Wrecked for God: The Surprising Secret to True Transformation

By Dianne Leman and Randy Clark

Growing up in a Christian home dictated by legalism and religious ideals, Dianne Leman set out to find something more than the fear of not being enough or doing enough to earn God's favor. In her search, she found that Jesus was bigger, better, and more beautiful than she had ever dared to dream--and it wrecked her for good.

In her faith-altering book, Leman guides believers out of Christian lives of doing into union with the Lord Jesus Christ that provides rest, freedom, delight, and grace that is not exhausting but exhilarating. This non-striving guide will help you

· lose your religion and strengthen your faith
· pray in power
· offer mercy to the "messy" people
· and much more

Break the shackles of religion, and embrace the fruitful, fulfilling life with Jesus that you never thought possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781493429875

Book preview

"Wrecked for God is a work of spiritual transition! The Church culture shift from Christian works and Bible study to a lifestyle of love and moving with the Holy Spirit has left many wondering what to do. Dianne Leman’s book is a guide for many who are looking to make this vital shift!"

Danny Silk, president, Loving On Purpose; author, Keep Your Love On and Unpunishable

"Dianne has unrelenting passion for, love for and pursuit of the Holy Spirit. This comes through loud and clear in Wrecked for God. With more than forty years building and leading a growing and vibrant church and fifty years as a lover of Jesus, she has valuable lessons to share with all who are thirsty for more."

Debby Wright, joint senior pastor, Trent Vineyard Nottingham; joint national director, VCUKI

How do we get wrecked for God? By living from the I AM—Jesus—who is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the finished work. He is the scandalous good news of the Gospel. The good news of the Gospel is not about finding ourselves but finding out that we have already been included in His finished work and we are hidden in Christ. It is not just Christ for us, but Christ in us. This revelation changes everything. . . . Di is a great teacher, communicator and seeker of truth. I love how she shares with honesty and transparency her own journey of discovery. Get ready to get wrecked for God and lose your religion—your self-effort to be good enough to be right with God—and all the fear and striving that come with that. Instead, be embraced by the faithfulness of Jesus, who is the glorious good news of the Gospel.

Brian Blount, author, Putting Jesus on Display with Love and Power; co–senior pastor, Crestwood Vineyard Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

"This is a beautifully written, heartfelt invitation to know Jesus. To really know Him. If you’ve wrestled with the disquieting sense that there must be more in your relationship with Him, you will find in Wrecked for God the words of a guide and a friend."

Kathryn Scott, senior pastor, Vineyard Anaheim

"Wrecked for God is a crash course in life lessons from a woman who pursues God passionately as much as anyone I know. Dianne’s unique blend of teaching, life experience and prophetic conversation will open your eyes to how God has wrecked her, and you’ll be wrecked as well!"

Putty Putman, founder, School of Kingdom Ministry

© 2021 by Dianne Leman

Published by Chosen Books

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Chosen Books is a division of

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www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Ebook edition created 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-2987-5

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016

Scripture quotations labeled GNT are from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version-Second Edition. Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations labeled HCSB are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV1984 are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled TLB are from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

Scripture quotations marked YLT are from the Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible.

In some cases, the identifying details of individuals have been changed to protect privacy.

Cover design by Darren Welch Design

To my eighteen (and counting!) grandchildren,

I leave the priceless legacy of experiencing

God’s best secret: Christ in you.

divider

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.

Ephesians 3:17–19 TLB

Contents

Cover    1

Endorsements    2

Half Title Page    4

Title Page    5

Copyright Page    6

Dedication    7

Foreword by Randy Clark    13

Acknowledgments    23

Introduction: God’s Best Secret    25

1. An Outright Scandal, an In-Sight Secret    33

SUBTITLE: God’s secret is a hidden treasure, ready to be seen and too scandalous to ignore.

DILEMMA: What is this secret, and how do I discover it?

DESCRIPTION: While this secret has been revealed for thousands of years, it is now exploding in both academic and practical concern. Find out more!

2. Lost for Good, Found Forever    45

SUBTITLE: If you want to find Jesus, lose your religion—for good—and find true faith forever.

DILEMMA: I keep trying, but I can’t seem to really find life in Jesus. Jesus, are You in me?

DESCRIPTION: Religion is the stumbling block that keeps us from finding Jesus and our true self. We can live free of fear, full of faith—in union with Him.

3. Life, Not Death    65

SUBTITLE: Jesus is the Living Word. Don’t let the Bible kill you.

DILEMMA: The Bible can be hard to understand, difficult to apply and even hurtful.

DESCRIPTION: We can search the Scriptures, know the Scriptures and miss Jesus, who lives in us. Here are ways to approach the Bible in union with Jesus.

4. Saint Now, Sinner No More    81

SUBTITLE: Jesus brought you out of the grave. Embrace the new you, don’t fix the old.

DILEMMA: If I am new and no longer a sinner, why do I still sin and struggle with the old?

DESCRIPTION: Believing in Jesus means we died and are buried with Him, but too many stay in the grave and wait until the final day to rise and truly live in newness of life. We can come out now, stop putting makeup on our corpse and live as a new, resurrected being in union with Him.

5. Better Drunk Than Sober    103

SUBTITLE: Jesus provides the best wine. Get drunk daily in the Holy Spirit and enjoy life with Him. God created us for the enjoyment of many pleasures with Him.

DILEMMA: But doesn’t that mean I’ll look foolish? What about reason? Plus, I feel guilty enjoying ordinary pleasures!

DESCRIPTION: We need a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit every day so we can walk and live in the Spirit. He is God in us, showing us how to live in union with our Trinitarian God, enjoying all of life.

6. Intimacy, Not Imitation    125

SUBTITLE: Jesus wants intimacy with you, not imitation of Him. He wants participation, not performance.

DILEMMA: How do I have intimacy with an invisible God?

DESCRIPTION: We are now hidden in Him—in union with Him—and there is no more imitation of Christ. Instead, there is participation in the divine life we share together as one.

7. Contempt or Compassion?    149

SUBTITLE: Jesus asks, Why do you treat Me with contempt? I desire compassion.

DILEMMA: I might be too compassionate or tolerant of sinful behavior in others. Shouldn’t I judge wisely?

DESCRIPTION: Jesus sees, loves and has compassion for all types of people. We can partake of His compassion, care and love in union with Him or persist in our contempt and criticism of others.

8. Messy Ministry    169

SUBTITLE: Jesus makes a mess wherever He ministers and invites us to say yes to the mess and the miracles, too.

DILEMMA: I really don’t like messes, but I do want miracles.

DESCRIPTION: Ministry in union with Jesus is messy, and that is confusing. We expect things to be nice, neat and successful. But it is often the opposite—and miraculous, too!

9. Powerful, Not Pagan    191

SUBTITLE: Jesus knows best how to pray in power. No more pagan prayers, please.

DILEMMA: My prayers seem weak in spite of God’s promises.

DESCRIPTION: Jesus is wearied of our super spiritual groaning, moaning intercession that is similar to pagan prayer, where we try to impress and/or manipulate God. We can enjoy the wonderful privilege of asking in His name—in union with Him—and watch Him answer in power and love.

10. Bonfire or Hellfire?    213

SUBTITLE: God is a consuming fire. Let Him prune those dead branches so you can produce abundant fruit.

DILEMMA: But I’m afraid of the fire!

DESCRIPTION: Wood, hay and stubble of dead works need to go now so our union with Him can bear all the fruit God has ordained for us.

Conclusion: Unravel the Revelation    233

Notes    235

Back Cover    240

Foreword

Dianne Leman’s new book, Wrecked for God, is the fruit of a lifetime of desiring to know God, follow God, obey God, celebrate and rest in God.

I first met Di and her husband, Happy, in 1984. They were the founders and lead pastors of a church of a few hundred at the time. The movement they were in was very legalistic and very religious. And, if I might say, oppressive of women. They left that movement and became part of the Vineyard movement in its early days. Today they pastor one of the largest Vineyard churches in the United States with several thousand who would call the Vineyard their home church. It is a great church full of love and mercy. Like any healthy organism, it grows, and the growth brings about change. I have witnessed many of these changes as I have interrelated with the Lemans.

Several years ago when I spoke at their church, I had the opportunity to hear Di speak on the Gospel. I could tell she was finding new insights and life in the message of grace. Now, several years later, Dianne has had time to allow the new insights to grow. Wrecked for God reflects these insights. The grace message in Wrecked for God has obviously brought life and freedom to Di. As I read the book, knowing her background, I can understand her excitement and the baggage she had been carrying around that she was able to lay aside. For this I, too, am excited.

There are many things I appreciate in Wrecked for God.

Di’s research gives the book weight. I appreciate the quote from Bishop Charles Gore emphasizing our great need to connect the truth or insight of Christ for us with the truth or insight of Christ in us. More emphasis has been given in the past to the former than to the latter, and I agree that both truths are important. Likewise I appreciate a parallel emphasis Di draws from the biblical scholar Constantine R. Campbell in his book Paul and Union with Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study. The fact that Di did her homework on the concept of union with Christ is important to me.

Another insight Di highlights is the worldview that makes room for the supernatural. She draws on the concept of biblical scholar Paul Hiebert of the excluded middle in Western society, which has difficulty believing in angels, demons and the gifts of the Spirit. The churches of the West need to be awakened to the reality of this realm to become vibrant and to better relate to a postmodern context.

Di’s stories in each chapter were able to sustain my interest throughout the book. As a storyteller myself, I appreciate the life they bring to the concepts she presents.

Likewise I appreciate her reading of Michael J. Gorman’s Participating in Christ: Explorations in Paul’s Theology and Spirituality. We need a stronger view of the transformative experience of being in Christ. She writes: We are made righteous in our being. We are not just given some fake righteousness. We are made righteous. . . . This is more than a mere imputation. This is transformation. Many pages later Di comes back to this subject, quoting Gorman: Transformation takes place in Christ by the working of the Spirit. Gorman goes on to write:

Because this divine force is at work on us and within us, says Paul, we are being transformed into the glory and image of Christ. . . . Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. . . . This call is in the passive voice because it is not merely our own effort that makes it happen. At the center of Paul’s spirituality of participation and transformation is his notion of mutual indwelling, or reciprocal residence—that is, Christ in believers and believers in Christ.

I have full agreement with and excitement over this emphasis in Dianne’s work.

She also quotes the book Himself by a key leader in the faith cure movement, A. B. Simpson, in regard to the emphasis on infusion: Christ in us. This major theme of the book I celebrate wholeheartedly. Two key sentences in chapter 6 encapsulate this theme: Intimacy, not imitation. Passion, not performance.

Di discusses the relationship of obedience to intimacy. Religion seems to be a bad word and is seen in a very negative light—easily understood when I think of the kind of religion she experienced growing up, and even as a young woman. In trying to emphasize the finished work of Jesus as the basis for our standing apart from any works of our own, she pleads for relationship and intimacy, for the power of Christ in us to work through us.

This emphasis worried me for a while—that in rejecting faith plus works for salvation, she might have moved to faith without works, away from the Protestant emphasis of faith that works. Our works have nothing to do with earning us our salvation; rather, once having come into salvation by grace, our love for the Savior is our motivation for good works. But Dianne seems to end up with the faith that works position of classic Protestantism and in line with Paul’s position in Ephesians 2:8–10. As I read her book, I highlighted these statements: Our relationship with God is at its best when we abide by His commands and We can be either too rigid with religion or too twisted with tolerance.

Her chapter 8 on ministry being messy is very helpful. I highlighted: Ministry in union with Jesus is not a guarantee of one hundred percent success and zero percent failure. Far from it. But we can have one hundred percent freedom from fear of failure. In typical John Wimber language, she captures his heart, writing, Everybody, not just trained, degreed ministers, gets to play or pray. How could we have Christ in us and not feel His leading to minister to others? This is an important chapter on ministry. When understood from the emphasis of the book on Christ living in us—He is our righteousness and makes us righteous—it is not difficult to understand that Christ in us by the Holy Spirit is the source of our love and passion, not only for the other members of the Trinity but for people.

Di’s illustration of going to a large church in Southern California for the first time—how it confronted her religiousness and judgments—brought back great memories of visiting that same building, which did look more like a club than a church. Di was surprised by what people were wearing and the cigarettes being snuffed out as some of the people prepared to go into the service. There she and I both encountered an expression of church based on love and mercy. Clearly these folks looked like they were more ready to party than to pray, she writes. But this was a true church—a collection of sick in need of a doctor. . . . We had gathered at a church, but it was a church as Jesus intended—a hospital for sinners and not a museum for saints.

Wimber’s influence on Di is clear in her paraphrase of one of his favorite sayings about ministry: We like to say it is ‘naturally supernatural’ and not at all ‘repulsively religious.’ Again she writes:

This paradigm for ministry did not tell the sick that in order to be healed they must meet God’s conditions or get more faith or clean up their messy lives. No, this paradigm lavished mercy, compassion and the unfailing love of God on all. Healing comes with compassion. Miracles follow mercy.

In the chapter Messy Ministry, my favorite in the book, Di quotes Jesus:

Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that He himself is doing.

John 5:19–20

Then she comments: It seems crazy (yet encouraging) that Jesus could do nothing on His own. Jesus did only what the Father showed Him to do, and He was very aware that He could only do that. How are we to understand this statement in light of the kenotic passage of Philippians 2, in which Jesus emptied himself? The Bible teaches that Jesus was the pioneer of faith (Hebrews 12:2 NIV). Several translations add the pronoun our before faith and several do not. It is not present in the Greek text, though some assume it is implied. Also, Jesus did say we would be able to do what He did, and even greater things. The question is raised, then: How is this possible?

I believe the answer lies in what Di has emphasized—not just Christ for us, but Christ in us. Instead of seeing Jesus as our model for ministry, believing that in the incarnation He gave up His omnis, including omnipotence, meaning He did what He did by the power of the Holy Spirit, as can we through the same Spirit—instead we recognize Jesus’ two natures, divine and human. The argument is that His deity would not be deity if He did not have the power to work miracles.

Let us accept this as true: Not only did Jesus remain fully God and fully man, but He performed His miracles from His deity, as affirmed by the Third Council of Constantinople (AD 680–681). What does this mean for us? If our focus is on Christ