"By the time I reached the age of eighteen I had probably 'asked Jesus into my heart five thousand times"

This statement resonates with me because I was exactly the same way. Every sermon which I thought produced a conviction in me would draw me to walk down the aisle and re-give my life to Jesus. I had to assurance of my standing before Christ. I was so unsure of my future that every time the opportunity opened up to me I took it with renewed zeal. Recently I have adopted a Reformed Soteriology I have a fresh understanding of biblical truths regarding salvation and it's out working in the life of believers.

The Gist

J.D. Greear writes from personal experience as he explains the truth of our standing before Christ. He presents salvation in terms of two categories; faith and repentance. He goes on to say that, "Repentance and faith are heart postures you take toward the finished work of Christ". How well he does to follow his own terminology in the remaining pages. J.D. mentions "the finished work of Christ", no fewer than 32 times in the course of this text. That works out to roughly once every four pages. That's amazing considering that Greear also uses the terms propitiation, substitution, our righteousness, and advocate in regards to our salvation.

The Ups

J.D. does an excellent job of summarizing the core of our Christian faith in terms that are easily understandable and, probably more important, easily explainable to anyone. Greear doesn't use terms too weighty or complex for anyone to understand and provides excellent clarification on statements Scripture uses which could possibly cause some confusion. Greear is obviously well adorned in the doctrine of justification by faith alone and does a service for the church by drawing out it's implications for us in matters dealing with salvation.

The Downs

The only thing I could find wrong with this book would not come from me but from those who do not believe in the imputation of righteousness to those who believe in Christ for salvation. This book is filled with that language and anyone reading this would surely get the sense that a high view of Christ and his finished work is what drives Greear. From my standpoint there is nothing in this book but truthful statements straight from the pages of the Bible and anyone who would think differently on the subject of salvation would not have problems with Greear but with the Scriptures themselves.

Concluding Remarks

I believe this book has been a very helpful reminder for me of my assurance of salvation and standing before God based on the finished work of Christ. I have nothing of myself to stand with except for that righteousness which is, as Martin Luther has said, "An alien righteousness". The Bible would position me before God as a sinner who has earned the wrath of God but it is also provides the remedy which that wrath may be appeased, and the is the finished work of Christ. Anyone who has ever prayed the sinners prayer or has doubted an assured salvation ought to pick this book up and be reminded of the sweeping truth of Christ' work on the cross.

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Summary

"...many are headed into eternal judgment under the delusion of going to heaven." (Pg 6)

"Don't try to find assurance from a prayer you prayed in the past; find assurance by resting in the present on what Jesus did in the past." (Pg 47)

These two quotes clarify why this book was written and why we all need to read it. Sadly, all over the world there are unsaved people who falsely believe they are saved, sitting beside faithful Christians who spend every day wondering if they truly are. This book is written for them and for us who need the tools to help them. Within are answers to critical questions each believer must settle in their heart before they can live in confident faith.

Greear also brings new life to words like belief, faith, repentance, and grace which have become so commonplace in churches that they have been nearly stripped of their true meaning and significance.

Review

This topic hits home for me because I know what it's like to struggle with doubt and have seen it in the churches that I serve. Assurance of salvation might be the most frustrating battle that gospel preachers face. Each week we look out at the people who we pastor and wonder, "Are these people confident in their salvation?" "How can I combat needless doubting and convince believers that they are secure in Jesus?" "How can I teach against false assurance?" "How many of these people know they are saved, beyond any doubt?"

J.D. Greear knows this heartache all too well and writes from a place of pain, passion and elation as he takes us on the journey that helped him discover the true gospel of peace. His style is a wonderful combination of grace and sensitivity for those who struggle with doubt, while pulling no punches with any who would use fear and doubt to control people. There is no "easy-believism" to be found in this book. It is full of hard truths told by a man with a soft heart.

He gives simple, applicable, and convincing scriptural insight coupled with well thought out explanations and applications — without being wordy or using unnecessary jargon. He has a great teacher with a remarkable strength for answering unasked questions (like "What if I have no 'moment of salvation'"?). He treads carefully through difficult and controversial topics (like free-will), discussing them biblically and illustratively, but isn't afraid to admit his limitations and allow the mysterious parts of salvation to remain a mystery. Though unafraid to address controversies, he doesn't get swept up in endless debate or plant his head firmly in the cement, but keeps the main thing the main thing by rising above the fray to teach us about what is most important — our salvation.

My favourite parts of this book are Greear's evangelistic outbursts. It's as though he's writing along, helping us understand an important topic, and can't help but start preaching the gospel. This book comes from a very authentic place.

There are a lot of quotables in this book that belong on a poster or the wallpaper on my computer. I found myself saying "Amen!" aloud quite often. His explanation of progressive sanctification was so wonderful and powerfully simple that it gave me a deeper love for my Saviour — a great gift.

Conclusion

This book isn't just for new believers who need assurance, but for any Christian who struggles with doubt, hopelessness, feelings of condemnation, or habitual sin. As I read it I found that it was uncovering some chinks in my spiritual armour like unrepentance and sins that I had grown comfortable with which were keeping me from God. I am indebted to this author who helped me move from a scholastic reading of his book to penitent and thankful prayer before my loving Lord. It is my prayer that everyone would read this book and be assured of their place before Jesus and at peace with God.

JD goes where many are afraid to admit, doubt. many of us face doubt and we dismiss it or try to hide it. JD shares his struggle in his life as a teenager through college. This is a transparent and honest journey to find truth in God's Word. this is a good read with great thought put into it. i have read it twice, and now leading our students through it. he takes the religeon out of it and points it all to Jesus.

I am so glad I got the chance to read this book. It was a simple, straightforward book targeted at people just like me who grew up in the church and got the idea that maybe you needed to keep asking Jesus into your heart to be sure that you are saved. And I suppose that this would help anyone struggling with the issue of whether he/she is truly a Christian.

I probably heard an "altar call" message practically every Sunday that I was growing up. I made the decision to "walk the aisle" and "ask Jesus into my heart" when i was about six or seven. I knew that I understood what I was doing, and there was a genuine change within me. However, as per normal, I heard that "altar call" message again, and I began to doubt my salvation. I don't remember how many times I "prayed the prayer" just to be sure that I was going to heaven.

This book addresses these and other topics such as losing one's salvation, "once saved always saved," and more. The book is easy to understand, i.e., it is written in English rather than "church speak." Although these are things that I long ago understood, so it was more of a review for me. But it is nice to read a book like this with solid theology and well-organized thoughts. I would recommend this to anyone who may be struggling with his/her salvation. The author puts forth a Biblical solution to your worries and concerns.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

Excellent for people who do prayer room or participate in evangelism teams. We must give a full explanation of the meaning of Commitment, or we become part of the problem of the new believer's lack of assurance and growth.

I have bought 6 to share with my Evangelism Explosion Level 2 students. These are the ones who will be doing most of the asking, "Would you like to receive the free gift of eternal life?"