Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Am I Really A Christian - Mike McKinley

Publisher:  Crossway
Pages:  160
Source:  I received a copy from  NetGalley
Genre:  ADULT: Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality: Religion: Christianity

About Am I Really a Christian?
Jesus divided the world into two groups—those who follow him and those who don’t. But what happens when someone thinks he or she is a Christian, but isn’t? With his witty, engaging style, Mike McKinley takes readers on a journey of what it means to be a Christian. He asserts that “manipulative evangelism techniques and a poor understanding of the gospel have resulted in an abundance of professing Christians who have no idea what it means to follow Christ.”
Each chapter title begins with “You’re not a Christian [if/when/just because you]…” As he surveys what it means to be Christian, McKinley offers criteria for evaluating one’s standing before God. Readers are guided through a series of challenges to reflect, repent, remember, and report to another person. Am I Really a Christian? ends with chapters on salvation and the local church. This unique book is written for nominal or new Christians and can be used in personal or small-group study.

My Thoughts:
God knows his own.  Just saying we’re a Christian doesn’t make it so.  God sees “us clearly, we don’t see ourselves clearly.”  I loved to Willy Wonka and how God makes it clear what we have to do to be a Christian.  There are no “hidden clauses.”    He uses many analogies.  “Our life is destroyed by sin, not damaged by it.  He used a rotted closet to represent our sinful lives.  We can’t patch it up.  Christ must replace every bit of the rot with his love and grace,( see page 35).  Just “liking” Jesus doesn’t make us a Christian.
Being a Christian means “changing teams and having new allegiances”, (page 60).  I loved the analogy that many people think of forgiveness like a vaccination you get once that protects you against hell’s fires, while you continue to do what you want to do!” (page 79)

About the Author
MIKE MCKINLEY received his MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary and is the author of several articles and reviews. He served on the pastoral staff of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington DC, and in 2005 was called to revitalize Guilford Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia.

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