https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/gods-invitation-rest/ Accept God’s Invitation to Rest August 24, 2025 | Scott W. Kay © iStock.com/nullplus Share Post Email Advertise on TGC “It feels so nice to finally stop and catch my breath.” Can you remember the last time you had a moment like that? For some of us, it’s been a while. In our hard-working, highly productive culture, we can sometimes feel like exhausted swimmers swept downstream in a fast-moving river, fighting to keep our heads above water, gasping for air. We get up early and stay up late. We never waste a minute. Our schedule is full, running here, running there, running late, running to catch up, running on empty, until we collapse in utter exhaustion. Underneath the satisfaction of being hard-working, hard-playing people is a weariness that’s desperate for the pace to relent so we can rest and recharge. Deep down, we’re dying to slow down and take a break. We keep telling ours...
Introduction
Who is a real Christian? Who is a true Christian? How many people are there who are self-proclaimed Christians and seemingly Christians, but their faith is immature and they are so close to unbelievers? How many self-proclaimed Christians are there who have faith but are easily tempted and whose hearts are easily shaken, who are unfamiliar with the basic doctrines taught in the Bible, and who break the unity of the church by envying and bringing conflicts to the church? In particular, how many Christians are there in the church who rely on riches rather than God, who cast off restraint but trying to justify themselves? How many Christians are there who don’t obey God and do things in their own stubbornness, who don’t follow the Holy Spirit but sin after their own flesh, and who don’t keep the Word of God even though they have received it? How many hypocrites are there who come to church every Sunday and worship God with their lips in vain but they hearts are far away from Him? This is our reality and tragedy right now.
Now we Christians have lost our taste. We, who suppose to be the salt of the world, are not producing saltiness in this world. Now we have lost our ability to play a role in preventing corruption in this society. The reason is because we have lost the taste of the gospel. It is because we lost the sweet taste of the Word. Nevertheless, we Christians are not ashamed now. We are now shameless Christians. That's why we are being criticized by people all over the world. What should we do?
Recently as I was preparing my book called ‘Dating, Marriage, and Family’, I also prepared the series of my three books about ‘Church, Pastor, and Christian’. The manuscript has been compiled into three series: ‘A Church-like Church’, ‘A Pastor-like Pastor’, and ‘A Christian-like Christian’. Among those three books, I am grateful and glad to share with you the book ‘A Christian-like Christian.’ I renamed this book to “Lord, I Want to be a Christian” based on the hymn “Lord, I Want to be a Christian”. I hope and pray that those who read this book may be beneficial, at least a little bit, for them to be built as true Christians. May the hymn “Lord, I Want to be a Christian” verse 1 be our earnest prayers to God:
“Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart.”
In the Lord,
James Kim
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