Many professing Christians are convinced that they are children of God, that they will go to heaven when they die. But they rarely ask themselves, “Is there a difference between those born of the flesh and those born of the Spirit of God? In this way,

Satan continues to deceive humankind as he first prevailed against Adam and Eve in the garden, causing them to be cast out of paradise. Based on more than 25 years of ongoing research, George Barna of the Barna Group identifies two segments of Christianity that differ by how they define a successful life. For “Captive Christians”, success is obedience to God, as demonstrated by consistently serving Christ and carrying out His commands and principles.

For “Casual Christians”, success is balancing everything exactly right so that they can maximize their opportunities and joys in life without undermining their perceived relationship with God and others.

This difference is not just a recent occurrence. As the religious fervor of the Great Awakening lessened following 1742, Jonathan Edwards, considered by many to be the foremost theologian in American history, realized that, in addition to those who are genuinely converted during such times, there are people whose lives change, but they never fundamentally become genuine believers.

This book synthesizes the thoughts of Jonathan Edwards about the distinguishing characteristics of genuine vs. counterfeit faith with my own thoughts about how what Edwards wrote is equally important for, and applicable today.

The overarching purpose is to challenge each reader to struggle with the question, “Am I a deceived hypocrite?” Our desire is to help each reader engage with critical points presented in each chapter, to use them to examine the genuineness of their own faith.