What happens when…?
Peter Currie
Day One Publications; 155 pages, £6.00; ISBN: 978-184625-182-5
This aims to cover very concisely the pertinent foundations of the Christian life for new adult converts, or even unbelievers seeking the truth.
Each of the 14 chapters takes about five minutes to read through. They cover the following topics: conversion, assurance, evangelism, church involvement, temptation, confession and repentance, works and rewards, rest, faith and worry, spiritual progress, what happens after death and Christ’s Second Coming. There are also two appendices on the truth of the Bible and the nature of God.
The author is clearly a Reformed evangelical, passionate for people to receive the undeserved grace of God through repentance and faith in the cross of Jesus. Additionally, he has a great desire for faith to be grounded on God’s Word, so almost every sentence has a Bible reference to substantiate it; and, as a bonus, there are occasional examples from church history to illustrate some points.
There’s plenty of practical Christian wisdom here, e.g., ‘If you’re tired, go to bed early’; yet my highlight was the brief exploration of Romans 14:3-5, which is incredibly helpful for new Christians wondering how to handle disagreements with other Christians on disputable matters.
The book’s brevity rarely allows matters of first importance (e.g. the necessity of faith for salvation) to be distinguished from the few disputable matters that are covered (e.g. the identity of the antichrist) and the occasional point of dubious exegesis.
This reader was also mildly disappointed that foundational truths were relegated to mere appendices! Since this book is full of wise advice from a seasoned saint, I recommend its use to disciple people one-to-one or in small groups, but I’d be careful to steer clear of the little pitfalls mentioned above.
Ben Epps
Stevenage
