In his book “Raising the Alarm Over False Conversion” Alfred Chong first defines the state of a true conversion, mapping out the nine sub-activities that must occur in a prescribed sequence for the conversion of a natural man to a true believer to take place. He goes on to describe the six elements that preceded the conversion (salvation) and follow the conversion in their own sequences. Once he has defined the true conversion, he then describes the many ways that people are tricked or manipulated into believing they have been converted and saved, when they have been misled and are doomed to an eternity that eventually confronts them with the fires of hell. Mr. Chong goes into great detail and repeatedly warns that the practices of the modern churches, those who preach false doctrines and rush people toward false conversions, are a danger to Christianity, because they are being led by the devil’s wishes, not by God’s. In the end, however, the author offers hope and suggestions to those who are not true converts as to how, through God’s mercy, they can seek a true salvation from their sin.

For readers who are interested in expanding their understanding of what true believers perceive about how God deals with mankind, you will find plenty of material over which to ponder, all of it linked back to scripture. Alfred Chong presents his premise well, although the approach he has taken makes his explanations somewhat repetitive, defining one unfamiliar term with one that he later defines with yet another unfamiliar term.

"Raising the Alarm Over False Conversion: Clinging to False Hope", by Alfred Chong, is a unique description of the author’s view of Christian salvation. His belief is that many people around the world, even those who call themselves Christians and think they are saved, are living a life of delusion and are in reality doomed to eternal separation from God! He discusses grace as the means of salvation, but then lays out many false beliefs that lead people to imagine that they are in God’s good graces. In fact, he describes a specific means of salvation involving being first chosen by God. Chong believes one cannot come to Christ unless he is one of those chosen. Even more frightening, this book gives detailed characteristics of false gospels and false churches, casting doubt on such things as entertainment in church and misinterpretations of various Bible teachings. Many, many Scriptures are cited lending credence to this book.

I found "Raising the Alarm Over False Conversion" fascinating because I am a Bible reader and believer. Alfred Chong has cast an entirely new light on the means of salvation with the best intention of preventing false hope. It has changed my thinking as I encounter various beliefs, churches, and people in my own life. It is true that there are many conflicting beliefs in the world, all claiming to be the true religion, or more frighteningly, that any way to God is valid. I do personally believe that a person can choose salvation apart from the specific choosing and direction of God, but Chong gives very specific rationale for this theory and it gave me a lot to think about.

This nonfiction text, written by Alfred Chong, is an argument that forces Christians to re-examine their beliefs. While he does make certain assumptions about the reading level of his audience by writing lines like, “. . . very important exhortation for the global Christian community. Millions of professing Christians have been misled and are unknowingly living under the delusion of false conversion”, which can come off as a little high-brow to some, in this reader’s opinion, the message is not lost amongst the lofty verbiage. The author introduces concepts and states that many Christians have been living under a “false conversion” which makes me wonder why he hasn't chosen a vocabulary more aptly targeted to a wider audience.

Overall, I found that Chong makes a sound argument, stating a number of scriptural references as evidence for his claims. This text will get readers to ask themselves some very probing questions while taking a look at what the church has done to its own detriment. Chong states that Christians who fail to act, or who simply turn a blind-eye to the situation he outlines in his book, are adding to the already out of control situation. His definition of the two forms of conversion, the true and the false, seem to reach out to those who have felt this change in their faith and want to do something about it. His book is formatted well and is visually and mentally engaging. A must read for anyone who senses the importance of hearing and understanding the true meaning of the Gospel.