A Brief Note On Cj Mahaney Was Saved By Redeeming Grace

Biographical Information In 1972, CJ Mahaney was saved by redeeming grace. Before this, he was a ridiculer of the faith, and was in total rebellion against God. A few years after his transformation, he became a pastor of a church. He has been a pastor at that same church since 1977. Besides his pastoral history, Mahaney is also very well educated with Christian literature. He often quotes many other authors, and even says at one point that he enjoys reading books about Christ. Mahaney is also very aware of his sinful nature, and that he is destined for Hell, but saved by Christ’s death on the cross. Because of these things, he is very qualified to write this book. Summary of Contents Mahaney starts his book by making the reader think.†¦show more content†¦The regular reminders of my past are precious to me. Why? Because, like Paul, I never want to forget the great mercy shown to me† (28). Mahaney is saying that he does not want to live in the past, but that knowing what he was saved from makes him appreciate God’s sovereign grace that much more. Believers are challenged to put away feelings when it comes to the gospel. He specifically says, â€Å"Our feelings simply cannot be trusted† (33). If believers rely too much on their feelings, they are likely to skip over parts of the gospel that hurt their feelings, or that make them feel uncomfortable. Mahaney says this is a problem. God should come before our feelings, not the other way around. To trust God over feelings, believers should â€Å"believe the truth regardless of how we feel† (36). Mahaney talks about how people tend to listen to themselves. This cr eates problems because humans are sinful and not always wise. To fix this problem, people should listen to the gospel, not themselves: â€Å"The gospel is objective fact† (40). Mahaney goes on to talk about how sacred is the cross is, but how secularized it has become in such ways as being worn as jewelry. Mahaney challenges that the cross will not be fully understood by believers, but that they should understand that is was not a pretty site, that â€Å"it’s about ‘our griefs’ ‘our sorrows’ ‘our transgressions’ ‘our inequities’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (53). All mankind is evil and sinful. God cannot just pretend