I realize it is shocking that I would be reading a book by John Piper, but this one has novel merit for me as a pastor. The term "born again" has lost its weight and that loss has done violence to the Gospel leaving some to believe they have crossed over from death to life when they have not. Consider the following quotes from the Introduction;
"I'm not saying their [the Barna Group on the indistinguishable qualities of "born again" believers from their non-believing counterparts] research is wrong. It appears to be appallingly right. I am not saying that the church is not as worldly as they say it is. I am saying that the writers of the New Testament think in exactly the opposite direction about being born again. Instead of moving from a profession of faith to the label born again, to the worldliness of these so-called born again people, to the conclusion that the new birth does not radically change people, the New Testament moves in the other direction.
It moves from the absolute certainty that the new birth radically changes people, to the observation that many professing Christians are indeed not radically changed, to the conclusion that they are not born again." (see 1 John 2:29, 3:9, 4:7, 5:4 and 5:18)
...
"Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:7, "You must be born again." Not "I suggest it," or "Your life would improve if you added this experience." Why is it that "unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3)? This is one of the great reasons for pursuing a right knowledge of the new birth. Until we realize that we must be born again, and why we must be born again, we probably will not realize what our condition really is without salvation."
Finally,
a full review by Tim Challies.
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