signal we do not have a solution for a given situation." When the author talked about Christ's peace and that it "remains in our hearts and minds, guarding and protecting us from the worry and anxiety normally accompanying a stressful environment," it reminded me that I'm not alone. We try to solve things on our own instead of calling on Jesus to help us.

I loved that the author included study questions at the end of every chapter. It helps readers go deeper into the Word and reexamine the chapter and apply the questions to our walk with Christ. The book was well written and I found it to be very helpful. I look forward to more books from this very gifted author.

I received a copy of this book from the author and The BookClub Network. The review is my own opinion. ( )

Who Told You That You Were Naked? by Willam E. Combs is a compelling look at the critical building blocks of Christianity—sin, salvation, and faith. Beginning at the beginning of time, the author, using word pictures, conjectures what life in the Garden of Eden was like for Adam and Eve and their relationship with the Creator. Combs discusses the word sin, the several translational meanings as in sin, transgression, trespass and disobedience and the importance of understanding the nuances in terms of the act of Eve and Adam eating of the forbidden tree. As the author continues with his exegetical look at these building blocks he writes of the transformational work of Christ in our lives—transforming those who confess and believe in the work of Jesus Christ from those who are enslaved to the law of sin to those who walk through faith in the freedom of the righteousness of Christ. He concludes the book with the importance of understanding that the root of our sin is our mental capacity to discern good and evil—so that we can indeed die to sin and walk in the way of Christ. Who Told You That You Were Naked is theologically sound and thoroughly based in scripture. Each scripture reference (and there are many) used is written out in the text. The author also uses some personal experiences to help clarify his points and at the end of each chapter is a list of study questions for discussion, making this a great resource for a group study. All in all a book not to be read quickly (unlike my method of reading fiction—in one eye and out the other!); it is thought-provoking and inspirationally challenging.
I won a copy of this book from the author through Book Fun network. A favorable review was not required and opinions are my own. ( )