Do I Know God?: Finding Certainty in Life's Most Important Relationship

by Tullian Tchividjian

Book Overview

As the grandson of Billy and Ruth Bell Graham, Tullian Tchividjian grew up hearing the Christian faith preached to millions. Yet he struggled to come to faith personally. His first book, Do I Know... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590529367
• ISBN13: 9781590529362
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Multnomah Books
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

biblical, engaging primer on assurance of salvation

The Apostle John wrote his first epistle to Christians ("you who believe in the name of the Son of God"). And why did John write? "That you may know that you have eternal life" (I John 5:13). While God delights to grant assurance of salvation to His children, we're also told that assurance is a blessing that each Christian is to earnestly seek (II Peter 1:10). And in thinking about assurance of salvation we must inevitably consider questions like: Is certainty possible in this area? What does it mean to truly know God? Is it possible to be "sure" I know God, and yet be deceived? How does being saved by grace relate to doing good works? What I found particularly helpful about Do I Know God? by Tullian Tchividjian (pastor of New City Presbyterian Church in south Florida) is that it powerfully addresses these questions in an engaging, relational tone (including apt illustrations from Tchividjian's own life) while also explaining the gospel. All in a book that's less than 200 pages long. For example, Tchividjian walks us through his own conversion at the age of 19 and then later devotes a chapter to explaining the relationship between saving faith and good works. He helps the reader understand the crucial difference between working for salvation (trying to earn God's favor by right living) and working out salvation (progressively, increasingly obeying God through faith as the necessary and inevitable outworking of having had our hearts transformed such that we've embraced Jesus Christ as our Savior, Lord, and Treasure). Consequently, it is the sort of book that is simultaneously useful for Christians and those still exploring the faith. In addressing assurance, Tchividjian does a good job balancing the importance of belief in God's promises, internal evidence of salvation (affections for God), and external evidence (increasing obedience, i.e., progressive sanctification). He also explains how to maintain assurance when God seems most absent. In short, I commend this book, particularly to younger Christians or those who are investigating Christianity.

Clear, reader-friendly, biblically-sound...

This young pastor and author--who happens to be the grandson of Billy Graham--has written a clear, reader-friendly and biblically sound discussion of how you can have the assurance of your salvation. Based solidly on God's Word, the book is laced with absorbing true-life anecdotes and vital quotes from leading theologians and thinkers. Tullian Tchividjian has a rare gift--maybe it's hereditary?--of being able to communicate and connect with his readers while being confidently grounded and pleasantly personable at the same time. I have no doubt we'll be hearing more from him.

Solidly Biblical and very pastoral book on Assurance

I just read this book over thanksgiving weekend. great book. Tullian does a great job explaining how praying the sinner's prayer, making a decision, being religious, being spiritual, doing good works, and having 'faith' all don't necessarily imply that you really KNOW Jesus. He makes the point that desiring Him in your heart, living a changed life, and trusting in His faithfulness are 3 key areas that we look for assurance that we've really been born again. But the best and most helpful chapter in the book is probably chapter 10 - "Knowing God in the dark night." It's all about those 'dry' seasons where we just don't feel His presence (and sometimes begin to wonder if we really know Him). Tullian makes the great pt that if you ache for His presence, that's an evidence that we DO have a relationship with Him. overall great book for anyone struggling with assurance. I wasn't even struggling with assurance when I picked it up and it still helped tremendously. Praise be to God for His saving and assuring Grace.

Simply stated, profound and backed by scripture

I appreciate the easy to understand writing style of Tullian. So simple a child could understand and yet written with deep godly wisdom. Tullian doesn't pull his punches, he smacks you right between the eyes and at the same time he conveys the love, grace and mercy God has for his fallen children. I read this book because I thought to give it to a loved one who has drifted away from the Lord. However what I found is a book that has challenged me to a more intimate walk with my Savior. Whether you faithfully attend church or never attend this is a book that can change your life. I will be keeping this copy and I'm ordering several more. I highly recommend this insightful book that has been obviously written by a man who has stood on both sides of the fence and now stands as a witness to the power of God to transform a broken life to one that is whole and new in Christ.

To the amazed "many" who will hear Jesus say, "I never knew you, depart from Me."

Everyone who has agonized over Matthew 7:22ff, (where Jesus predicts that many will say to Him, in that Day, that they were certainly expecting His welcome, but were wrong), will want to read Tullian's careful Biblical study of the question, "Do I Know God.?" Hopefully many of those that answer that question with an emphatic affirmative will read the book. The presentation is interesting; relying on personal anecdotes making the profound exposition most readable. The footnoted quotations, supporting the logical progression of Tullian's ideas will be invaluable to those asked by others for help with this question. The strong endorsements of J.I. Packer, Ravi Zacharias, Os Guiness, and Tullian's grandfather, Billy Graham commend this book to all of us that care about our personal answer to the Title question.