Gospel Assurance and Warnings

Recovering the Gospel

by Paul Washer

It should come as no surprise that misunderstandings about the gospel message and the nature of true conversion result in a problem with genuine assurance of salvation. A pseudo-gospel of easy believism has led many into careless presumption, and a poor understanding of salvation has abandoned tender consciences to near spiritual despair. In Gospel Assurance and Warnings , Paul Washer shines the light of gospel hope as he cautions against the dangers of making an empty profession of faith and carefully explains from Scripture the basis for establishing and maintaining a sound assurance of faith. Table of
Preface
PART Biblical Assurance
1. False Assurance
2. Examine Yourself
3. Walking in God's Revelation
4. Confessing Sin
5. Keeping God's Commandments
6. Imitating Christ
7. Loving Christians
8. Rejecting the World
9. Remaining in the Church
10. Confessing Christ
11. Purifying Self
12. Practicing Righteousness
13. Overcoming the World
14. Believing in Jesus
PART Gospel Warnings, or Warnings to Empty Confessors
15. Gospel Reductionism
16. The Small Gate
17. The Narrow Way
18. The Outward Evidence of an Inward Reality
19. The Dangers of an Empty Confession

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Christian Non Fiction, Evangelism

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2014

About the author

Paul David Washer became a believer while studying at the University of Texas. He completed his undergraduate studies and enrolled at Southwestern Theological Seminary, where he received his Master of Divinity degree. After graduating, he moved to Peru and served there as a missionary.

Paul ministered as a missionary in Peru for 10 years, during which time he founded the HeartCry Missionary Society to support Peruvian church planters. HeartCry's work now supports over 165 indigenous missionaries in over 26 countries throughout Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Paul now serves as one of the laborers with the HeartCry Missionary Society (www.heartcrymissionary.com). He and his wife Charo have three children: Ian, Evan, and Rowan.

Reviews

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 2 out of 5]

While my views on churchly piety are on the opposite end of the spectrum, and while there is much in this book I disagree with, it is very well-written. Parts of it are quite elegant. For example, “Far too many evangelicals seem content to be ignorant of Scripture’s teaching, free from its reproof, untouched by its correction, and unshaped by its training” (Washer 124). Note how all the clauses balance one another.

I don't disagree with him on looking for fruit, but he seems to think the general audience is living the carnal Corinthian life. I have a lot of sins in my life, but I am not sleeping with my step mom, getting drunk at the Lord's Supper, or denying the Resurrection. Moreover, as RHB published this book, I would imagine that most of those reading RHB literature aren't living the Corinthian life, either.

My next criticism deals with a more subtle point. He sometimes shifts between "conversion experience" and "looking for the fruit of sanctification." The latter is biblical. The former can be okay, but it certainly isn't required. And while we should look for fruit in our lives, how do I know I have looked long enough or not enough? If someone is of a more tender conscience, he will certainly not be satisfied that he has good enough fruit. What's needed at this point is God's promise in his covenant seals.

Side note: Dissertation/Thesis topic: Contrast Klaas Schilder's emphasis on promise with Washer's emphasis on fruits.

We can also make a distinction between certainty and certitude. Geisler makes this distinction in terms of epistemology and I have found it helpful. Certainty is objective. Certitude is not. I have certainty of God's assurance to me because of his promise and covenant seals, not because of how intensely I can feel. My certitude, however, can waver depending on growth in grace, indwelling sin, etc.

When we look for evidence, or to use Washer’s favorite phrase, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith,” following John, he says the order is hear, believe, live, know. I don’t have a problem with that. The difficulty comes, and at times he seems to be aware of it, is that a true believer with a tender conscience can come to the conclusion that he isn’t saved. In fact, if all you have to go on is your inward experience and seeing whether you measure up, then you can almost certainly conclude you aren’t saved.

The Good

>>>Helpful observation that a new relationship with God entails a new relationship with sin (23).

>>>The call to examine isn’t a call to perfection, but to test the inclinations of our hearts (56).

The Bad

Here is the problem: it is true that we are called to examine ourselves, but Washer’s tendency is to leave it there. True, he tells us to “look to Christ.” That sounds good and I am going to suggest the same thing, but Jesus isn’t just floating anywhere (or even worse, floating in our emotional states). Jesus meets us where he has promised to meet us: the promise of the Word and the signing and sealing of the Supper. Washer doesn’t mention any of that.

To his credit, Washer sees where the problem is going. He notes that “the believer’s assurance of sonship may vary in strength and intensity. Though our strong assurance of salvation is the Father’s will, even the most mature saint may struggle with doubt as he fights against the foes arrayed against him—the flesh, the world, and the devil'' (151 n40). This is why simply relying on “examining oneself” apart from churchly piety and the promises in the sacraments simply punts the problem.

In his chapter “Purifying the self,” he does many word studies on “purity” and even notes that in the New Testament it sometimes refers to ritual cleansing. He not once mentions the sealing power of God in baptism. Of course, we aren’t suggesting that baptism regenerates, but it is a sign and seal and this chapter provided a perfect moment for it.

That’s the first half of the book. That was Gospel Assurance. Believe it or not, that was the good news. Now we are getting to the bad news, the warnings.

Other emphases are missing. There is another angle to consider:

Nehemiah 8:10: “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Or consider the language of the Heidelberg Catechism, when asked why you are a Christian: “Because I am a member of Christ by faith and thus share in his anointing, so that I may
as prophet confess his name,
as priest present myself
a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him,
and as king fight with a free and good conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter reign with him eternally over all creatures.”

Instead of looking inward and failing to measure up, I know that Jesus poured the oil of his Holy Spirit on me. I am a king because I share in His anointing.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Washer loves the Lord and he is one intense, passionate, encouraging, and challenging teacher. His newest work in the Recovering the Gospel series bears the stamp of his personality and style in all of these ways and, like his ministry, is a blessing to be explored and studied and enjoyed.

Washer has a bone to pick with certain teachings that are pervasive in the western church. The pernicious and debilitating extra-biblical category of “carnal christian” undergirds the monster of false assurance that is ravaging our churches and deceitfully leading many to destruction. It is not just that this is something that is factually inaccurate, it is detrimental in ways that cannot even be fully expressed.

Because of an evangelical pulpit weakened by ignorance, pragmatism, and fear, the professing church is filled with individuals who have never really been confronted with the gospel of Jesus Christ, have never heard any of the gospel’s warnings, and have little understanding of genuine biblical assurance. Furthermore, evangelicals explain away these individuals’ lack of sanctification and worldliness with one of the most dangerous terms that has ever come forth: the carnal Christian. It is the doctrine that a genuine believer in Jesus Christ, a person regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, can actually live out his entire life in worldliness, indulging in fleshly desires and evidencing little concern for the things of God. This doctrine is a direct contradiction of the teachings of Christ and the apostles. Furthermore, it opens the door for carnal and unregenerate people to find assurance of salvation by looking to the apparent sincerity of their past decision to accept Christ, even though their manner of living contradicts such a profession.

Washer seeks to combat this enemy of false assurance with Biblical assurance from 1 John.

“The Scriptures call upon us to test ourselves to determine whether we are truly Christian,” Washer says. “So that is what we are going to do.”

Washer adds that,

“Many people no longer obtain assurance of salvation by a careful consideration of their conversion and lifestyle in light of the Scriptures. Rather, it is granted by a well-meaning minister who is quick to pronounce the full benefits of salvation upon any who have prayed to receive Christ with any degree of apparent sincerity.”

Due to this it is necessary to reorient our assurance of our standing of God with the revelation of God, his holy Scripture. Before testing ourselves Washer is determined that we not get the cart before the horse as it relates to our salvation.

“It is important for us to remember that John is not setting forth the means of conversion but rather the results of it. We can have a biblical assurance of salvation to the degree that the evidences set forth in John’s epistle are realities in our lives. If after testing ourselves we find little reality of these evidences, we should be greatly concerned.”

That concern should lead us to consider one of two possibilities, that we are believers in need of serious repentance or we are yet unconverted and should repent and believe unto salvation.
Washer takes a series of chapters to look at the tests that John puts forward in his 1st epistle.

Do you walk in the light?
Do you confess your sins?
Do you keep God’s commands and are not burdened by them?
Do you walk as He walked?
Do you love other believers?
Do you reject “the world”?
Are you remaining in fellowship with believers and persevering in your faith?
Do you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart what the Scriptures testify to about the Christ?
Are you growing in holiness?
Are you growing in your practice of righteousness?
Are you overcoming the world or is the world overcoming you?
Do you believe the Gospel?

After looking at proper assurances based on the 1st Epistle of John, Washer then turns to the warnings that are attached to the Gospel.
Washer criticizes the typical approach of modern evangelism. The method of: “Are you a sinner?”, “Do you want to go to Heaven?”, “Okay, let’s pray a prayer?” creates right answers to wrong questions when there is not heart change towards sin, no desire for the heaven of Scripture, and no repentance to accompany a prayed profession.
Beyond that, Washer reiterates the warning of Christ that the call to follow him is the call to take the narrow path, a path that will be filled with resistance, turmoil, and struggle and to enter the narrow gate. Basically, it ain’t easy! Though there is an easy path that is available but its destination is less than desirable.

Washer is amazing at communicating the urgency and seriousness of the topic he is discussing, especially in this work. There is no flippancy, banter, or stories for entertainment’s sake. There is business to be taken care of and that is why he is writing and there is no time to waste.

The reason for that is found clearly in the last warning he conveys from Matthew 7

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”…Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.—Matthew 7:21–23, 24–27

What more chilling and fearful warning could be given? What greater motivation to “make your calling and election sure”? Washer gives four categories of false converts from Matthew 7 and challenges the reader to make sure they are not one of those who call “Lord, Lord” on the last day but will be rejected to an eternity in hell.

In Matthew 7, Jesus clearly identifies four groups of individuals who will spend an eternity in hell. We would do well to consider each group carefully and to examine our own lives in light of the characteristics that identify them. There is nothing on earth of greater importance. People may be wrong about many things without doing much harm to themselves. However, being wrong about this matter has eternal and irrevocable consequences.

The first group of those who are destined for hell consists of those who live out their lives on the broad way.96 Their thinking, conduct, and direction of their lives are not defined by Christ’s will. Instead, they are shaped by the opinions and lusts of this fallen age and walk according to them. Although they may wear a thin veneer of Christianity, their manner of thinking and living is contrary to the religion they profess. They love the world, look like the world, and share the same affections with the world. Our evangelical churches are filled with such individuals. They sincerely believe that they have passed through the small gate that is Christ and that their salvation is secure. However, they are unaware that their uninterrupted travel on the broad way demonstrates that they have believed in vain.

The second group of those who are destined for hell consists of everyone whose life is not marked by fruit-bearing and the Father’s pruning.97 They confess faith in Christ, but His character and deeds are not manifest in their lives, nor is there evidence of the Father’s sanctifying work through discipline. Those who do not bear fruit simply are not Christians. This truth cannot be minimized or explained away. In the earliest gospel warnings, John the Baptist declared, “The ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 3:10; Luke 3:9). Jesus stood in agreement with John when He repeated the same warning almost word for word: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 7:19). We must realize that our evangelical churches are filled with such people. They bear no fruit and display no evidence of the Father’s pruning. They continue on year after year, holding to a form of godliness and denying the power of it by the barrenness of their lives.98

The third group of those who are destined for hell consists of everyone whose life is not marked by practical obedience to the Father’s will. Again, this is the clear teaching of Jesus, who warned, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Obedience does not result in salvation; however, it is the evidence of it. In the same way, a life of disobedience is evidence of reprobation. For this reason Jesus will declare to those who are lawless on the final day to depart. He is referring to those who confessed Him as Lord and yet lived as though He never gave them a law to obey. We must understand that there is simply no such thing as a Christian who lives in uninterrupted apathy or disregard for the will of God. To say otherwise is to deny the teachings of Jesus. Nevertheless, our evangelical churches are filled with people who profess Christ and yet live as practical atheists, doing what seems right in their own eyes and being destroyed for their lack of knowledge.99 If every piece of Scripture in the world were confiscated, it would have no effect on their lives. They are without law. They live under a self-imposed famine of the Word of God.100

The fourth group of those who are destined for hell consists of everyone who hears the words of Christ and does not act upon them.101 Again, conversion is evidenced or proven by practical obedience. Those who have been born again are marked by new and growing affections for the person of Christ. For this reason, they also long to know His will and please Him through obedience. They are awed by the blessing of Christ’s Word and humbled by the privilege that is theirs to study it and apply it to their lives. Consequently, they are also ashamed when they find themselves to be apathetic, nonchalant, and disobedient. In a word, the true convert has come to comprehend something of what Jesus meant when He told His disciples: “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matt. 13:16–17).

I felt this book was excellent but there were times I thought Washer pushed too much for introspection and self-examination. I wish there was a more focused effort to follow the McCheyne maxim that “For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.” This might be due to the popular level lack of any self-examination at all, but I think it is a bit reactionary at times. And here is my main struggle with that issue as found in this text. Early on and throughout this work it is said and implied that our assurance is based on the fruit we bear, if a believer perseveres, how someone responds to sin, etc… I struggle with this. I do not struggle with seeing all of these as evidences of our condition. I do not even struggle with claiming that these are all necessary for salvation, but as a necessary consequence. Without these evidences you or I will not see God. But our assurance is based on a tomb that is empty. My salvation is not simply subjectively true, my own salvation is objectively true because God raised Christ from the dead. My assurance is not based, based I emphasize, on how I respond. That is a fruit, that is evidence and it is necessary. My assurance is based on the resurrection of Christ…..it is based in the Gospel. I wish that Washer would have labored this point much more or had chosen his words in places a little more carefully to maintain the clarity of meaning that exists throughout the rest of the text.

With that being said, this is a great work. Washer’s passion and urgency is contagious. He writes with fervor that leaves the reader with a weird mixture of conviction, excitement, energy, and exhaustion. Reading his work is a visceral, emotional experience. Beyond that, what he writes is immensely practical. Multiple times he explicitly applies his points of the chapter to ministers, evangelists, pastors, believers, and unbelievers. You are seldom, if ever, left wondering, “Yeah, but what am I supposed to do with this truth?” This is a work worth reading.

Washer exudes enough characteristic passion and urgency that if you sincerely want to attack him with accusation of excesses of some sort, you will be able to glean enough evidence to bring a charge. However, if you instead seek to listen to our brother with a grace-filled countenance and a sincere desire to hear what the Lord might teach through him, you will find a work that is convicting, challenging and encouraging. Your toes will be stepped on. You will experience some emotional turmoil. And you will be all the better for it. Don’t just pick up this work, pick up the entire trilogy and be blessed.

I received a review copy of this work from the publisher.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest volume in the Recovering the Gospel series, "Gospel Assurance and Warnings," has been published and follows "The Gospel's Power and Message," and "Gospel Call and True Conversion" (read my review here) in the attempt to clear up misconceptions and boldly proclaim some of the essentials of the Christian faith. Paul Washer aims to present Biblical truth as taught by faithful men throughout the historic Protestant tradition while unraveling many of the popular, but erroneous teachings that have crept into American evangelicalism.

"Gospel Assurance and Warnings" is a decent sized book (around 250 pages) that is composed of two sections. The first section is on Biblical Assurance and part two is on Gospel Warnings.

In the first two chapters, Washer writes about the false assurance of empty professors and the necessity of self-examination in the life of a Christian. The remaining chapters of the first section are essentially an exposition of the apostle John's first epistle and covers the biblical evidence of conversion such as confession and repentance of sin (pp. 29–39), keeping God's commandments (pp. 41–50), purification (pp. 105–114), and practicing righteousness (pp. 115–125).

The second half starts off with the claim that the modern "gospel" has been reduced to a shell of redemptive truth and provides the sobering truth that many professing Christians in the West are self-deceived due to false assurance. Whether they have prayed "the sinner's prayer" or walked an aisle or received some kind of pastoral confirmation of conversion, Washer points out that these relatively recent inventions are not biblical representations or the doctrines of regeneration and conversion. The last three chapters of the book are an exposition of Jesus' strong words in Matthew 7; Washer elaborates on the small gate (pp. 167–188), the narrow way (pp. 189–211), the evidence of gospel transformation (pp. 213–225), and the dangers of a false profession (pp. 228–252).

The book closes with an incredible quote by Charles Spurgeon urging us to be about our Father's business: "If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for." (p. 252)

I enjoyed much of this book, and as someone who is familiar with the pulpit ministry of Brother Washer, I have benefited from a lot of the content within by listening to his sermons. Anyone who has been blessed by the preaching of Paul Washer will be encouraged by "Gospel Assurance and Warnings," and they will inevitably note familiarity and similarities between his sermons and the book. His bold stance against "decisional" regeneration, the "sinner's prayer", and "easy-believism" is to be commended in an era of theological compromise and downgrade. There are many people who would benefit greatly from the counsel and correction in this book.

While I agree with pretty much everything said by the author and applaud him for his thoroughly Scriptural exposé of American Evangelicalism, there are a few things that bothered me about the book. First of all, it is somewhat repetitive. To be fair, there is a lot of repetition in the apostle's letter, and while it is a good way to drive things home and secure them in the memory banks of the reader, the author's thoughts sound more like echoes of lament rather than didactic reinforcement. As true and important as his sentiments may be, I believe Brother Paul's points came across loud and clear, and his book could have been shorter without sacrificing essential content.

Secondly, there seemed to be more "warning" than "assurance" in the first section of the book. Sure, topics like "false assurance" and "self-examination" require cautionary measures and must be discussed in a book like this, but even Washer's exposition of John's first epistle reads more like a way to tell if someone is a false convert. While this information is undoubtedly helpful, and while John's epistle has it's share of warnings, the purpose of his letter was to assure believers that they were recipients of eternal life. With that in mind, I thought this first section of the book did more to reinforce my thoughts about problems in evangelicalism and the rampant theological errors (and possible empty professions) perpetrated by many who claim faith in Christ. This section does focus on assurance, but it seemed to be eclipsed by the exposure of error in contemporary evangelicalism. I understand that the purpose of this book as a whole is different than that of 1 John, but I felt Washer could have been more pastoral in the "assurance" section.

Lastly, I was not impressed with the way it was ordered. I think the publisher could have done a better job with the layout. It seems that if the book sections were reversed, it would have been a better book. I know that sounds like a petty complaint, and it certainly is a minor detail that does not affect the content (definitely a matter of preference that would not cause me to demerit the book), but it is my opinion that the book would have greater efficacy in driving home the main point.

While my review may sound overly critical (which is quite possible), I am thankful for this book and would recommend it to a number of people. It would be rather difficult to recommend it to the self-deceived false converts that the book exposes, but they would surely be the people who need it the most. I would surely recommend this to pastors and preachers. Those who are already laboring to make the truths in this book known will be encouraged and those who need to apply these truths in their ministry will be challenged and hopefully convicted. The author does a excellent job of addressing downgrade in contemporary evangelicalism and puts his finger on those areas of greatest concern with the hope of revival in the churches and recovery of the biblical gospel.

I received a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes. I was in no way encouraged or coerced to write a favorable review.

[Caleb CW · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll have to reread this series because I missed some while listening to it. I found the whole series very insightful on the walk through the Gospels. I don't have much else to say. I think these are more helpful for the intermediate to mature believer but definitely can't hurt someone who is new to the faith. It was encouraging and hard-hitting at the same time. As it should be.

There it is and there you have it.

[Anete Ābola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sobering and soothing at the same time.
The best book on the assurance of salvation from modern authors. Clear and biblical. The books deals with false conversations, so false converts could have a negative reaction to the book. But it is so needed. You should want to know if you are truly saved or not, so that you can enter the narrow gate (if you have not done that yet) and walk the narrow way that leads to our true Home.

[Ronnie Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

I though that this was the best of the three books that Mr. Washer wrote on the Gospel. He does not fail to remind us of the grave importance and responsibility of the body to lift Christ for all the world to see. He does not fail to remind us of the pending judgement coming to nominal "Christians" on the broad road. He does not fail to remind us of the eternal ramifications of Hell and all of its fury. This series of books will make excellent home group or Sunday school studies and is the very voice that the lukewarm modern evangelical movement needs to hear. Saturated in scripture and penned in love this book is just what needs to be said.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Washer is not one to back away or sugar coat the gospel. He is one of the few teachers/preachers to be solid in handling the word of God. Having a high view of the word of God and a heart for the church, you will be challenged. This read is for those that are serious about eternity. It is not for the temporal minded christian. One thing I was reminded of during this read that I thought much of is a question that members of any church must ask. Who is the church for? Is it for the unbeliever, the seeker, or the believer. How the church answers that determines how that body of believers view the Lord, church discipline, ministry focus, worship, a ends to means or means to an end. In the same way, this read is for the believer to examine their own heart and to see if they are walking the narrow way, or the way of destruction. The narrow means only a few and the way of destruction is many. Jesus has supplied many warnings in the New Testament to believers to what their true affections are. The words that nobody expects to hear or want to hear, is depart from me, I never knew you. With precise bible study and application, Mr. Washer walks you thru these hard teachings of Jesus. See John 6, many people walked from Christ after hearing the same hard teachings. Are we like the diciples when asked by Jesus if they would go as well and their response and is it ours as well, "Where would we go Lord".

Is our faith based on our works, our prayer, our service, or the work of Christ in repentance. Is our desire to be cleansed from sin and to walk in righteouness. Do we mourn for the sin that keeps us all from our creator or do we celebrate it.

In each chapter, we walk thru the fruit of christian living and warnings. There are times in a bible study, that asking good questions help us apply and examine our hearts response to those questions. Do our hearts harden or do they break. With each chapter there are notes that tie to scripture.

The main premise of this study is do we want Christ? But before we can answer that, we have to get right the question who is Christ. Who do you say I am. Are we prepared to meet God of the Old and New Testament. Do we know the full character of God and the depravity of our human hearts. This study answers that question without apology, without fan fare but with wonder that leaves us undone.

A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[David Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

A longer version of this review appears on Amazon.com and the reviewer's personal Web site.

OVERVIEW & RECOMMENDATION

Some years ago, perhaps, a man asked you, "If you died tonight, are you sure you'd go to heaven?" You couldn't answer "yes" but did indeed want to go to heaven, so you accepted the man's offer to tell you how you could be sure. You were told you needed to admit you were a sinner, needed to repent of (be sorry for and wish to turn from) your sins, and needed to call out to Jesus Christ to save you while believing certain essential things about Christ (that he, God's only son, himself God the Son, lived a sinless life and died a sacrificial death on your behalf, then rose again in vindication of his claims and validation of his sacrifice). In proof of your sincere willingness to do these things, you were invited to say a "sinner's prayer" that stated as much. You believed that Jesus was indeed who he claimed to be and that he had indeed done all that Christians and Scripture said that he had done, so you said the prayer as directed, believing yourself sincere, and were assured you could now be certain you'd go to heaven when you died.

This past experience alone, Washer would have you know, is not a sufficient basis for believing yourself a true Christian, certainly saved and bound for glory. If you are truly a child of God, your life since that initial profession will show objectively discernible signs proving you are indeed saved. It is these tokens of true faith, not reflection on your conversion experience, that will grant you whatever degree of assurance your case merits. Alternatively, it is the absence of these tokens, or too great a dearth of them, that should cause you to doubt your faith and seek the Lord in prayer and repentance that he might grant you true faith and the objective evidences that follow it. Such is the hard, but scripturally sound, message of Gospel Assurance & Warnings. Though the last in a trilogy, the text stands well on its own (so it seemed to me, and I have yet to read the prior two titles). Readers seeking biblical Christian material of substance that prompts serious reflection will find the book at once highly edifying and troubling (as uncomfortable truths are always troubling). Readers seeking light and encouraging "devotional" fare may prefer to look elsewhere.

In part one, "Biblical Assurance," the bulk of the text, Washer surveys tests of true faith set forth in 1 John. In skeletal form, those tests, twelve in number, are as follows.

1. From 1 John 1:5-7: "upon careful examination of our lives [over time, not in isolated moments], we see a real and growing [though never in this life perfect] conformity to God's nature and will" (26).

2. From 1 John 1:8-10: owing to an "altered heart...and...altered affections," the maturing true believer will "develop a more acute understanding of the holiness of God and a keener sensitivity to sin in his life," so that "his sorrow for sin and the depth and frequency of his confession" will grow greater over time (31, 35).

3. From 1 John 2:3-5: "Although his progress will often be three steps forward and two steps back....Over the full course of the believer's life and through the continuing and sanctifying work of God, his attitude and conduct will reflect greater and greater submission to the will of God revealed in His commands" (49).

4. From 1 John 2:5-6: "through the sanctifying work of the Spirit," the true believer will be "learning to walk as Christ walked"; there will be "observable, practical evidence" that the true believer is "seeking to imitate Christ" so that his "daily conduct manifest[s] more of Christ and less of the world" (54).

5. From 1 John 2:7-11: The true believer will manifest "love" for other Christians, "love" that "is foremost a matter of will, which manifests itself in right and selfless [perhaps better: benevolent] action" (60). (I tend to prefer the term "benevolent" over "selfless," since it is willing and acting for the good of one's brethren, not devaluing or disregarding one's own good, that qualifies one as "loving." Even sacrificing self for the good of others is not precisely "selfless," since such sacrifice, if rightly undertaken, is in service of God's broader plan and purposes and so in fact serves the most "enlightened" interests of the Christian opting to make the sacrifice.) In case this test might not be entirely clear, Washer offers four sets of questions he believes will clarify whether one "loves" other Christians in the manner required: "First, whose company do you most enjoy? Do you seek fellowship with other believers and delight in conversations about Christ?....Second, do you publicly identify yourself with Christ and His people?....Third, although you are aware of the church's many weaknesses and moral failures, are you committed to her improvement?....[After all,] the true believer....cannot abandon the church or the fallen saint regardless of how many times they stray" but must commit himself to their "restoration and improvement....Fourth, are you a committed and contributing member of a local, visible congregation of believers?" (70) Admittedly, it requires some effort to see all these questions as valid expressions of Christian benevolence. For instance, seeking the fellowship of other Christians is only an act of benevolence if one's goal is to benefit those with whom one fellowships; seeking simply to "enjoy" oneself through such associations may not be benevolent at all. Upon reflection, however, most of these questions do seem to invite "yes" responses from one who is truly benevolent toward fellow Christians.

6. From 1 John 2:15-17: "one of the great proofs of conversion is the focus of a person's life....If we strive for the things of this world, if we pine away because of the carnal rewards we are not able to procure, and if we covet the worldly attainments of others, then we are very far from the kingdom of heaven" (78). If, oN the other hand, we do not do these things, or do them less and less, refusing to live "at peace with sin, the flesh, and the world" (76), we may thereby feel assurance that we are indeed born again.

7. From 1 John 2:18-19: in simple terms, one passes this test so long as one does not fall permanently away into apostasy, since this passage teaches that none who are genuinely saved could do so. In a day when not every "Christian" church preaches a biblical gospel, and when many church services tailor to carnal desires for entertainment, the mere fact that one remains a church member in good standing with consistent attendance does not mean one passes this test. To determine whether one passes, Washer suggests the following questions: "What would we do if the church was no longer about us and our felt needs but about the glory of God and His Christ? How would we respond to biblical preaching aimed at our conscience?" (What if the sermons upon which this book is based were preached at one's church, for instance?) "What would be our reaction if entertainment were dethroned and simple, heartfelt worship was set in its place?....What would we do if everyone decided that being relevant and contextual were not as important as just pleasing God?" (95-6) If one would embrace these changes, one may consider this test passed.

8. From 1 John 2:22-24, 4:1-3, and 4:13-15: "a person is not a Christian unless he believes and confesses that Jesus of Nazareth is the eternal Son of God; that He laid aside His heavenly glory and was conceived by the Holy Spirit in a virgin's womb; that He was born in Bethlehem as God incarnate; that He was fully God and fully man; that He was the Christ foretold by the law and the Prophets; and that He is the Savior of the world" (99). Correct belief, thus, is an additional evidence of true conversion.

9. From 1 John 3:1-3: "those who profess hope in Christ for salvation and future glorification at His coming will evidence such hope by the pursuit of purity, a striving after holiness, and a genuine and observable desire for conformity to the image of Christ. To the degree that these things are evident and growing, we may increase in assurance that we have truly come to know Him" (113).

10. From 1 John 2:28-9 and 3:4-10: "the person who has been regenerated cannot live in habitual sin any more than a fish can live for long out of water," but is prompted by the Spirit of God within to pursue "personal righteousness...conformity to the nature and will of God as revealed in the entirety of Scripture and foremost in the person of Jesus Christ" (125, 116).

11. From 1 John 5:4-5 and 4:4-6: "one of the great marks of true conversion is that the world will not overcome the Christian so that he denies Christ and returns to it. Neither will the world prove successful in hindering God's work in the believer's life so that he becomes fruitless" (128); "in spite of our failure, we continue....we simply go on with Christ and persevere in faith until the end" (136-7).

12. From 1 John 5:9-12: "We know that we are Christian because we believe the things that God has revealed concerning His Son" (153), having accepted God's testimony through Scripture and gospel preachers (149), and having experienced and accepted both "the inward testimony of the Spirit who dwells within us" and "the reality of eternal life within us" (150-1).

In part 2, "Gospel Warnings, or Warnings to Empty Confessors," Washer builds upon these tests and the picture of true faith and its implications so far described. In chapter 15, "Gospel Reductionism," he contrasts the "gospel" widely promoted among contemporary Christians (which often lacks even such mention of repentance as found in this review's opening illustration) with that taught in Scripture and historically (such as in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, from which Washer draws throughout part 2). Whereas contemporary Christians may seek merely to elicit admission that one is "a sinner," Washer emphasizes that "we must be careful not to deal superficially with sin in either preaching the gospel or counseling seekers. It is not enough to ask them if they are sinners based upon their definition of the term or their opinions of themselves." Rather, "We must exhaust every resource in Scripture until seekers gain a biblical understanding of sin, comprehend something of their own sinfulness, and show evidence of a new disposition toward it. Only then can we leave behind discussion of sin and advance to other matters of the gospel" (160). The contemporary tendency to ask if seekers want to go to heaven also misses the point: "The question is not whether a person wants to go to heaven but if he wants God." In other words, "Has God so worked in your heart through hearing of the gospel that there is now a real and definite longing for Him?....Has love for God been awakened in your heart?" (163) It is affirmative answers to these questions, joined to previously established awareness of (and repentance for) one's own sinfulness, that suggest genuine conversion is underway. Still, this is not the time to simply lead the seeker in a sinner's prayer and declare permanent assurance earned; rather, the new believer should be both "encouraged by the truth that if he has genuinely repented and believed, he is saved" and "instructed that if his conversion is genuine, it will be further validated by his continuation in the things of God" (164) (enter the tests laid out in preceding chapters).

Remaining chapters continue to build upon the corrective theme, with special emphasis on relevant statements in Matthew 7 (with supportive cross references). As in the earlier tests, the central point here is that true conversion is evidenced by tangibly changed behavior: "We enter into the kingdom by passing through the narrow gate [Jesus Christ], but the evidence that we have passed through this gate is that we are now walking in the narrow way" (189), AKA "the way of the Lord, the way of the righteous, and the path of righteousness. This path," Washer emphasizes, "is marked out by God's commands, and it is a great litmus test of genuine faith" (191). As Washer understands matters, Scripture is clear: "the genuine believer will bear fruit that remains. For this he was chosen and appointed, and by this he proves that he is truly Christ's disciple. Even though he will pass through times of apparent barrenness due to some besetting sin and the Father's pruning, the work of divine discipline will serve to make him more fruitful" (216). Thus, true believers will find, for instance, that over time their conduct and affections more readily pass the tests set forth in part one of the text. A "gospel" that suggests otherwise, Washer would assert, is not the biblical gospel.

In his closing chapter, "The Dangers of an Empty Confession," Washer gives special attention to how corrupted gospel preaching endangers souls (by making unsaved professors think themselves secure) and calls upon his fellow preachers to correct the problem. He writes: "We are inundated with a gospel without demands or costs, that not only does not oppose the flesh but often caters to it. Ministers who ought to know better preach a God-dethroning, man-exalting message that can be received with the repetition of a prayer. Then, after only a few minor adjustments, the 'convert' is allowed to continue upon the same broad road as before" with a preacher-endorsed "convenient faith" that "anesthetizes enough of the conscience to make it nearly impervious to the truth" (234). The fearful result of this is that many who now think that they are Christians discover they are mistaken only when it is too late: "Our evangelical churches are filled with individuals who confess Christ and yet do not hear His Word so as to obey it. Their Christianity," Washer relates, "can be summed up in a past transaction they made with Christ by praying a prayer, but they do not go on with Him into any noticeable depths of devotion and obedience." Having "merely done what they were told to do in order to gain entrance to heaven," they now "sit in our pews with their consciences anesthetized and hear no warning and see no contradiction between what they do and what they claim to be—between who they are and Who[m] they confess" (251).

Washer pleads with his fellow preachers to repent of having failed to present the full truth of the gospel. To all teachers of the Word, he writes: "Will we hide these things from our hearers? They will curse us in the end! Will we tell them even though they think us mad? They will bless us on that day! We must throw away all desire for the accolades and approval of men and seek the approval of Christ. We must preach the hard sayings of Christ, even though we are accused of being loveless, angry, morbid, and morose. We must be willing to suffer the temporary wrath of men if it will save them from the eternal wrath of God. We must prepare them to meet their God!" (244) How many will heed Washer's call?

Such is my overview. This is certainly a text I recommend reading.

CRITICISMS

Since a review without criticism would have limited value (I, at least, have never found purely positive reviews useful), I can't end there. Offering criticism of this particular book is not easy, however. It is soundly biblical and does make an effort to portray the complexity of the issues involved: Christians are new creations, yet what they were before remains with them, almost as though two beings with contrary purposes inhabited the same physical form. Throughout the text, Washer carefully points out that sinless perfection and "total sanctification" are fantasies and that none of the tests he describes should be taken to suggest otherwise. He is also careful to emphasize repeatedly that ability to pass these tests is the result of being saved, not a means of obtaining salvation: salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, he never ceases to make clear. Thus, one may not accuse Washer of either perfectionism or legalism.

Nevertheless, reflection does prompt, if not strong criticism, at least concern about some of Gospel Assurance & Warnings' contents. For one, while I believe the proposed tests will powerfully and rightly lead many false Christians to doubt their professions, I am not so sure true Christians will derive great assurance from them. My own experience and reflection have led me to believe that assurance, like fundamental faith, is a gift God gives to whom he will, when he will, as suits his sovereign purposes. Neither analysis of your initial confession for tokens of sincerity, nor inference from reflection upon the various objective markers of true conversion in Washer's text, nor the favorable testimony of outside observers of your changed behavior over the years, will give you assurance God has not sovereignly determined to grant you. Even if you do well on Washer's tests, the fact that you are imperfect will leave you doubting, even though Washer is rightly emphatic that perfection cannot be expected this side of glory. You might well give special attention to Washer's repeated reference to how the various tests only favor assurance "to the degree" that one passes them; since one never in this life passes them perfectly, one must always remain at least a little in doubt about one's salvation, mustn't one?

Trying to find assurance from such objective tests is far from easy, one finds upon reflection, and it might be argued that Washer does not do full justice to the difficulty. Throughout the text, he rightly emphasizes that no Christian is ever "wholly sanctified" in this life, that "The flesh will not be fully eradicated until...final glorification," so that "There will always be, even in the most devout life, a constant battle against sin and moral failure and need for repentance, confession, and restoration" (15). How, then, is one to distinguish with certainty between the truly saved Christian and the non-saved but professing Christian, who strives to improve because morally aware (due to common grace and Christian associations)? Washer asserts: "there will be a great difference between the weakest sincere believer who struggles against sin and makes only minimal progress in sanctification and the false convert who professes faith in Christ yet lives in a near-constant state of worldliness with little offense to his conscience, brokenness over sin, or heartfelt confession." These are, he maintains, "distinguishable differences between the true and false convert" (Ibid.).

Is the situation really so cut-and-dried? Do the unregenerate who believe themselves Christians in fact have consciences little offended by the moral errors of worldliness? Do they not often feel what they would call "brokenness" over their moral shortcomings? Do they not confess (to God or to themselves) their failure in a way they would deem "heartfelt"? It is not at all clear that unregenerate individuals striving through fleshly effort to live up to moral principles derived from their God-given (if fallen) moral sense and Scripture's moral teachings (which they are helped to understand by regenerate Christians with whom they fellowship), will necessarily be able to tell by observing their own affections and actions that they are not in fact growing under the Holy Spirit's influence. It seems one could always imagine that one has in fact deceived oneself; one would always have to entertain the possibility that one might in fact be self-deceived and unsaved, however much one had changed and however many good works one had done. In this realm of objective tests, then, reasons for doubt seem much easier to find than reasons for assurance.

END OF REVIEW

[Michael Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a definite misunderstanding, a rather large misunderstanding I might add in the church today concerning the issues of sanctification, assurance of salvation, and works. To some extent, many view salvation as a singular event, a ticket of sorts that provides the recipient access to the “pearly gates” with no requirement from that moment on to demonstrate any essence of walking in faith evidenced by works that bring glory to God. Thus, there is a needed corrective on the aforementioned doctrines. Pastor and author Paul Washer, in his latest book Gospel Assurance & Warnings, the third book in the Recovering the Gospel series from Reformation Heritage Press, efforts to provide that needed corrective.

Washer is known for his straight to the point pull no punches oratory and writing style. This book follows in that Washer tradition by directly and pointedly engaging what it means to be a Christian and how one can have that assurance of faith. Since this book is overwhelmingly a smashing success as it is rooted in sound theology and repeatedly and effectively drives home the biblical truths regarding what sanctification looks like in action, this review will focus on a few key areas discussed in this book that deserve special attention.

Part one of this book focuses on a variety of topics, each related to what Washer believes is revealed in Scripture as clear indications of a life that is being lived to the glory of God, specifically a life that demonstrates a movement forward from sin towards that place of holiness God desires and frankly commands His people to seek out with all fervency. One key element and the first topic of discussion Washer engages is the constant need for the believer to examine themselves as noted by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5. For many, assurance is rooted and based on a singular decision point, that walking down the aisle to profess faith in Christ. While that decision point is unarguable important, it cannot suffice as the sole indication of what it means to be a believer. Washer rightly declares “The remedy for most of the maladies afflicting the evangelical church in the West is to return to a scriptural view of salvation that is as powerful as it is marvelous.” This scriptural view of salvation is what Washer continually focuses on throughout this book, along the way explicating scripture in a truly sound manner to demonstrate for the reader the beautiful and necessary requirement to examine our lives to determine if we are truly living to the glory of God or whether some needed spiritual surgery is in order.

I truly appreciated Washer’s treatment of the issue of sin. There is the approach by some in the church that a believer should never sin. While the absence of sin is certainly or at least should be the goal of every believer given God’s call for us to be holy as He is holy, in a depraved world such as the one in which we reside, that is just not going to happen. Washer brilliantly notes the reality of sin as well as the need for the believer to loathe sin in their life when it does rear its ugly head. He notes “A greater awareness of our sin and inability will lead us to turn our eyes to the perfect work of Christ, and our open confession of sin will result in forgiveness and cleansing from a heavenly Father. Taking serious inventory of the sin in our lives is not a downward spiral leading to debilitating remorse. If we correctly understand the gospel, it is the path to freedom, assurance, and joy.”

Another test of faith Washer addresses, one which is also grossly misunderstood in the church today, is the need to keep God’s commandments. He reminds the reader of the clear teaching found in James 2, namely that “faith without works is dead” meaning that one who says they are of the household of faith yet produces no visible and identifiable fruit to the glory of God in their lives is likely living in deception. These are harsh words yet fully biblical in their application. Once again, Washer reminds the reader that no believer will live a sinless life. We will fall and we will disobey. The true mark of the regenerate follower of Christ is they “will have a marked difference in their opinion and application of the Word compared to those who are yet unconverted and still in the world.” Washer rightly encourages and admonishes pastors to teach the truth of God’s word to include the necessity to be an obedient bride.

Building on the need to obey God’s commands, Washer also explores the biblical statements on purity. Again noting that sanctification in the Christian life is far more that some momentary or singular event, Washer avers “the believer’s advancement in personal purity is not necessarily or even primarily the result of some momentary experience, but a process that continues form the moment of conversion until final glorification in heaven.” This is something theologians describe as progressive sanctification. A repeated theme by Washer is just that, the need for movement forward with the recognition that at times, there will be some steps back. The difference between the unregenerate and the believer is their approach to those times when those steps back occur. The person of true faith will confess their sin, lean on God for their sufficiency, and move forward in the faith, even if that movement forward is just a small step.

Part two of this book addresses the numerous warnings found in Scripture to those who would claim salvation yet live a life completely opposite of what God demands from one who makes such a claim of faith. Once again Washer addresses the issue of the idea that salvation is merely a response to the call to salvation with no element of works from that point forward. He states “though a person believes right things about God and professes them publicly, he may be no better off than a demon.”
Washer correctly believes that far too many have provided the right answer to many wrong questions when asked if they want to be “saved”. Since the gate to salvation is a small gate, the methodology by which people have been getting “saved” is far less bible truth and far more salesmanship than we would like to admit. Washer excoriates this popular approach declaring “The idea that it is easy to be saved is totally foreign to the Scriptures and to most respected theologians and ministers of church history.” Furthermore, Washer rightly notes “the Spirit of God regenerate’s a person’s heart and mind so that he sees Christ as precious beyond all things combined, thus creating in him a violent desperation to have Him above all else.” This is far different than praying a prayer, walking out the door of a church and living the same way you did before you entered that church building.

This subject matter is serious business as it involves matters of eternal importance. Paul Washer has provided the body of Christ with a book that is a scalpel, balm, and siren. It is a scalpel as he repeatedly references the piercing sword which is the word of God to demonstrate what true faith is all about. It is also a balm as healing also comes from the Word of God as the Holy Spirit works that process of sanctification in the life of the believer. It is a siren for those who are living a lie, claiming to be following Christ yet denying Him by their deeds. I highly recommend this book for all believers and especially for pastors. Those in the pulpit are called by God to declare the truth of God’s word and to reject the easy-believism, singular salvation call devoid of a life lived in service to God approach. Washer’s book is a clarion call to all of God’s people to get serious about this thing called the Christian life. Prepare to be thoroughly challenged!

I received this book for free from Reformation Heritage Books via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Tom D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, just repetitive

4/5 - recommend to anyone who is questioning their assurance of salvation and anyone wanting to learn more about the gospel

What I liked:
Similar to the other two books in the series, starts every chapter with a verse and then discusses the Greek or Hebrew translation. He then exegetes the verse as it relates to assurance. The book is fully of Scripture, well over a thousand references. It is a solid theological exegesis of verses dealing with assurance.

What I did not like:
Having read this series of three books back to back, it became very repetitive. This book not only repeated ideas from the previous volumes, but also repeated the same idea within the book. This is to be expected with the way the book is set up — using a systematic exegesis of verses that builds on itself every chapter... but as a reader this becomes wearying. Each chapter is probably best used as a reference in the future and will be an amazing resource.

[Nick Lees · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second read-through in roughly 2 years. This trilogy of books is a must read for every Christian. I bought copies and distributed them to our church members because the truths within are so needed in our day and age within contemporary evangelicalism. Paul Washer rightly divides the word of truth and is faithful to help the church return to a true gospel and obedient faith. The American church, or what masquerades as the church, needs to be confronted by the truth and Paul does a great job of helping us think through that biblically. There are still plenty of his own thoughts and personality in the writing, so you still need to read with a discerning ear and open Bible.

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Gospel Assurance and Warnings" is the third and final book in the "Recovering the Gospel" series by Paul Washer. The first section handles the topic of assurance. The second discusses "gospel warnings" for those who have an empty profession.

As I we might expect from Washer, the presentation is stark, heartfelt, and passionate. Most of the citations are Scriptural, and while he is generally careful to introduce nuance, his presentation is rather uncomplicated and straightforward.

Washer's purpose is to make up for a deficiency in the current evangelical scene. Perhaps the deficiency is best summed up in a quote from near the end of the book: "Throughout the history of Christianity, the most godly ministers were marked by their balanced and consistent warnings to converts and congregants, but in our day such warnings are rare, and in many cases, they are nonexistent."

Especially helpful is its searching treatment of the marks of the true Christian found in 1 John. Ultimately, this is not a book that will make you feel uppity, but it is excellent fodder for exploring what the Gospel is and what it does. It was very helpful in prodding me to further meditate on the work of God in the heart of the believer.

I have no doubt that there will be those who will dismiss this book, because of its emphasis and approach. Even among those who proudly wear their "Reformed" identity or consider themselves heirs of the Puritans. There will be some who will dismiss this book's emphasis on self examination by calling it "law", "pietism", "assurance destroying", or "too introspective". However, upon a careful examination, I see nothing controversial from a Biblical and Reformed standpoint. In fact, I'd go so far to say that most who have a bone to pick would not have an issue with Paul Washer persay, but rather basic Reformed and Puritan spirituality. In his earnest call to self-examination and the application of Gospel warnings, Washer stands with Reformed luminaries throughout history. This book is a helpful corrective in a day when so many are allergic to self-examination. Washer brings forward a theology of assurance and Gospel warnings which reflects the theological heritage elucidated in the Westminister Standards and the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, both are repeatedly cited.

Washer seeks to draw out a balanced position, avoiding pitfalls in both extremes. A serious inventory of our sin, that is--an awareness and concern in regard to it, need not be "a downward spiral leading to debilitating remorse" and "deadly introspection". Rather, in light of the gospel, Washer says, "it is the path to freedom, assurance, and joy".

So, then, in light of these praises, why only 3 stars? While this book is certainly engaging, helpful, and theologically sound, it could have used quite a bit more editorial work. I have the feeling that the editor sort of gave Washer free reign and didn't tamper with his prose much. If so, I understand why they do that, but it seems to have had negative consequences.

For a contemporary book, the author is far too reliant on numbered points. There is a disconcerting use of repetition, with the book unnecessarily weighing in at 258 pages. I felt like becoming an impromptu editor and crossing out some of the redundancies. No only does Washer belabour certain points, but he also returns to and rehashes certain paragraphs almost verbatim. I love longer books, and 258 page books are needed at times, but I don't think this book is one of them. Given its aims and audience, this book would be much more useful if pared down to 150-200 pages. What is most frustrating to the reader is that careful and thoughtful editing work could have easily reduced it by 50 or 100 pages without really losing any value. Such editing work would have made it far more digestible and likely to arrive in the hands of those who need it most.

For a book exceeding 250 pages, there are a couple areas that are disappointingly underdeveloped. For instance, the treatment of antinomianism is tepid and weak in its definition. Certainly, no one would expect the author to provide a historical treatment akin to the one recently provided by Mark Jones. However, I wish Washer spent a little more time, perhaps a paragraph or two, developing the definition of antinomianism and explaining how it relates to the subject at hand. Also it is unfortunate that there is no scripture index. Washer repeatedly cites the Bible and having the full range of Bible texts accessible via an index would be extremely helpful in further study. Washer did all the hard work of citing every single Bible verse in chapter endnotes, even those without a formal quote. It seems to be a no-brainer to take that and assemble a scripture index for the convenience of the reader.

With both commendations and criticisms outlined, let me say that this book has very valuable and sound things to say and I hope my criticism of the editing does not obscure that. If my comments about the flaws are accurate, I hope they do not prevent the book from receiving a wide reading. I recommend this book to those readers who are professing Christians and are persistent enough to finish it. I hope that it accomplishes its intended task. I am convinced that those who stick with it and slowly read and ruminate upon Washer's thoughts will find the result highly profitable.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out as ominous and threatening, not at all correlating to my view of God. However, the big did improve significantly as I waded through it. By the end, it was a clarion call for reformation and the emphasis shifted to the assurances in the gospel. It was worthwhile reading, even though it was tough going for awhile.

[Jacob Mbanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

I completed the whole series of Recovering the Gospel, and it perfectly summarizes all the issues found in the presentation, of the post modern gospel. The call to a pure declaration of the gospel, is inspiring and has helped me understand, how serious the message of the cross really is. The bible, needs to be honored and respected in these final days!

[Jeremiah Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It leaves me trembling after listening to the message in this book. Hope it's still not too late to repent. I listen to it twice. And was again gripped by the message. I think I should listen to it every now and then to keep my lamp burning.

[Aaron Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book from Paul Washer

So very good! Convicting and thought provoking. Pastor Washer writes like a man trying to save his family and friends, and every single one of us should read this book filled with Biblical Gospel Assurance and Warnings.

[Valerie Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read all 3 of these. Excellent excellent. Excellent!

[Andy Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a big surprise. Wow!!!! Want to know if you really know Christ as your savior? Read this book. Want to know what will happen in hell? Read this book. Want to know the state of the average church member today? Read this book. Want to know if you prayed the sinner prayer being enough? Read this book.

[Danielle Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very convicting read.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Each generation of Christians is a steward of the gospel message, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, God calls upon us to guard this treasure that has been entrusted to us. If we are to be faithful stewards, we must be absorbed in the study of the gospel, take great pains to understand its truths, and pledge ourselves to guard its contents [note: not to hide any secrets, but to be certain its message stays true to the original]. In doing so, we will ensure salvation both for ourselves, and for those who hear us."

The author has divided this book into two parts. Part I is a study of biblical assurance based on the following premise, "Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, yet the nature of salvation guarantees that saving faith will have real and practical evidences." He uses many Bible verses to formulate this premise, but my favorite one is, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). The author then examines the apostle John's first epistle and uncovers twelve doctrinal and moral criteria we can use to test ourselves. He dedicates a chapter to each one.

In Part Two, Paul Washer turns his attention to admonitions and warnings in the Scriptures. This study is based on the premise that care must be taken not to trivialize the moment of our salvation, the moment when the heart is justified and made new, nor believe that our journey toward sanctification is easy. Grace is not cheap, and the work of the Holy Spirit must not be seen as trite or haphazard. There is nothing easy about being a follower of Christ. If our walk with Christ lacks the interaction of God's hand of discipline and re-direction, then we should re-examine the status of our hearts. Are they truly regenerated?

The author writes boldly and plainly, yet not in an overly severe tone. His is one of the best explanations I have ever read that makes the way of the gospel clear. My impression, as I read through these chapters, is that Mr. Washer has a genuine concern that his readers experience a true conversion through faith in Christ Jesus. He does not want us to be deceived by those who would over-simplify the doctrines of regeneration and perseverance and live in false hope. It was obvious to me that he desires us to have a living and loving relationship with our God.

The latter half of the book serves as a reminder that there is always a danger of watered down biblical teachings and misdirections, leading many to experience false assurance of salvation. It is the position of the author that there are too many people sitting in our churches who fall into this category. He makes it clear that it is not difficult or too late for us to have unshakable faith, based on a firm biblical foundation. Overall, the book is written to appeal to the everyday person; you don't have to have a theological degree or be a seminarian to understand the author's precepts, or to put them into practice.

Because this book is written clearly enough to be used by anyone who is looking for a biblical basis for assurance of salvation, it would serve well as a personal Bible study or group Bible study. The book also encourages its readers to live out our lives as living signposts, pointing others to the reason we walk with such confidence and joy from day to day--Jesus made us completely whole.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC)on behalf of Reformation Heritage Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[RH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written for those in doubt of their salvation, those in need of examining and testing themselves in the faith, or those who claim to know Christ but lack a life of continual transformation in Christ. Paul Washer has thoroughly laid out explanations, directions and truths from God’s unchanging Word in regard to these three types of people. It was obvious to me that the book was written with the utmost care and sobriety, springing from a heart of true love.

Gospel Assurance and Warnings is split into two parts. In the first, called Biblical Assurance, Washer provides much helpful and Biblically rooted advice to those who need assurance from the nagging doubts as to whether or not they are truly Christ’s. The advice is also applicable to examining oneself and testing one’s faith. He draws largely from 1 John, taking texts throughout the whole five chapters to give counsel to God’s children. These points of “testing” cover everything from a growing love for Christ to an obvious change in one’s life in regard to walking closer to Christ each day.

It’s clear that Paul Washer has set aside the desires to please men throughout the whole of this book and in no uncertain terms drives Biblical points home, backing them with much Scripture. Many may read it and be offended by his black and white approach to looking at saved versus unsaved people. Many may say that his “views” are actually quite unloving, legalistic, and unable to bring people to the realization that there is a God who loves and cares for them. In the second part of the book, called Gospel Warnings, Washer heads this argument off at the pass, explaining that in order for a person to fear and love the Lord, they must first be brought to an understanding of their heart’s true wickedness and depravity. Once they grasp this, they are able to understand their need for Christ and thus love and cherish Him as they ought. As the Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, once wrote, “Lower the Law and you dim the light by which man perceives his guilt; this is a very serious loss to the sinner rather than a gain; for it lessens the likelihood of his conviction and conversion. I say you have deprived the gospel of its ablest auxiliary [it’s most powerful weapon] when you have set aside the Law. You have taken away from it the schoolmaster that is to bring men to Christ.”

I once heard that when you read a book, it is typically a single point or sentence that makes the biggest impact on you. For me, one item stands out amongst all the rest as being particularly poignant: “A recent convert will often break the news of his conversion by declaring that he has a new relationship with God. However, little does he understand that the adverse is also true: he has a new relationship with sin. In fact, the validity of his claim to a new relationship with God can be affirmed only to the degree that his relationship with sin has changed.”

Enjoy this Biblically rich material, searching heart and soul as you do, and pray to God to bestow wisdom to all those who read it and examine themselves in the light of this sound scriptural advice. As Paul Washer quotes in his own book he has written with this in mind, “I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.” (Richard Baxter) It was well done.

*Thank you to Cross Focused Reviews and Reformation Heritage Trust for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Biblical and incredibly timely! Read this book!

Paul Washer's most recent book Gospel Assurance and Warnings (the third book in his series Recovering the Gospel) is an incredible read. Never have I read a book that was more thoroughly Biblical and timely than this book! With a watered down gospel being taught throughout America there has been a rebirth of "gospel-centered" books over the last five years. Some have been well done, others have been just the same old moralism that American Christians have bought into for years. The gospel says (to borrow from Timothy Keller) you are more awful than you ever thought possible but you are more loved then you ever dreamed. The gospel makes us see how wretched we are, but God's love shows us how amazing He is and how awesome a gift His love is. Paul Washer's books are by far and away the best books on the topic of the gospel. Not a page goes by without a Bible verse and a gem of a thought by Washer. I started underlining all the amazing portions of this book and I found I was underlining everything. I will come back to this book over and over again as I teach those around me about the gospel, as I try to live out the gospel and finally as I lay down at night and the dark doubts attack me, I will rest in the truths that his books have brought to life that were always there in the Bible, but I was too immature and blind to see.

This book is broken into two parts. Part one deals with how to know that we are saved, the assurance of our salvation. This is where Washer is really shows his skill as an expositor. He takes 1 John and walks us through what it means to be an assured follower of Christ. He blasts those who have "prayed a prayer" thus they are saved, as well as those who have "put their stamp of approval" on anyone who believes the magical prayer actually is the end of the gospel. He attacks the thought that the gospel is something for new Christians and that we move past it as we mature. Instead he points out that the gospel is all of what it means to be a Christian. He does all this while giving some great insight into 1 John. If I ever preach through 1 John I will surely use this book as a key part of my teaching. Part two deals with warnings for those who would change the gospel into easy believism. Washer walks through key portions on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew's account of it) to explain Jesus' warnings for those who change His gospel. His chapter entitled ​Gospel Reductionism​ is the most powerful and moving chapter as he lays out how many in the church, yours truly included, have changed the gospel into something it is not. This part was also very well done, and I was moved by each chapter. Convicted about my attitude toward the gospel (both in the past and the present) and humbled by Washer's plain talk about the Bible and his encyclopedic knowledge of our Lord's Word.

This book is a book I will reread over and over again. If you are passionate about following God's Word and setting out a correct picture of the gospel then you need to purchase this book. And while you are at it buy the other two books too.

Five stars (only because I can't give it six)

[Mike Knox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary

This appears to be the third book written in the author’s Recovering the Gospel series. The book is divided into two parts, the first on biblical assurance, and the second on gospel warnings.

The author situates his topic as matter of heaven or hell. He is concerned about a doctrine of easy believism that “opens the door for carnal and unregenerate people to find assurance of salvation by looking to the apparent sincerity of their past decision to accept Christ, even though their manner of living contradicts such a profession,” (loc 219). “Contemporary evangelicalism,” he states, “has been grossly affected by a ‘once saved always saved’ teaching that argues for the possibility of salvation apart from sanctification,” (loc 1793).

In the first part he goes through the numerous tests given in 1 John to examine ourselves to see if our profession in genuine. Tests such as whether we walk in the light, confess sin, keep God’s commandments, etc (there is a helpful summary list given at the end of Part One [locs 2911-2]).

If Part One primarily focuses on 1 John, Part Two goes through the conclusion to Jesus’s famous Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:13-27. Here we learn that today’s preacher, like the Lord Jesus himself, must give his listeners gospel warnings as well as gospel promises, and that “the idea that it is easy to be saved is totally foreign to the Scriptures,” (loc 3281). “It seems that the evangelical community no longer views conversion primarily as a supernatural work of God wrought through the miracle of the new birth” (loc 4277).

Evaluation

I agree with Washer’s overall message in the book. A changing life and submission the Lordship of Christ are not optional for the true Christian.

I also agree with him on interpretation of specific texts. He rightly interprets the distinction in 1 John 1:5-7 as being between those who are converted and those who are not. And in Matthew 25.31-46 the hungry, homeless, and naked are indeed “believers who are suffering for the sake of a good conscience before God and their loyalty to Christ,” (loc 1268).

But I do have some criticisms of the book. While I can appreciate that the author is dealing with somber truths, the book’s style does come across as repetitious (perhaps because it’s based on a collection of sermons [loc 51]) and a trifle pedantic.

Moreover there is repeated mention of the ills and shortcomings of evangelicalism. I completely agree with Washer’s assessment, but that didn’t stop me from wondering if he could have achieved the same effect with less recourse to the familiar “modern evangelicalism” refrain. This plus a few more positive and energetic appeals to the transforming power of the gospel would have gone a long way to fulfilling the author’s hope: that in his book readers would “rediscover the gospel in all its beauty, scandal, and saving power” (loc 111).

[Mazzou B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third book in the author's 'Recovering the Gospel' series is full of Biblically-sound truths! Chapter after chapter, I was amazed at the soundness and depth of doctrine. This book covers the entire doctrine of salvation, making it a must-read for all. Whether an unbeliever or a saved person, and whatever point you might be in in your seeking salvation, or living out your faith, this book is important to read. As many know, Paul Washer is a wonderful evangelist. He understands the true doctrine of saving faith, and he also shows Jesus' love to people!
I quote the author:
''How is it impossible for a person to have an encounter with even the smallest vehicle without being dramatically changed, and yet it is possible to have an encounter with the living God without even so much as a dent or a paint scrape on a person's character? How is it that so many people claim to have had an encounter with God, yet show so little evidence to back their claim?'' (chapt. 18)

Personally, this was one of the most impacting (no pun intended) quotes from Paul Washer. This goes for those in conservative groups as well! And you can't blame everything on ''sanctification''. I encourage everyone to examine his heart while reading this book.

Another example of the wisdom this book is full of...
Christianity is not about us trying to be something that we are not. Although doing righteousness is still contrary to our fallen flesh, it is not contrary to our new natures or adverse to our affections. (Galatians 5:17) We are new creations, recreated in the image of God in our true righteousness and holiness. We do righteousness because we love righteousness and loathe ourselves when we deviate from it. Although our complete transformation will be consummated at the resurrection, it began on the day of our conversion. Through the new birth, we became new creatures in the fullest sense of the term. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Paul Washer in Gospel Assurance and Warnings chapter 18

I hate to be even slightly negative about such a fundamental work, but I will warn you that it takes some time to get through. Personally, I felt like each chapter could have been published as a separate book! That is how thorough Gospel Assurance and Warnings is.
In short, this book is a wonderful book for any individual or family. I suggest reading each chapter slowly, taking time to really meditate on the Biblical truths contained. Everything in this book is based completely on the Bible. Paul Washer doesn't add his own opinions or unusual ideas.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review! Thank you.

[Doug Hibbard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today’s Book is the next in the Recovering the Gospel series by Paul Washer. The book is published by Reformation Heritage Books and was provided through Cross-Focused Reviews. No requirement for a favorable review was made. This review first appeared at my personal blog and the opinions are entirely my own.

The term “Gospel” is everywhere in modern Christian writings. This brings us a great question: “What is ‘the Gospel,’ then?” Paul Washer’s Recovering the Gospel Series is intended to answer that question. Gospel Assurance and Warnings is the third volume in the set, dealing with the implications of the Gospel in a person’s life.

Rather than even attempt to treat with Washer’s theological writing here, I’ll offer just a few thoughts on the text in general. Certainly, you can see a few other reviews that deal with the in-depth issues.

First, you should know that Washer approaches theology from a Reformed point of view. This is, after all, published by Reformation Heritage Books. If you come from a different view of Christian theology, I would suggest starting with the first volume, The Gospel’s Power and Message. That volume provides a better explanation of Washer’s viewpoint.

Second, Washer’s writing style is dense. There’s not any diversionary words or topics here. You’re going to encounter big words and heavy theological structures. You’re also going to need a Bible to clear the references.

Third, Washer is very direct. If you have never encountered Washer as a preacher, you may not realize this. It’s not that he’s wrong. He’s just not fluffy. Washer’s writing in Gospel Assurance and Warnings matches that characteristic behavior.

Now, subject matter:

Washer is concerned here with the same concepts that Dietrich Bonhoeffer dealt with in Discipleship and others have in other works. When salvation is by grace, there is a risk that people may misuse that grace. What does that tell us?

Are those people truly saved?

What of those who struggle, as we learn the Word of God? We learn more and more of our sinfulness. Can we be certain of our salvation?

Washer explains his answers to these two questions. The first is that those who abuse grace are not partakers in it. The second is that grace is our assurance, and the power of God our certainty.

Of course, you really need a bit more explanation. That’s what the book is for.

I wouldn’t suggest handing this book off to just anyone. The reading is challenging, and the assumptions require a prior grasp of Christianity and the Bible. However, as you are digging deeper into theology, this is a useful book on the shelf.

[Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gospel Assurances & Warnings by Paul Washer, the third book in his series “Recovering the Gospel,” is a helpful read for any Christian seeking to find which spiritual fruits they are or aren’t producing in their life. Washer dives deep into a multitude of areas, probing behavior and thought attempting to discern genuine vs. artificial faith, and the production of fruit or the lack thereof. Readers can’t go wrong with 200 pages of in-depth analysis and thinking of New Testament theology, as readers will find no lack of information in this book.
Three chapters which exemplify Washer’s critical thinking ability are “Imitating Christ,” “Confessing Christ,” and “Gospel Reductionism.” The chapter on imitating Christ is located within the first part of the book called “Bible Assurance.” This chapter is centered on 1 John 2:5-6, dealing with the call for Christians to walk just as Jesus walked. “Confessing Christ” is in the first part of the book as well, and it strives to show the reader a full and complete view of Christ. Lastly, “Gospel Reductionism” is within the second part of the book called, “Gospel Warnings, or Warnings to Empty Confessors,” in which Washer weighs the potential risk in gospel-track evangelism and strategies that over simplify the gospel.
Although I would definitely recommend this book to any Christian looking to grow and to think seriously about their faith, I would recommend some caution as well. First of all, use this book as a means to encourage you for the good work you already have been doing as a Christian. We may be flawed, but I have found that Christians too often neglect necessary self-praise in fear they will seem “prideful.” Secondly, under no circumstance should you use this book to decide if someone you know is saved or not. That is harmful and out-of-bounds, as salvation is a matter of the heart, and God is the one who searches hearts.

I received this book for free from Reformation Heritage Books via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gospel Assurance and Warnings by Paul Washer is the third book in the Recovering the Gospel series. Driven by his stewardship to spread the Gospel, Mr. Washer states that he wrote this book to combat the watered-down Gospel prevalent in today's evangelical world. He gives a clear Gospel presentation and identifies the errors propounded by preachers that produce false converts.

Mr. Washer is very well-versed in biblical doctrine and profusely cites Scripture to support his statements. His writing style is easy to read, and he correctly looks to the Bible as his main source. I found his work refreshingly sound and applicable to the Christian life. The author rightly points out that "the Scriptures call upon us to test ourselves to determine whether we are truly Christian." In order to help the Christians examine themselves, Mr. Washer expounds the book of 1 John which was written so that "those who believe in Jesus Christ might possess a great assurance that they have eternal life."

Mr. Washer boldly proclaims that "assurance of salvation is not merely based upon what a person says or feels but upon the practical evidence of a changed and changing life." He also provokes the Christian with the truth of God's word: "As it is impossible for the unconverted to live a life that is pleasing unto God, it is equally impossible for a Christian to live a life of unbroken rebellion and fruitlessness before God." The Christian who has "found a way to hold onto enough of the world to satisfy their flesh and to embrace enough Christianity to soothe their conscience" needs to read this book.

I highly, highly recommend this book and encourage all who profess faith in Jesus Christ to read it. Paul Washer justifiably notes that in 1 John, "John's boldness is a bit overwhelming to the modern ear that has grown accustomed to smoother speech." But even so, we are further admonished by the Apostle: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," (Rev. 3:22). This book will help all Christians rightly divide God's word to test whether or not they are of the Christian faith.

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many important warnings and tests in this book, on target, and with hope for the struggling. Nevertheless, it was not an easy read for me. My sins were called out in detail, and I could hardly determine whether I have the love and faith of God in me. Yet in the end I was encouraged, though convicted, and more concerned for the lost. This is a book everyone should read. Was it perfect? Probably not, as humans never are, but much of it was directly from God's Word, and thus to be carefully, seriously considered. The part about striving for God (or the violent taking it by force) was, in my mind, a somewhat questionable interpretation, but in general I think true. There are various cases in which God has worked on a person suddenly (like the apostle Paul), and the author admitted that, but this part seemed to deny the sudden, unsought conversion (probably unintentionally). Overall it was very good.

I was given a complimentary copy of the book by Cross Focused Reviews, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Brad Herrmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pros: strong warnings to examine yourself to make sure you are a true believer
Faith without works is dead. He emphasized that praying a prayer does not make you a true believer. But your works will be evidence of your salvation
Cons: while I agree with the truths presented I think the emphasis is off. Assurance is partially tied to the evidence of salvation in our lives but it can lead to constant worrying if the focus is only on our own walks. There was no emphasis of looking to the promises of God for his people. Someone may not have all the fruit that he desires to have but knows he’s a different man now bc of the saving work of Christ. And knows He will continue to work in his life. That ought to be a strong basis for his assurance.

[Alex Houston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review here:

http://reformed-at-last.blogspot.com/...