Walking A Christian Path by Graham Pockett - HTML preview

Preface

This book contains 26 articles on Christianity, written over many years. Some started out as answers to questions put to me by various people – from non-Christians, to Christians of various faiths and doctrines. Some wanted to attack my faith, others to question it. Some put forward their own interpretation of Scripture to question mine. Yes, and some even agreed with me!

I do not profess to be a theologian, but I am a student of Christianity and, as a journalist, a researcher of the Bible, Bible translations, and Christian doctrine. I have been a born-again, committed Christian since January 1994.

This book is presented in two main sections – ‘Milk’ for the new or newer Christian, and ‘Meat’ for the more mature Christian. These section titles come from the teachings in the New Testament, which says:

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature who, by constant use, have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. [Hebrews 5:12-14]

In the ‘Milk’ section, I offer some general views on why I am a Christian, on being a Christian, and even what to expect as a new Christian. It also looks at side issues, like the Theory of Evolution, why God answers some prayers and not others, and even what Jesus might have looked like! This section includes three analogies – ‘The Key To Heaven’, ‘The Three Crosses’, and ‘The Cavern Of Life’. It also includes three of my personal testimonies – ‘Do You Believe In Miracles?’ (you do when they happen to you!), ‘Testing The Lord’, and ‘The Leather-bound Family Bible’.

The ‘Meat’ section looks at some of the thornier subjects – like ‘Once Saved, Always Saved’, forgiveness, and does God ever change His mind? It finishes with two visions which, I believe, the Holy Spirit gave to me in 2009. You be the judge.

There is no reason to read these articles in any particular order – each are stand-alone chapters, and I encourage you to read them as you feel led. I would also suggest that you do not take my word for any statements, thoughts, or suggestions contained within this book. Challenge everything, always. No one person has all the answers, and that certainly applies to me. If a Bible verse is quoted to explain a point, please read at least 10 verses either side of that quote to place it in context. Almost anything can be ‘proven’ if quotations are taken out of context (see the chapter ‘Bashing The Bible’).

Generally, Scripture quoted in the book is from the NIV Bible, not because it is necessarily the best, but because it is in modern English. If in doubt, please read the quoted Scriptures in various translations. There is more information about this modern translation in the chapter ‘Is the NIV Bible Heretical?’

“Graham Pockett doesn’t mince any words, but he writes with a kind heart. If you have questions about such things as ‘once saved, always saved’, or why so many different ideas can come from the same Scripture, or how much what we see and do affects us as spiritual beings, you’ll find much to think about here.” from This Christian Life