Allen writes with a love that comes from his head as well as his heart about how the Christian life extends into every area of our existence. Containing chapters about the gospel and marriage, money, work, rest, the church, and more, Being a Christian is equal parts convicting and encouraging.

We know that the gospel has the power unto salvation, but what other effect does the gospel have upon our life? That is the subject of the new book by Dr. Jason K. Allen entitled Being a Christian: How Jesus Redeems All of Life. This book of 160 pages published by B & H Books is a very helpful book to show us how the Christian life can be lived out in practical ways when it comes to your past, your marriage, your family, your time, your money, your work, your recreation, your mind, and your church.
As I was reading this book, I could help but think how this could be a useful discipleship tool for someone to use with a young Christian. It could be used in a mentor/mentee situation or a small group to help that Christian learn how this new life can be lived out. I remember how it took me years to understand what the Lord wanted of me in those areas of my life which are covered in this book.
With that in mind, I do recommend this book to you today. I would suggest that you read it first for yourself. It will challenge in you in the different areas of your own life. Then, I would suggest that you pick up a copy for somebody that you are discipling and bring them through it as well. See how God wishes to redeem all of us.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

What attracted me the most to this book was the title itself. I find it interesting how we as Christians ask ourselves how to be Christians. We claim to know the gospel, but don't always apply it. We, sometimes, compartmentalize the gospel and don't apply over our entire life. Jesus didn't come to earth to save and redeem us partially. No, He came to redeem us fully -- in all aspects of our lives. This book really dives deep into how the gospel should be applied to every part of our being. It gives practical tips on how to live life as a Christian in this day and age. I enjoyed and think it would be an awesome book for a group study.

Jason Allen's new book, Being a Christian, is a very helpful resource, especially in discipling new believers. Allen looks at how the Gospel intersects with various areas of a Christian's life. Allen does a good job at making this book very readable and accessible, keeping things on the bottom shelf so that everyone can get something. Due to the nature of this book, it's not very in-depth in any particular area, but it can serve as a good overview of what it means to live out the Gospel in everyday life.

I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are entirely my own.

I'm giving it 3 stars not because there was anything wrong in it, but because the information contained in it and topics have already been addressed hundreds of times and I dont see the point of adding another book to the list of books that exist.

The author addresses the Christian's relation to things such as money, church, family, wife, work, mind, etc. All of it was easy to read, and would be useful for a new Christian, but it is not a book that I would use for growth.

This short book is a helpful look into what it means to be a Christian. Highlighting the major areas of life (such as marriage, family, finances, work, etc.), Jason Allen gives the reader a preview of a gospel-centered life. A Christian who has truly encountered Jesus does not live the same way with a little Jesus sprinkled here and there. Rather, Jesus changes the way a Christian views and behaves in the world. There is no doubt that Allen knows the power of the gospel and I do not disagree with the scope of this book. However, it seems so brief as to barely be helpful. Allen takes a shotgun approach to a gospel-centered life in such as way as to merely wet the taste buds. It is like eating an appetizer when you were hoping for a meal. It is good, but not filling. He does offer many practical pieces of advice, but there are so many in passing that it is difficult to hone in on any but a few. This book is definitely useful for the brand new believer or immature Christian who has never gotten past conversion, but not much beyond that. I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There is a fine line between a faith by works and a faith that works. With the influence of sin, we have the propensity to take a good thing and turn it into an obligatory action. I daresay that we have the ability to do that with faith. We confuse sanctification and justification. Jason Allen, President of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary draws forth from Scripture to present a book that is quick to make a clear distinction.
In reality, Dr. Allen has done one thing: drawn from the gospel and applied it to everyday life. To do this, the book is designed around ten topics of the Christian life, explaining how the gospel impacts a Christian’s behavior in each area. Those areas are exactly what you would expect, such as marriage, family, time, money, work, recreation, the mind, and the church. There are no surprises here as the author simply tackles each aspect and draws forth biblical principles.
Because there are no surprises, reading Being A Christian is straightforward and simplistic. While there are sometimes notions that readers will be challenged with, the most problematic part of the book is not the book itself, but the conviction that it will generate. Thus, the true effect of the book comes from the reader when he or she evaluates his or her own life in light of the biblical principles being presented. Allen is straightforward when he discusses our need to cultivate a biblical worldview, need to be involved in a local church, or the need to be involved in family discipleship. In our imperfect state, it can be expected that you will be just as challenged by it as I was.
Perhaps such a notion will turn many readers away from the book. After all, very few of us enjoy being confronted about our sin. Yet, the author never writes from an emphasis of condemnation. In fact, he does quite the opposite and creates hope in readers because it places one’s view on the hope that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. To share with you my own personal response, I emerged from my reading of the book with joy at the fact that I can experience the Lord Jesus Christ, and in that experience I do not have to be content with my failures, but instead live in the victory that is Jesus Christ for the glory of God.
At times he may shock readers with his comments, noting things like God needs to trust us and our stewardship of money is a way in which that can be demonstrated (see chapter six) or with his explanation that work is not the result of sin, but only that sin transformed work from a blessing to a curse (see chapter seven). So while he teaches about the Christian life, he intertwines pieces of theology so that it there is understanding combined with a heart attitude.
Being A Christian is quite the book and one that demands our attention. There is one caveat though: it’s not a book for unbelievers; as Allen notes, “You will not be able to live the Christian life unless you are a Christian.” Therefore, read the book and be encouraged to examine yourself and to be encouraged to live the gospel.
To purchase a copy of this book, click here. Tip: If you have a Kindle, the book is especially reasonably priced.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purposes of review. However, the review was not influenced in any way by the author, publisher, or anyone else associated with the book and is the response of my own reading to it.

Really like the aspect of this book and though I didn’t agree with all of it, I think there was a lot of beneficial insight.

Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has the heart of a pastor and a passion to train pastors. In his new book, Being a Christian: How Jesus Redeems All of Life, Allen calls his readers to "discover that Christianity is not relegated to a couple 'spiritual' activities a week, but . . . the gospel invades our work, our leisure, our errands, and our families."



Allen covers marriage, family, time, money, work, recreation, your mind, and church life. Using plenty of scripture, Allen describes how life in Christ will transform each of these areas. Further, the overarching theme is that true Christianity will be marked by transformation in each area. As John MacArthur writes in the introduction, "A Christian who is not experiencing growth in grace is a living contradiction."



The bottom line is this: "The secret to the Christian life is: there's really no secret. It is simply loving, and intentionally living, for Jesus. We apply the gospel to every area of our lives. We bring the Scripture to bear on every aspect of our lives. We submit every area of our lives to Christ and his lordship."



Being a Christian is suitable for Christians at any stage. After all, doesn't every believer need a little reminder every now and then? It reminded me of a sermon series on the basic Christian life, or Sunday school curricula for the "Christian Faith 101" class. In fact, that's about the level of the writing. It's simplistic and plain vanilla, but that means the reader has no excuse for understanding the message and taking steps to apply it to his or her life! So whether you became a Christian last week or last millennium, pick up Being a Christian and let Jesus transform every area of your life.





Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

This was an excellent book full of encouraging reminders of how Christ has redeemed every aspect of our lives. That was my biggest takeaway. As a Christian, my entire life is all about Christ. There is not one part of it that he hasn't touched. This was a much-needed reminder in our world full of distractions.

Jason Allen is currently the president of Midwestern Baptist Theogical Seminary. Dr. Allen is insightful and passionate about the Gospel. In this book he provides tangible examples and analogies that showcase how the Gospel is at work in our everyday lives. The examples Dr. Allen portrays are relevant to everyone, and the supporting references are Biblically sound and derived directly from scripture. Most of the Biblical references are taken from the new CSB translation.

This book examines how the Gospel relates to and inserts itself into every facet of your life, from the womb to present day and everything in between. Topics covered are marriage and family, money, vocation and recreation, your thoughts and actions, your church, and every other aspect of your daily life. The Greatest Commandment and the Great Commission are emphasized, as well as the importance of worshipping with a local church.

I highly recommend this book to all Christians, as well as anyone wanting a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian. This would also be an excellent resource to include in a new member curriculum or as a gift for a new believer. I received this as a free ARC from B&H Publishing on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.