Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart - Book Review

I just finished listening to the Christian Audio version of Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart by J.D. Greear.

I grew up in a home and church that held to the belief that "once saved, always saved..."  As I have gotten older, it isn't that I have rejected eternal security, but I knew, even when I was young, that the application of that wonderful truth wasn't being accurately applied.

Like J.D. Greear, I have also "asked Jesus into my heart" on multiple occasions. And also, like this author, I have been baptized more than once.  Reading the Bible for myself and finding so many scriptures dealing with genuine salvation radically changed my life.  But this new-found knowledge left me wondering about my assurance.  I mean, if you could, "call Lord, Lord..." but not enter into heaven (cf. Matthew 7:21-23), then how could one know for sure.  My whole life I had learned that knowing was about remembering a time and place where I "accepted Jesus" into my life, and when I doubted my salvation, the method of dealing with that doubt was to simply pray again, but this time I had to really mean it.  But then, how would you know if you really meant it? In this book, when J.D. Greear tells us to "stop asking Jesus into your heart," he is not attacking the phraseology, but is reconstructing a Biblical perspective on Salvation and the Assurance of that Salvation.

J.D. Greear is thoroughly Biblical in his approach to this topic. When you read, or listen to, this book, you are not going to get an ear-full of personal opinion on this topic.  It is a Biblical study on the topic.  Personally, this is my favorite type of book.  I don't want a bunch of personal thoughts on a topic, just tell me what the Bible says.  At the same time that I was able to enjoy the Biblical foundation of this book and the thoughts behind each teaching, I found that I did not have a difficult time understanding what he was talking about.  He had a great blend of personal stories and revelations that made the Biblical Study aspect of the book remain in the foundation, while the end result was a thoroughly enjoyable book to listen to (or read).

The voice talent on this audio book was Tom Parks.  I believe that this might be the first time I have heard his work. He did a great job reading through this book.