Am I Really a Christian? The Most Important Question You're Not Asking

Mike McKinley (MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary) is senior pastor of Sterling Park Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia. He is the author of a number of books, including Am I Really a Christian? and Church Planting Is for Wimps. He and his wife, Karen, have five children and live in Northern Virginia. 

"This is truly and important book in the most urgent sense--a book that serves the cause of Christ by raising the most important questions human beings face, and helping to answer it, no less. I am thankful to McKinley for his faithfulness and for the pastoral concern that prompted him to write such an important work." -R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Mike McKinley's new book Am I Really A Christian? has quite a provocative title – why would anyone write such a book? If you have to ask, maybe you are exactly who should be reading it. We live in an age where the very name "Christian" can evoke a myriad responses, most of which are unbiblical. This book brings great clarity in an age of confusion for those who really want to know what it means to be a Christian.

McKinley does a great job in being simple and straightforward in communicating to the reader what the Bible clearly says about what it means to be a true Christian without being overly simplistic or un-engaging. He writes with a clear, whimsical style that is both easy to understand, biblically profound, and interesting.

Am I Really A Christian? begins in the first two chapters by laying the groundwork of what it means to truly follow Christ. McKinley does a concise job of explaining what it means to be “born again” (John 3:3ff). From there, Chapters 3-7 each expand on five key biblical principles that are helpful in answering the title’s question:

•You’re not a Christian if you do not believe and trust the facts of the Gospel. •You’re not a Christian if you love sin. •You’re not a Christian if you do not persevere in the faith until the end. •You’re not a Christian if you do not love other people. •You’re not a Christian if you love your stuff more than Jesus.

McKinley finishes up with two additional chapters: one on the assurance of being a Christian, and a concluding chapter on the fact that each individual Christian is connected to a larger community of believers. Both of these chapters help round out the discussion and leave the reader with great confidence in knowing whether they are a true Christian or not. In the chapter on assurance (Chapter 8, "Can I ever really know if I’m a Christian?"), McKinley reiterates his two-fold purpose in writing this book: 1) So that true Christians might examine themselves to see if they are in the faith, and 2) So that a nominal Christian's eyes might be opened to the truth of what it means to be a follower of Jesus (p. 132).

Am I Really A Christian? is a great resource for those grappling with this incredibly crucial question. In fact, it's a must for those who don't grapple with this question but ought to. That said, you may want to be careful in how you may give this book out – it has life-changing consequences. – Todd Burgett, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com