Paperback
-
PICK UP IN STORECheck Availability at Nearby Stores
Available within 2 business hours
Related collections and offers
Overview
To help in distinguishing genuine faith from counterfeit spirituality, Wilson draws upon the gospels, the writings of Paul, and the insights of theologian Jonathan Edwards to help readers understand the necessary marks of an authentic, transformed life, marks that show evidence of a new heart and bear spiritual fruit through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780310515838 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Zondervan |
| Publication date: | 09/30/2014 |
| Pages: | 208 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Real Christian
Bearing the Marks of Authentic Faith
By Todd A. Wilson
ZONDERVAN
Copyright © 2014 Todd A. WilsonAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-51583-8
CHAPTER 1
GET REAL
We just want the old Todd back," my best friend said resentfully. The words sprung out of his mouth so easily it made me think he had little idea of the crushing blow he had just delivered. It was as though I'd stolen something from him, and he wanted it back.
Has it really come to this? I thought, as I stared back at him, not sure what to say. I'd been a Christian for only a year, and I thought I was handling my newfound faith quite well. But the frustrated look on his face indicated something different.
It was spring break of my senior year in high school, and I was supposed to be having the time of my life—a week of fun in the sun with my two buddies, a last hurrah before we finished high school and headed off to college.
But there was a problem. I wasn't who I used to be; I was different. A year earlier, in the corner booth of a McDonald's just a mile from my house, I met Jesus.
On a snowy afternoon in mid-December of 1992, a man I hardly knew told me the bad news about who I am in my sin—and the good news about who Jesus is on his cross. For about thirty minutes, this stranger shared with me the gospel story, using his coffee-stained napkin to illustrate the message with chapter and verse.
When he finished, he asked if I wanted to pray. I did, and there God entered my life.
And I began to change, so much so the people around me took notice. My mother, who at first was skeptical of my conversion, witnessed such a dramatic change in me that she concluded there must be something more to this Jesus-thing. She met Christ a year later.
And so, as I sat on the edge of the bed in a hotel where we were staying, mentally groping around for how to respond to my friend's request to return to him the old Todd, a verse of Scripture darted into my mind. This was miraculous itself, because at this point in my fledgling faith I hardly knew two verses of Scripture!
Feeling prompted, I got up and went into another room to retrieve my Bible, which I had carefully tucked away in my suitcase. I then returned, Bible in hand, and opened to one of Paul's letters.
"Guys, I want to read you something," I announced to my two friends.
They were agreeable, so I began to read, my voice quivering nervously, as I knew this was a point of no return in identifying with Jesus: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
It took all of ten seconds to read. When I had finished, I looked up at them anxiously, wondering how they would react to what I feared would be viewed as an original Bible thumping.
They both had blank looks on their faces; they were amazed at what just happened. But after a split moment of awkward silence, eyes darting to and fro, they looked at each other, back at me, and then one of them said, "Well, okay. I guess that says it all." We then spontaneously sprang to our feet, gave each other high fives, tossed around a few jokes to relieve the tension, as high school boys like to do when a situation gets too serious, and went about enjoying the rest of our spring break.
But I was no longer the old Todd. I had become new. I wasn't playing or pretending. There wasn't anything forced or fake about it. By the grace of God, I was real, and it was evident in my life, visible for all to see.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE REAL?
Nobody likes a fake. Even in our airbrush culture, we despise counterfeits and crave authenticity. Everyone wants to be real.
But what does it mean to be real? No one really knows. Or so it seems.
Try an experiment. Listen to people talk about what it means to be a Christian. Do you know what you will hear? Lots of competing answers and plenty of confusion.
Perhaps you recall when 2012 presidential hopeful Senator Rick Santorum claimed that President Barack Obama's policies were based on "a different theology."
Reporters, of course, pounced on this juicy piece of journalistic red meat. "Did Senator Santorum," they asked, "have the audacity, not of hope, but political incorrectness, to call into question the president's claim to be a Christian?"
When Senator Santorum was pressed, he gave a politically savvy response: "If the president says he's a Christian, he's a Christian." End of story. Next question, please.
His answer satisfied reporters, and thousands of others following the story. It was as if he said, "To profess faith is to possess faith." And what could be less objectionable, or more American, than that?
But one wonders what Jesus thinks of what Santorum said.
Is it enough simply to say we're real, or should we be able to see we're real? And if so, what should we see? Are there marks of authentic faith we should see in our lives, or in the lives of others? And what about the watching world? What should they see in the lives of real Christians?
THE ANSWER TO UNCHRISTIAN
Now, more than a decade into the twenty-first century, the evangelical church faces huge challenges to its ministry and mission—radical pluralism, aggressive secularism, political polarization, skepticism about religion, revisionist sexual ethics, postmodern conceptions of truth.
But perhaps the greatest threat to the church's witness is one of our own making—an image problem. Many outside the church view Christians as unchristian in their attitudes and actions—bigoted, homophobic, hypocritical, materialistic, judgmental, self-serving, overly political. Several years ago, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons showed this in their book Unchristian, which landed like a bombshell on a happy-go-lucky evangelicalism, causing many of us to do some serious soul-searching.
The evangelical church's image problem doesn't bode well for its future. In fact, the data suggests that evangelical Christianity is declining in North America. Despite the church's best efforts to appeal to the disillusioned, we continue to see alarming trends. Droves of people, especially from younger generations, are leaving the church and don't plan to return. This has driven some to predict the end of evangelicalism.
The reasons for this discouraging state of affairs are complex, not cookie-cutter. But we know one thing is certain: When Christians are confused about what it means to be real, the spiritual decline of the church will follow.
In our increasingly post-Christian culture, where confusion about what it means to be real abounds, and where distrust of organized religion has reached an all-time high, the church needs to get real. We must clarify for ourselves, and for a watching world, what it means to live a life of authentic faith.
That's why I've written this book—to provide Christians with a clear and compelling description of what it means to be real. My chief claim, although provocative, is simple. Real is something you can see. There is a visible difference between real and not-real Christians. It's not enough to say you're real; you should be able to see you're real.
Being real is more than regularly attending church, feeling good about God, or "accepting" Jesus as your Savior; it goes beyond being baptized, receiving Communion, reciting the creed, or joining in church membership. As important as these things are, being real runs deeper than these things.
Real Christians are new creatures. Physically, they won't look different than others, at least not in the way they dress or keep their hair. Yet real Christians are radically changed—they've experienced a new birth, received a new heart, and enjoy new desires. Which makes them altogether new people who live new lives.
And it shows. If you're real, it will reveal itself in your life. Real Christians bear the marks of authentic faith in ways that can be seen, heard, and felt. When you know what you're looking for, you can see the marks of real in their lives—and in your own.
THE HEART IS A FLATTERY FACTORY
Many of us lack clarity about what it means to be real. As a result, we struggle to distinguish between what's real and what's not. We are easily deceived. Jesus understands this struggle, which is why he warns, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15). He knows we're easily confused and will mistake wolves for sheep. I have seven children, and we've visited the zoo countless times. But I've never seen one of them make such a simple mistake!
This struggle isn't just in discerning if others are real, though; we also struggle to know whether we ourselves are real. Even mature Christians find it hard to distinguish authentic spiritual experience from the imitations and counterfeits. What is the difference between that exciting rush you get when you sense God has spoken to you and the stimulating effect of a double espresso from Starbucks? It's surprisingly difficult to know.
And to complicate things further, we can think we're real—so can others as well—when in fact we're not. This is why Jesus must warn, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Professing Jesus as Lord doesn't mean you know Jesus as Lord.
We also confuse participating in churchy activities with genuine faith. This is why Jesus also cautions, "On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'" (Matthew 7:22–23). Evidently, on the last day Jesus will exclude from the kingdom even some pastors and missionaries, miracle workers and Sunday school teachers, because, despite appearances, they're not real.
Here's the problem we all face: We can convince ourselves that we're something we're not. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Our depraved heart is a flattery factory, which mass-produces agreeable thoughts about ourselves at a furious pace. We lose sight of who we are and convince ourselves we're someone more attractive or cleverer or kinder than the evidence in our lives supports. Our untrustworthy hearts keep pumping self-aggrandizing compliments into our minds—leaving us comfortably reassured, yet spectacularly self-deceived.
KNOWN BY THEIR FRUIT
While Christians are confused about what it means to be real, Jesus is not. "Thus you will recognize them by their fruits," he says (Matthew 7:20). You know you're real if you bear fruit, he tells us. Fruit is the telltale sign of authentic faith because fruit doesn't lie. "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush" (Luke 6:43–44).
Jesus underscores this point in his famous parable about the sower (Matthew 13:1–23). The parable itself is straightforward. A farmer sows seed in a field, and the seed represents the good news of the kingdom. It is sown on four different kinds of soil, each representing a different response to the message of the kingdom. Simple enough, right? But here's the punch line: Only one type of soil bears fruit.
The seed sown on the first soil hardly gets started. Satan comes and snatches it away. But what's even more troubling is the outcome of the seed sown on the second and third soils. Why? Because both respond positively to the message, at least initially. These seeds appear to take root and begin growing into something real. Yet as the story continues, we learn that neither seed bears fruit. Neither lasts to the end, and thus neither seed is real.
Some of the seeds fail to develop roots, and they don't persevere when life gets hard and their faith is tested. All we see from this seed is a burst of enthusiasm, but no staying power. Perhaps this is someone who got excited about fellowship or forgiveness, but lacked love for Christ. They only have the appearance of being real. Over time, their faith proved counterfeit.
We assume the third seed had a similarly joyful response to the message. Yet this soon dissipates because of revived interest in the things of the world—a career promotion, a new vacation home, saving toward their 401(k) plan. These concerns choke any fledgling faith, and the person falls away.
Why does Jesus tell his disciples this sobering parable? Why such a blunt story about the distinction between authentic and inauthentic responses to his message? Evidently, Jesus doesn't equate professing faith with possessing faith, as we so often do. Instead, he warns his disciples that only one thing matters—bearing fruit.
So if we are to take Jesus' challenge seriously, what should we look for in our lives?
A MASTERWORK ON SPIRITUALITY
During a difficult season in my ministry, I was encouraged by an older, wiser pastor named Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758). Although he's been dead for centuries, you may know him through his writings—a treasure trove of biblical insight and pastoral wisdom.
Considered America's greatest philosopher and theologian, Jonathan Edwards played a strategic role in the Great Awakening, a movement of the Holy Spirit that enveloped the American colonies in the 1730s and '40s. Because of the diverse and often dramatic work of the Spirit in people's lives, Edwards grappled intensely with the question we consider in this book—What is a real Christian?
Edwards wrote several books on this topic, but his most mature thinking is found in a book titled Religious Affections. His aim in the treatise is simple—he attempts to define the nature of true Christian experience by identifying what he calls the "twelve signs" of genuine faith.
In God's good providence, I found myself reading Religious Affections as part of my morning routine. Each day I would read a dozen or so pages, lingering over Edwards's observations, pondering his insights. I continued this for several years, working my way through the book, cover to cover, half a dozen times. On the title page of my copy, you'll find written in shades of blue ink, "1st reading, Sept.–Oct. 2009; 2nd reading, April 2010; 3rd and 4th reading, March–May 2011; 5th reading, Oct. 2011; 6th reading, March 2013."
Reading Edwards was invaluable. He helped me see I wasn't alone in wrestling with what it means to be a real Christian; in fact, as Edwards realized, this is a perennial question for the church. Each generation must wrestle with this issue and draw on the wisdom of Scripture and the saints of old to offer the church a faithful and relevant description of the marks of authentic faith.
That's why you have the book you are now holding. Following in the footsteps of Edwards, I've taken up the challenge to provide the church with a description of what it means to be a real Christian. And while I'm indebted to Edwards, this isn't an exposition of his Religious Affections. Instead, I've absorbed his vision but rearticulated it in terms of my own biblical reflections and pastoral experience—and in conversation with the challenges we face today.
THE STANDARD AND SUBSTANCE OF AUTHENTICITY
As I mentioned earlier, Edwards identified twelve marks of authentic faith. I have cut that number in half, simplifying when necessary, consolidating where possible, to distill his twelve down to six: humility, meekness, contrition, wholeness, hunger, and perfected love.
These six marks provide us with the standard and substance of authentic faith. On the one hand, they provide a biblical standard for whether we are real; on the other hand, they unpack the substance of what mature faith looks like. They give us criteria for testing ourselves to see whether, or in what ways, God is working in our lives. But they also define the content of what a mature Christian looks like, to help us see what characteristics should mark the life of a real and authentic disciple of Jesus.
The good news about these marks is that you never outgrow them. The six qualities we discuss in this book are the stuff of authentic faith, the heart and soul of the Christian life, and they provide a starting point to know whether we're real. We never move beyond them; we only go deeper in each of them. So whether you're curious as to what an authentic Christian is or interested in what it means to further grow in your relationship with Christ, this book should speak to you.
BEING REAL IS MORE THAN RIGHT BELIEF OR RADICAL BEHAVIOR
If you surf blogs, read books, or attend Christian conferences, you will likely hear many Christian leaders calling for the church to "get real." And while I say amen to their intent, I find myself questioning what they emphasize. Some will say that right belief is the key to reclaiming authentic Christianity. These thoughtful (and often young) folks are restless to see the writings of Reformed theologians in everyone's personal library. Less fluff, more doctrine is what we need to get real.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Real Christian by Todd A. Wilson. Copyright © 2014 Todd A. Wilson. Excerpted by permission of ZONDERVAN.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Who is Real?
Part I: Authenticity Without Arrogance
Chapter 1: Get Real, or Die!
Chapter 2: Christians Without Chests
Chapter 3: Good Cop, Bad Cop: Get Real Without Getting Nasty
Part II: Real Christianity
Chapter 4: Brokenhearted Joy: The Mark of Humility
Chapter 5: A Lamblike Disposition: The Mark of Meekness
Chapter 6: Gospel Emotion: The Mark of Contrition
Chapter 7: Single-Issue Christians?: The Mark of Balance
Chapter 8: Sanctified Discontent: The Mark of Hunger
Chapter 9: Perfect Love: The Mark of Marks
Chapter 10: Perseverance is Proof
Conclusion: This Magic Called Real
What People are Saying About This
What do you find on apple trees? Apples. What do you find on orange trees? Oranges. So what do you find on Christians? Christians bear fruit too. And our assurance of salvation is this---Jesus said, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). Jesus also said, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). These are the marks of a real Christian. Todd Wilson gets it right in this great resource. He’s the real deal, and so is this book. -- James MacDonald, , senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, author of Vertical Church, and founder of Act Like Men conferences; jamesmacdonald.org
This is a book about reality---real Christians who have been delivered out of darkness into the divine light that is Jesus Christ. The marks of a Christian profiled in this book are a call to discipleship. They are also a call to transformation---piercing, enduring, and leading at the end of the day to joy, real joy. A great primer on the spiritual life. -- Timothy George, , founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and general editor of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture
I loved this book! I was alternately encouraged and challenged as Todd Wilson guided me through the key marks of real Christianity as revealed in our lives. His careful teaching about humility stands out for how it clarifies our mistaken notions. Now I’m praying that God will give me the opportunity to walk through this delightfully biblical and compelling book with a new Christian or with someone considering the claims of Jesus. -- Collin Hansen, , editorial director of The Gospel Coalition and coauthor of A God-Sized Vision
Todd Wilson is a genuine pastor-scholar. With a heart for people and a mind for God---and a mind for people and a heart for God---Wilson unleashes a challenging message for a church drunk on safety and security. Real Christian is a gem. Written with sparkling clarity and rich conviction, this book will burn off the blinding fog of spirituality that hinders genuine faith. The American church desperately needs this book! -- Preston M. Sprinkle, , director of Eternity Bible College’s Boise extension site and author of Fight and Paul and Judaism Revisited
Todd Wilson’s Real Christian is exactly the book we need at this moment. It shows us that real faith in Christ truly changes us. It isn’t enough to say you’re real; real Christianity has effects in our lives that are visible, and Todd shows what those are. What we see is radically biblical, and yet not what we often think---which is exactly why this book is so important. Todd writes with a humility and clarity that is convicting and yet hopeful. Instead of throwing us back on ourselves, he points us to Christ in a way that few books today do. This book can help the church recover its authentic witness. I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- Matt Perman, , author of What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done
Todd Wilson’s new book shows that real Christian discipleship is about deliberately cultivating Christlikeness. He shows what it is that separates followers from fans. Wilson encourages readers to leave behind a mediocre faith and shows them how to get serious about following Jesus. A great guide on how to grow into Christian virtue, foster spiritual fruitfulness, and gain godly character. -- Michael F. Bird, , lecturer in theology at Ridley Melbourne Mission and Ministry College in Australia
Jonathan Edwards spent his life impressing real, spiritual truths on the hearts and minds of others, helping them sense the reality of things revealed in the Bible. Here, Todd Wilson renders these things real to the rest of us. Using Edwards’s best-known book, A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, Wilson shows us what it means to be a genuine child of God. In crisp, clear, compelling prose, he helps us see what God has done for us in Jesus and the cross, and what he is able to do in people he transforms by his Spirit and suffuses with his love. Please take this book and read it. God wants to make you real. -- Douglas A. Sweeney, , Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Read this book. Soak in it. Savor each word like you would each bite of a fine meal. Real Christian is strong, convicting, and inspiring. It’s unvarnished but filled with light. It’s powerful yet approachable. After every chapter I wanted more. More of Christ. More of what I need for my journey with Christ. More of the power that should accompany an authentic walk with Christ. More of being marked by the signs of following Jesus. It’s practical without being just another how-to book. It’s profound and fresh at the same time. Yes---a thousand times, yes. -- Dan Wolgemuth, , president and CEO of Youth for Christ/USA
Real Christian is a journey down the “ancient paths … where the good way is.” But this isn’t a “been there, done that” sort of read! Todd Wilson’s lively style and challenging applications helped me see both God’s truth and my own heart in fresh and redemptive ways. The chapter on meekness is alone worth the price of the book, making these pages ones worth traveling more than once! -- Randall J. Gruendyke, , campus pastor at Taylor University
True conversion is an act of grace, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Period. But true conversion has necessary evidences that accompany it. Justification by faith alone is a reality that can be seen and experienced, and naming this reality serves to make much of this cardinal doctrine. Todd Wilson has captured the beauty of gospel transformation in this practical work by uncovering the nature and evidences of real Christianity---one that gifts us with actual godliness. -- Jay Thomas, , lead pastor of Chapel Hill Bible Church
13