Monday, April 28, 2014

Book Review: "Gospel Assurances and Warnings" by Paul Washer

We live in a time when we must fight to define the terms. Evangelicals hold endearment to presidents that say “God bless America”, feel satisfied if a friend says, “I’ll pray for you”, or believe they have agreement if they both “Go to church.” The truth is that there is little truth in these words alone. They have become empty and there are many more of them within evangelical expression. One of the most significant words that must be redefined is “Gospel”.

There was once an endeavor of getting the Gospel down to irreducible minimums. A 3-step prayer or 4 spiritual laws was all that was needed. Along with this attempt to make believing in Jesus as “easy as 1-2-3” the true truth of Jesus was lost all together. We feel the results. I am not sure we have responded with the answers.

Paul Washer has given us a response.



In his book, Gospel Assurances and Warnings, Washer sets the record straight by both responding to where we have lost clarity of the Gospel by attempting reduction and pointing to where we must go if we are to recover the true truth of the Gospel. Washer writes with a pointed and organized style. He is easy to follow and his chapters break down easily for discussion or personal study.

This book is organized into two major sections. The first section deals with assurances that one may have that he or she is a true believer of the Gospel. Washer walks through the text of 1 John and shows from the plain witness of scripture what a person must expect if they are truly a believer in the Gospel.

The second section is a set of warnings from the Gospels. Here Washer uses Matthew 7 to lay out the “two ways” teaching of Jesus and call his readers to proclaim the Gospel with clarity but also to avoid reducing the truths of the Gospel below what scripture will allow. Washer calls the evangelist to rethink the practices employed according to the harsh warnings of scripture lest these unsuspecting adherents to the “sinner’s prayer” hear “away from me, I never knew you”.

This book by Paul Washer is timely and necessary. There are many within evangelical circles that will cringe at some of the mistakes they have made. We have all made some mistakes in ministry. I have repented of many of my mistakes. This is not a mistake that we can continue to make. We must turn and repent and communicate the true truth of the Gospel.


I am sincerely hoping that Washer’s book along with a few more written recently mark a shift away from the faulty, easy-believism of our past and sets us on a course to recovering the true Gospel for the glory of Christ.

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