"Gospel Assurance and Warnings" (Paul Washer)

TITLE: Gospel Assurance and Warnings (Recovering the Gospel)
AUTHOR: Paul Washer
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2014, (288 pages).

This book is part of a series of about recovering the greatest treasure on earth: the gospel for all. The primary reason for the writing of this book is the concern that the gospel has been grossly neglected. We are creating a generation of people ignorant of the gospel, reducing the gospel by various means, and failing to grow the body of Christ through solid biblical teaching. The biggest concern is how the lack of gospel conviction leads to the lack of missions and evangelism in a world that sorely needs the gospel to be preached to them.

Written in two parts, the first part aims to bring about the distinctions between true biblical assurance and false assurance. He blames preachers for failing to preach the gospel and instead choosing to dish out pragmatic tools, and marketing strategies that deal with “souls in a superficial manner.” They are not even guarding the purity of the gospel. Salvation is based on the lordship of Christ, not the clever advice over the pulpit. This requires self-examination for professing Christians; obedience to God’s revelation; keeping of God’s commandments; imitating Christ; to be loving believers; to walk in the light; to confess our sins; to grow in conformity to God’s will; and various other aspects of what it means to be living under the lordship of Christ. This will be evidenced through obedience to God; love for neighbours; and working out of good fruits and righteousness in the name of Christ.

Part Two comprises of warnings targeted at “empty confessors.” Walker criticizes people who give right answers to wrong questions. For example, the question, “Are you a sinner?” essentially tries to insert some righteousness into people when they had none. Or the question of “Do you want to go to heaven?” does not reflect the true condition of the heart, only some desire that is hard to see until the fruits of salvation can be evidenced. He suggests that people who answer ‘yes’ to the destination of heaven have ideas contrary to the biblical image of heaven. For the question is not whether one desires to go to a place but whether one desires God! Other wrong questions includes “Do you want to pray?” which again invites people without the right heart to offer the right answers. The way to know the right path is to enter by the small gate where one can focus on the Promise of Christ instead of the highway of worldly expectations. The narrow way is the path of obedience in contrast to the other paths of self-driven needs and wants. This narrow way is a tough one, even one that may require suffering. By our fruits, we will know of our inward reality.

Plainly written, this book aims for the heart. For those who have Christ in their hearts, the message will resonate with a desire to obey. For those who do not have Christ in their hearts, they can be easily offended with a desire to defend their existing way of life. For those who are not sure, perhaps these series of gospel assurances and warnings will help them distinguish the small and narrow way of Christ, versus the highway of hell. If this book can nudge you a little closer toward the way of Christ, it would have worth every penny.


Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Reformation Heritage Books and Cross-Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart" (J D Greear)

TITLE: Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved
AUTHOR: J. D. Greear
PUBLISHER: Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2013, (130 pages).

Are you really sure you are saved? What if you think you are saved but not feel that you have been save? Will you ever lose your salvation? What is wrong with asking Jesus into our heart? What if you have said the sinner's prayer before but do not feel assured of your salvation? Will multiple baptisms give you more assurance? These questions and many more are discussed with frank honesty and wit. One of the most common struggles among believers is whether they will lose their salvation. The author personally describes his own lack of assurance that leads him to go through four baptisms, sitting on the giant question mark of saved vs unsaved, praying the sinner's prayer at almost every denomination he goes to. Out of his search for answers comes this book that takes a fresh look at "Once saved always saved," faith and doubt, evidence of salvation, repentance, belief, and matters pertaining to the biblical understanding of salvation. It is the layman's introduction to soteriology, a theology term to describe the study of salvation. JD Greear proposes to do three things. Firstly, he describes the importance of assurance and that it is God's will we have it. Secondly, he looks at salvation not on the basis of our beliefs, our works, or our faith, but on the firm assurance of Christ's death and resurrection. Thirdly, he takes a close look at belief, repentance, and other matters closely linked to salvation.

Greear takes pains to point out that assurance is God's will and God wants us to be assured of salvation. Only when disciples are fully assured can they begin a path of radical living for God. There is a difference between true assurance and mere religion. True assurance changes hearts. Mere religion at best changes behaviour. Going back to the letters of John, Greear points out the certainty of eternal life and the working out of this assurance in our daily life. Key to understanding salvation is to understand what it means to have Jesus as our Advocate. It is not Jesus advocating for our innocence or our goodness that will save us. It is Jesus advocating on the basis of Christ's righteousness and Christ's goodness. It is a free gift, and belief is to fully receive and fully live. True faith leads to obedience in love and good works. Faith is not a ceremonial utterance of a few phrases that we call the sinner's prayer. Faith is about a celebration of God's Word that we call the Promise of God. For anyone struggling with assurance of faith, it is good to remember that "present posture is better proof than a past memory."

Greear then moves on to look at repentance, arguing that faith and repentance, are both to be asserted together. Repentance must be totally on God's grace. It is not "never falling" but always ready to repent every time we rise or fall. Next, Greear touches on a very tricky subject: "Once saved always saved" vs "Will I lose my salvation." He points out that the threats of losing salvation is to be understood as a general warning rather than an individual application. It is a constant reminder to all about our new identity in Christ. True faith will be enduring right to the very end. The trouble with "once saved always saved" is not that it is wrong, but it is incomplete. On backsliding, Greear consistently points to focus on the present desire for faith in God rather than the past disobedience. Finally, we learn about the evidence of salvation through the presence of Christ in our lives, a love for God, a love for others, our hatred for sin, and our regenerated selves in Christ. Our feelings alone do not determine whether we are saved or not. It is Christ's work.

My Thoughts

This book despite its provocative title, has a very important message to share. It covers a lot of basic questions pertaining to assurance of salvation, backsliding, faith and doubts, and many questions that baffle young believers and can also stump older believers. What is most important is the need to remember that it is based on Christ's work rather than our mental or emotional beliefs that is the prime determinant of salvation. Can we really know for sure that we are saved? That is a tough question to answer because we are all on different phases of understanding and spiritual postures. Rather than the question, "How do I know I am saved?" the better questions will be:

• Do I believe in the present that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour?
• Am I living a life that reflects this belief?
• Am I repenting from sin?
• Am I loving God and loving others?
• How am I demonstrating that I am someone desiring after Jesus?

Greear shares out of his own struggles with assurance matters. In doing so, he has highlighted the partial truths that many Christians believe, that leads to constant asking of Jesus into our lives, and scaring ourselves all the time about losing our salvation. That's the reason for the provocative book title. Readers are challenged to move beyond these questions that hinder more than help, and to re-align our focus back on Christ, the work of Christ, and how faith in Christ leads us to passionate living for Christ in love and good works. If you are constantly asking yourself questions on assurance and salvation matters, this book is a must read.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by B and H Publishing without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.