Am I Really a Christian? (9marks)

by Mike McKinley

Paperback, 2011

Status

Available

Call number

230.0462

Publication

Crossway (2011), 158 pages

Description

McKinley challenges new and nominal Christians to take a deeper look at their Christian faith. This book addresses five key criteria to evaluate one's standing before God.

User reviews

LibraryThing member gladeslibrarian
Review of Am I Really a Christian? by Mike McKinley

If you don’t want to be a Christian this book is not for you. Put it down. If you believe you are a Christian and are satisfied with your grasp of the doctrine of salvation, the role of faith in salvation, personal assurance of salvation and the
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manner in which your life lines up with your belief system, this book has nothing to offer you. Walk away. There is danger, however, in thinking you are past the point of need for self-examination or for peer-accountability regarding the direction of your life. Since your eternal destination hangs in the balance, the subject matter should be worth your consideration. With these statements Mike McKinley, the pastor of a Baptist congregation, pinpoints the intended audience of Am I really a Christian: the most important question you’re not asking (Crossway, 2011).

Christian jargon can bring more confusion than clarity. In the context of Am I really a Christian?, McKinley’s perspective of “born again” is one of regeneration. The regenerating love and mercy of God is the cause of salvation while the fruit of the believer’s life is the result or effect of salvation. Being a “Christian” goes beyond respect for Jesus to belief and faith in him. McKinley addresses the concept of faith as consisting of both objective content (doctrine) and a personal trust in Christ. McKinley also addresses the often tossed about “once saved, always saved” catch-phrase and the concept of “losing” salvation when a Christian doesn’t persevere in his faith. This is an area of dispute among Christian denominations. A genuine Christian, McKinley states, “perseveres in following Christ” (emphasis is the author’s). A onetime decision is important and it should be followed by a daily decision to follow Christ.

Am I really a Christian? is scripture rich. McKinley relies heavily on passages of scripture and points readers to them by providing direct quotations within the text. Like John Piper’s Think: the life of the mind and the love of God (Crossway, 2010), McKinley compels readers to look past feelings and common Christian expressions to contemplate questions like the following: What do I believe? Do I agree? Does scripture bear out his arguments? How should I respond in light of these truths?

McKinley’s message is to the church. He speaks as a fellow sojourner wanting to guide, encourage and strengthen the faith of believers. He takes care to reassure Christians with sensitive consciences. His pastoral gifting rings true. He is a builder and a gatherer. The author continually brings to the forefront the need for believers to be surrounded by brothers and sisters that can be trusted to come alongside to encourage and guide you as you walk out your faith. As the body of Christ, the goal should be self-evaluation in consultation with trusted mentors in order to seek and find evidence that the cause of our salvation (God’s regenerating love and mercy) has taken root and our lives are beginning to reveal the fruit (effect) of that salvation. To aid in this process, McKinley recommends the formation of year-long one-on-one mentoring relationships.

The format for each chapter is text followed by a How to Respond section containing four points: reflect, repent, remember, and report. The book contains three appendices: Notes, containing sources for in-text references divided by chapter; Subject Index and Scripture Index.

Am I Really a Christian? can be useful to individuals apart from a group environment. Its best and most complete use will come in the form of small groups of either new believers or those seeking membership within the body of a local congregation. A person’s willingness to engage in such a small group would be a good indicator to leadership of the individual’s desire to become a Christian and/or to participate in the life of that body. If you are willing to put quality time into self-evaluation in consultation with trusted friends at your local congregation, Am I Really a Christian? is worth your time and attention.

NOTE: I requested and received a copy of this title via NetGalley.com but made no commitment to review it.
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LibraryThing member skstiles612
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
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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)
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LibraryThing member OCMCCP
You may think you are, but you may not be. After all, Jesus himself said that some people will do seemingly “Christian” things in his name but will not truly know him. Or maybe you know you are not a Christian and you wonder what it really means to be one.

To be sure, however, there is clarity
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from God’s perspective. He is not confused about who does and does not know him. And though our self-awareness is certainly limited, we have been given biblical criteria to help us evaluate whether we are indeed followers of Christ.

Mike McKinley shows us the importance of examining our standing with God and helps us to fearlessly ask the hard questions, ultimately allowing us to see whether we are in the faith and what exactly that entails.
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Language

Original language

English

Physical description

158 p.; 5.5 inches

ISBN

1433525763 / 9781433525766
Page: 0.6749 seconds