The Almost Christian Discovered

Matthew Mead guides Christians who wish to know whether they have taken the spiritual and emotional steps necessary to attain conversion to the faith. Mead takes a multi-faceted approach to conversion; the journey of Christians varies in length, some must walk far and do much to enter the faith. Many must try for successive years, held back by personal circumstances or persistent shortfalls of character. What keeps a person 'almost Christian' is discussed at length, with examples given of those who frequently come close, but do not quite make it and become true believers in the Lord. The central pillar of Christian belief is the admission that Christ is the keystone to all salvation; there can be no half-measures in this. Another common pitfall is refusing to accept aspects of Christ's divinity, or his prophecies or his being the Son of God. Refusing to give up a sin, be it one of pride, lust or weak will, is another trait that keeps a believer 'almost Christian'. Writing in the mid-17th century, Mead was part of the Puritan movement, working as an educator and lecturer on religious topics. He worked at multiple churches in England and in Holland, and was affiliated to the east London borough of Stepney for most of his life.

Today, many who profess Christianity ask "How close to the world can I get and still be a Christian?" In 'The Almost Christian Discovered,' Puritan author Matthew Mead shows from Biblical examples just how close one can get to Christ and still NOT be a Christian. Mead takes example after example of people who demonstrated great signs of spiritual life but were never truly converted to Christ or as he puts it be "an almost Christian". Each example is taken from Scripture. For example, Mead shows us that one can have great and eminent spiritual gifts such as healing, cleansing and casting out demons but not be a Christian. Certainly this describes Judas. Like the other apostles, Judas is sent out in Matthew 10:7-8 to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Yet, Judas was not saved. Other topics covered by Mead include the possibility of having great hatred for sin and still being be an "almost Christian", or that some show great signs of repentance and are still "almost Christians." True to Puritan pastoral form there is also a section dealing with those who have an overly sensitive conscience. Mead desires to convict the hypocrite, not break the bruised reed. For a generation raised on grace, where everyone can claim to be "born again," his book offers much to ponder. It is a great book for home Bible study, discipleship class, Sunday school or for personal edification. It also makes a great gift for pastors or any serious student of theology. Mead's point: it is possible to be zealous for God and still miss heaven. His book helps expose this truth, together with ways to avoid such an eternal disaster.