Finally Alive Paperback – March 20, 2009

The phrase born again is widely misused and misunderstood. In his book Finally Alive, John Piper's goal is to explain the new birth clearly and from the Bible, and he does just that.Dr. Piper gives a complete gospel presentation in 190 pages. His book is divided into sections that answer five questions: What is the new birth, why must we be born again, how does the new birth come about, what are the effects of the new birth, and how can we help others be born again?All are born dead in sin. In order to have eternal life, people must be born again. But how can one who is dead have life? Only by the regenerating power of God. Piper shows that this regeneration, or life, causes faith and belief. Though they appear at the same time and are inseparable, the new life is the cause of the faith, just as fire is the cause of heat. "Spiritual life and faith in Jesus come into being together. The new life makes the faith possible, and since spiritual life always awakens faith and expresses itself in faith, there is no life without faith in Jesus."Belief and faith are not the only fruits of a new birth; Dr. Piper shows that obedience and love also necessarily follow. "Our love for God obeys him freely and joyfully because in the new birth the spell of the world is broken and it loses its power....God himself is at work in the new birth so powerfully that we cannot keep on practicing sin."How does the new birth come about? By the hearing of the gospel. Not the mere hearing of sounds made by certain words, but the hearing of the historical, factual narrative of the Lord Jesus Christ and the truths concerning Him. Because God uses the spoken gospel as a means of regeneration, Christians ought to be encouraged to spread the gospel. And because the new birth results in true and unselfish love, Christians ought to be burdened to spread the gospel. "...What should we be doing to help unbelievers to be born again? The biblical answer is not obscure, and it's not complicated. The answer is: Tell people the good news of Christ from a heart of love and a life of service."Piper's love for the glory of Christ is evident in Finally Alive. So is his love for people. His chapters are clear and concise. At times they are convicting, and at times they are comforting. Finally Alive will benefit those who want a better understanding of the new birth and the effects that it should have in the life of a believer. It will also motivate and better equip those who want to share the gospel. Regardless of where you are at--unbelief, new belief, or mature belief--I recommend this book to you.

John Piper's work on eldership, salvation, and practical theology have shaped my beliefs as much as any other modern pastor. He is a Biblical thinker and one of the most important Christian authors in the modern era. The sheer amount of pages he has produced in his career is staggering.Finally Alive is one of his newest, and it is a great read for new Christians. Why should we be born again? How are we born again? What is the Holy Spirit's role in salvation? These, and many more questions regarding the new birth, are answered in this short book. I thought the best part of the book was the last section on sharing the gospel, How Can We Help Others Be Born Again? His Ten Encouragements for Gospel-Telling at the end of this section are practical and were the highlight of Finally Alive.Piper's numerous works understandably have a lot of overlap, but I think Finally Alive is one that contains enough new material to make it worth your while, even if you have read much of what he has put out already. This book is geared towards those who would like to know more about being "born again." When people ask me which Piper books I recommend reading, I always recommend The Dangerous Duty of Delight first (this is the basically the cliff notes for Desiring God), and Don't Waste Your Life next. These books are short, readable, and life-changing. While Finally Alive may not be my first recommendation, it is certainly on the short list and would be a great one to pick up.

Since becoming a Christian, I have found a few - very few - books and writers who "speak" to me and who I think "get it" and, therefore, can help ME get it. John Piper is one of them. Along with favorites like Jerry Bridges, RC Sproul, and other modern Reformationists, John Piper has a knack for leading you through deep concepts to a place where you can apply them in your daily life with confidence. He lets the Word be the Word, glorifies Christ, and opens your eyes to the Father's plan of redemption, reconciliation, santification, and our ultimate glorification. In this particular book he masterfully lays out both the "burning platform" for being born again and the "compelling destination" for being born again. I love this book. I started "breezing" through it to see what it was like and became so engrossed in just a couple of hours I was deep, deep into it and praying along with John prayers of praise, gratitude, supplication, and worship.If you are a Christian, get this book. If you are NOT a Christian, get this book. If you are not sure, get this book. After you have read it, studied it, have it well highlighted, "dog-earred" to mark favorite passages, and suitably marked up, give it to others. Pay it forward!!

I love to read and think deeply about different aspects of Christian theology. In this area, Piper is one author who continues to be of help to me, even when I disagree with him. "Finally Alive" is no exception.Piper breaks the discussion of the new birth into five parts: 1) What Is the New Birth, 2) Why Must We Be Born Again?, 3) How Does theNew Birth Come About?, 4) What Are the Effects of the New Birth?, and 5) How Can We Help Others Be Born Again?In each of these parts, Piper goes into his normal deep exegesis of Scripture. To me, parts four and five were the best, as we learn about how the new birth affects us and how we are used by God to help others come to the new birth.I did struggle, however, with some of the earlier parts, as Piper defends a Reformed/Calvinistic stance on regeneration. I am still reading on this issue, and I have a lot of respect for Reformed ministers and believers, but at this point in my walk, I am still not convinced by a completely Reformed understanding of salvation.Even so, I always learn something, even from those I disagree with. If you want a good explanation of regeneration, this would be a good book to add to your reading list.

Great, fast shipping! Bought it at the recommendation of a co-worker.

This is a book to growing up my life

Have just started reading this book and so far find it easy to understand, would really recommend this for anyone who has just become a christian.

John Piper is a well-known evangelical whose books should prove a blessing to all. This is no exception to anyone..

Thanks...I have already ordered several more of these books for my family * others.