Am I Really a Christian?
Overview
You may think you are a Christian, 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 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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- Examines what it means to be in the faith and what that entails
- Helps readers to ask the hard questions about salvation
- Evaluates what it means to be a follower of Christ
- You Are Not a Christian Just Because You Say That You Are
- You Are Not a Christian If You Haven’t Been Born Again
- You Are Not a Christian Just Because You Like Jesus
- You Are Not a Christian If You Enjoy Sin
- You Are Not a Christian If You Do Not Endure to the End
- You Are Not a Christian If You Don’t Love Other People
- You Are Not a Christian If You Love Your Stuff
- Can I Ever Really Know If I Am a Christian?
- A Little Help from Your Friends
Top Highlights
“Jesus taught that the world was divided into two groups of people who would experience two radically different fates in this life and in the next. Those who are his followers will receive abundant life now and eternal blessings in his presence (John 10:10; Matt. 25:34). Those who are not his followers will squander their time on earth and ultimately experience the just wrath of God against their sins for all eternity. Friend, you have a lot at stake in knowing whether you are genuinely a Christian.” (Page 14)
“Regeneration is a unilateral act of God. God does the merciful work. God makes us alive. We simply receive his gift.” (Page 37)
“a Christian is someone who has received the new birth as a free gift from God.” (Page 30)
“Can you see what Jesus is saying? It is possible for you to honestly believe that you are a follower of Christ, but not actually be one. It is possible to say to him, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but never enter the kingdom of heaven. Merely checking a box and calling yourself a Christian doesn’t mean that you really are a Christian.” (Pages 22–23)
“But wherever the Spirit of God has given new life, there will always be transformation, even though the change may be slow at times.” (Page 38)
This is a truly important book in the most urgent sense—a book that serves the cause of Christ by raising the most important question 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 and Joseph Emerson Brown Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
There can be no more important question than ‘Am I really a Christian?’ and Mike McKinley helps us answer it with great skill. He manages to challenge nominal Christians while comforting genuine believers. McKinley’s writing is accessible, engaging, and simple without ever being simplistic. I particularly appreciate the way he encourages us to explore this crucial question in the context of a Christian community. If you’re not sure where you stand before God, or you know someone who’s not sure, then this is the book for you.
—Tim Chester, director, The Porterbrook Seminary
- Title: Am I Really a Christian?
- Author: Mike McKinley
- Series: 9Marks
- Publisher: Crossway
- Print Publication Date: 2011
- Logos Release Date: 2013
- Pages: 160
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Theology, doctrinal › Popular works
- Resource ID: LLS:MRLLYCHRSTN
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-02-12T04:39:23Z
Mike McKinley has been pastor to Sterling Baptist Church, in Sterling, Virginia, since 2005. He has served on the pastoral staff of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and received his MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary. Mike is married to Karen, and they have five children.