Fake Christianity by Jed Coppenger Book Review

About the Book:

We are the problem. But Jesus can save us from ourselves.

Fake Christianity is deceptive and deadly. And, unfortunately, it's very much alive today. We can easily recognize problems and hypocrisy around us. But it takes humility and courage to face the error and deception within us. With a pastoral heart, Jed Coppenger shows us how unnoticed hypocrisy, like prayerlessness, neglect of the Bible, gossip, bitterness, and every form of ungodliness, compromise our heart and weaken our Christian witness.

In Fake Christianity, Coppenger looks to the teachings of Jesus that address a culture remarkably like our own. He exposes ten traps of inauthentic faith and provides a gospel-centric response. The best way to tell a fake thing is to look at the real thing. That's true when looking at gems. It's also true of the Christian life. If we want to understand what's true and good, we must look to Jesus. And we must listen to Him.

My Review:

We may be one of those who appears godly, our actions may seem to honor God, yet our heart can be far from Him. Jesus confronted the Pharisees for an appearance of godliness without having a heart for Him. Coppenger confronts us here, to evaluate our heart's connection to God.

He explores several areas for us to investigate. We might enjoy bossing others, for example, but do no work ourselves. We might be critical of others' mistakes but deny our own. We may have zeal or passion but for the wrong things. We may like to point out the grievous sin of others. Coppenger challenges us to identify our own “acceptable” sins in the light of God's holiness.

Coppenger's writing style is easy to read. This book is more like a discussion across a cup of coffee than a theological work. I recommend it to those who are ready to take an honest look at themselves, making sure they are not merely doing things Christians do, going though the motions while having a heart far from God.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Dr. Jed Coppenger is the lead pastor of First Baptist Church Cumming, GA. Jed's first book, "21 Days to Childlike Prayer: Changing Your World One Specific Prayer at a Time," was released Jan 18, 2022 (Harvest House). His second book, "Fake Christianity: 10 Traps of an Inauthentic Faith (and How to Avoid Them)" comes out March 4, 2024 (Moody). He loves preaching, coaching, and helping people follow Jesus. He's married to Melanie and they have three kids. You can connect with him at https://www.jedcoppenger.com/

Moody Publishers, 176 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)