Gospel Assurance and Warnings (Recovering the Gospel)

One of the quintessential issues in the Church today is the issue of sanctification, specifically assurance. Many Christians struggle their entire Christian lives with knowing whether they are saved and continually feel the need to “accept” Jesus into their hearts. Still others wrestle with a variety of issues such as besetting sins which lead them to question their assurance. Thankfully a new book Gospel Assurance and Warnings by Paul Washer has come out that seeks to help Christians understand the foundation for the Christians assurance and to examine themselves in light of Scriptures teaching.The bulk of Washer’s book examines 1st John. The book of 1st John Washer rightly notes contains a great deal of teaching on how the Christian can have assurance of their salvation. As Washer draws out the teaching of 1st John, he does so with a view to point Christians to the truth of the gospel contained in the Apostle John’s teaching. 1 John is a very important book for a number of reasons but as Washer shows, it is important especially at this point because it helps Christians to have a standard to examine themselves to see if they have evidence from God’s Word that they have been born again.Often times examining oneself to see if they are in the faith is taken as some sort of call to be morbidly introspective. Rather than this call, the call to examine oneself to see if they are in the faith is actually a call to provoke the true Christian to love and good deeds. Washer surgically takes up his scalpel called the Word of God and rightly applies the gospel’s cure in the sufficiency of Christ. Christians who struggle with assurance of salvation need to hear the message of the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ in and over all things. This is the message of the Epistle of Hebrews with its message of the sufficiency of Jesus. In Washer’s able and gospel-guided hands, he helps the reader not only understand what the Apostle John teaches, but also what the Bible declares about the foundation for the Christian’s assurance.While part one of this book is excellent, part two may be even better. Here Washer takes the reader into Matthew 7 engaging some of Jesus’ hardest teaching. Here the Christian will be challenged to see that it is not anything they do that merits their salvation. As Washer sweeps away self-righteousness and much more, the reader is once again shown what Jesus is really teaching. The one surprising part of this book is the author never considered at length the warning passages in Hebrew. While I understand the difficulty of the passages in Hebrews having spent more than a year studying it personally as well in seminary, this surprised me. After reflecting on this though, I agree with how Washer handled this topic, choosing instead to go directly to Jesus’ difficult teaching on this subject. Salvation is by grace alone in Christ alone but the work of grace should compel the Christian to do good works. When one understands there is no quandary between the teaching of Jesus, Paul and James on this topic, they will begin to better understand how justification flows into sanctification and how the Christian life as Martin Luther once said is one of ongoing repentance.The warning passages in Jesus’ teaching and in Hebrews are meant to stir the Christian to examine oneself in light of the gospel. While many teachers throughout the history of the Church have gotten this wrong, the Reformers who followed the teaching of Scripture were not. As Washer explores this topic, he follows the teaching of Scripture and the Reformers very closely with a view to help the reader seriously consider what evidence they have for calling themselves a Christian. In a culture where easy-believism is all the rage, there needs to be balance. Washer, in his book Gospel Assurance and Warnings has masterfully struck the balance of Scripture, pastoral reflection, and the teaching of the Church throughout her history.While the issue of assurance won’t go away anytime soon, Gospel Assurance and Warning by Paul Washer is an important book. It’s important because it challenges Christians right where we need to be challenged, namely with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. While the warning passages in the New Testament are often neutered, Washer brings them alive with biblical and pastoral insight. The warning passages in Hebrews and other challenging passages in the New Testament ought to increase the assurance of the Christian’s salvation. Such passages cause the Christian to reflect on the work of God’s grace in their lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. I highly recommend this book and pray the Lord uses it to awaken a slumbering and apathetic generation to the glory and excellencies of the gospel, including its warnings, for His glory.

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)

Paul Washer’s “Gospel Assurance and Warnings” provides both encouragement and caution for Christians, helping those who seek true assurance of salvation while challenging those who may be resting on a false sense of security. The book calls believers to a faith that is deeply rooted in Christ, producing visible evidence of salvation. It promotes a thoughtful, balanced approach to assurance, grounded in God’s promises, while warning against any misplaced confidence that could lead to complacency or self-deception.