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This is one of those books I wish Crossway didn’t have to publish. Which is different from saying that I wish Crossway didn’t publish it. I am, in fact, deeply grateful.

I’m referring to Justin and Lindsey Holcomb’s new book, Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault, due out this month.

This husband-and-wife team has spent countless hours in counseling victims and poring over God’s work, applying the gospel into the lives of people by sexual sin against them. If you’ve ever wondered what the gospel has to say to the victims of sexual assault, you’ll see it in this book. They labor to show that “the gospel applies grace to disgrace and redeems what is destroyed,” that “one-way love heals and replaces the destruction caused by one-way violence.”

You can read Mark Driscoll’s foreword, the table of contents, and the first chapter online for free.

Below are some endorsements, followed by a 15-minute conversation I had with the Holcombs about the book:

“I can’t express how grateful I am that someone is tackling this subject with both a pastoral heart and an understanding of how the devastating effects of sexual assault can wreak havoc for decades after the abuse. It is an epidemic issue where resources are scarce. There isn’t a weekend that goes by where we aren’t told a gut-wrenching tale of innocence stolen and left trying to help a man or woman make sense of their pain. I praise God for the gospel that can heal and restore and for the Holcombs that had the courage and wisdom to write this book for us.”
—Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor, The Village Church, Highland Village, Texas

“Having experienced much sexual brokenness in my own life and now having pastored a church that ministers to thousands of broken people, I can say with confidence that this book is desperately needed. Justin and Lindsey write to help the abused and to help those who help the abused. It is a must-read for all those who live and minister in this sexually broken world.”
—Darrin Patrick, Founding Pastor of The Journey Church, St Louis, MO; author, Church Planter

“God sees, knows, heals, restores, and redeems. This is the message of hope this book offers, to all who have suffered from abuse. How desperately needed this message is in our culture today! In my interaction with teens and young adults, I have heard many stories of sexual abuse. I am so thrilled that there is a resource like this book that offers relevant, practical, biblical hope and healing words of life.”
—Rebecca St. James, singer; author; actress

“Jesus says, ‘Blessed are those who mourn.’ Rid of My Disgrace gives sexual assault victims, and those who love and serve them, the freedom to grieve the violence against them and the tools to experience healing and hope in Jesus. I am so thankful for this major contribution to my life and the people I love.”
—Grace Driscoll, pastor’s wife, mother of five, conference speaker, author

“The world—and too often the church—encourages victims of sexual assault to do more. Self-help advice just adds more layers of guilt and a sense of powerlessness. The authors of this excellent book have good news: literally, a gospel that answers our disgrace with the grace of God in Christ. For anyone who suffers from abuse—as well as those who minister to them—Rid of My Disgrace is powerful, healing medicine.”
—Michael S. Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“Some books are easy to read, but this isn’t one of them. Its difficulty, however, is not a matter of style or prose but of substance. We don’t like thinking about sexual assault and abuse. We’d rather pretend they don’t exist. But the church can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the extent of this problem or to ignore the devastation it brings to both body and soul. What makes this book so worthy of your attention, notwithstanding the discomfort it may cause you to feel, is the wealth of wisdom, gospel grace, and pastoral sensitivity that the Holcombs bring to bear on those affected by this experience. No matter how deep the pain or sense of loss endured by the victims of sexual assault, God’s healing grace and power are greater still. Highly recommended!”
—Sam Storms, Pastor, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City, OK; Founder, Enjoying God Ministries

“Careful research, lots of Scripture, and a demonstration that the work of Christ says ‘you are washed clean’ to those who feel like outcasts, which will speak to victims of sexual abuse.”
—Ed Welch, Counselor and Faculty, The Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation

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