In 1992, Stephen E. Robinson, chairman of the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University, published his groundbreaking book Believing Christ: The Parable of the Bicycle and Other Good News. The book has become a standard in understanding what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and to be justified by faith in him through the gospel covenant.
Now, in Following Christ: The Parable of the Divers and More Good News, Brother Robinson explains what happens after we have entered the gospel covenant. He writes, “Where Believing Christ dealt with entering the covenant. The former book dealt with believing Christ and coming to Christ; the present volume deals with following and worshiping Christ; the present volume deals with following and worshiping Christ. If being truly converted is to accept Christ as Lord and to make him the Lord of our lives, then this must somehow be reflected in our lives-but how? How does being born again translate into behavior after our conversion?”
In the same clear, readable style of his first book, Brother Robinson explains what it means to be a member of Christ’s kingdom, the relationship between faith and works, what it means to endure to the end (it does not mean “being perfect”), the nature of mortality, hazards we may encounter as we seek to endure in the Lord’s service, and, finally, the importance of serving others in love.
Brother Robinson writes, “For those who have been born again, the critical question is not one of getting into the kingdom but of staying in the kingdom-of enduring to the end. For we must choose on an ongoing basis to remain, and that choice must be reflected in what we love and in what we seek. That is why enduring to the end is the fifth principle of the gospel. Daily, our question shouldn’t be ‘Have I made it to the kingdom yet?’ but rather, ‘Do I still want to stay?”
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