This is an excellent exposition on why the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. ( )

http://thelittlemaninchina.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/book-review-jesus-the-only-w... ( )

I read this book in just a few hours. It is not an entertaining read, but a dense apologetic for the exclusivity of faith in Jesus for salvation. This book is a timely word in the Hell debate, but it is more than that.
Piper is unapologetic in his defense of not only the doctrine of hell, but also of the necessity of faith in Christ, and the implications for missions. Piper is not afraid to call out his heroes, such as George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis and John Stott. Nor does he neglect to engage modern theologians like Boyd, Pinnock and Erickson.
If you believe the Bible, you will be helped qby reading this book. If you don't believe the Bible, you will not like this book very much.
For Believers, you should be motivated to make Him known. ( )

I picked this up as an afterward to reading Rob Bell's new book Love Wins because Piper kept saying how this is what is needed. I found it similar to having a tooth pulled - painful and needing to be over as soon as possible.
What follows is a very biased review....
Honestly, Bell and Piper are speaking to different audiences and intentions and to compare the two does a disservice to both. BUT.... I'll just list my dislikes....
Piper states at the beginning this is to bolster missionaries in the field spreading the word of Jesus. In some twisted sense he makes his case, but it is from the reference point of control, fear, and preaching to the choir. He makes broad generalizations as if the whole church thinks this way, which it doesn't. He also makes statements about the historic Christian church, while ignoring Christian history that would counter his argument that these held beliefs have been there always. His use of scripture is rapid fire machine gun effect, which sorely needs some good exegesis around each reference.
Please note my critique is not against Piper himself (that would be another post) but my reaction to his book. It comes from an extreme Calvinistic approach with very little room for grace, and I found myself constantly reading it and thinking I'm no longer there..... stuck in the need to force...
I do have one more major critique with his argument, which I'll just leave it with babies burning in hell. No, thanks Piper.
I'm off to read Love Wins again. ( )

This is a small book that I recently finished reading after recieving courtesy of Revell A Division of Baker Publishing Group. It far more significant and weightier in content than its size. It takes as its task to answer a question of the upmost importance as the book and subtitle read is Jesus: The Only Way to God: Must You Hear the Gospel to be Saved? by John Piper. This book is an excellent defense of the exclusivity of the nature of the saving Gospel of Christ.

The question ask must you hear the gospel to be saved? Piper answers with a firm resounding yes! Reaffirming Jesus words in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except by Me.” That one must trust in Christ alone for salvation is the necessary truth since Christ alone through his atoning death and resurrection was the penal substitution for sins

Piper’s main complaint is against those within Christianity who have been advocating an inclusive gospel that states some may be saved by Christ who have never heard of him but they appear to respond positively to the light they have received.

He discusses alternative popular beliefs among Christians: (1) Universalism–the belief that everyone will be saved eventually and that hell (if it exists) will lead to repentance and salvation; (2) Annihilationism–the belief that at death, if one is not saved, one just ceases to exist and experiences no torment or punishment instead of an eternity of suffering into hell; (3) Pluralism–the belief that many different religions can lead to God; and (4) Inclusivism–the belief that Jesus died to save everyone, and even those who have never heard of Him will be saved. It reiterates though that there is salvation for men in no other name (Acts 4:12).

Piper develops his argument by breaking it down into three questions that he answers yes to. (1) Is there an eternal hell of conscious torment to be rescued from? (2) Is the death and resurrection of Christ essential for that rescue? (3) Do people need to hear this good new and believe it in order to be rescued? Since the Biblical answer to all these questions is a definite yes, then the Christ loving response is to tell people the Gospel truth. Piper uses the text of Scripture to explain and support the truths that historical Christianity has affirmed. I see this book as a mandatory read for anyone concerned about the state of the church, orthodoxy, and evangelism. Get it…Read it. ( )