About the Book

Book: The Portrait of A Christian

Author: Raymond Sopp

Genre: Non-fiction, Theology

Release Date: November, 2019

The apostle Paul, with great knowledge of Scripture, said in Philippians 3:7–8: “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” (NASB)

It takes a courageous person to take a second look—to lay down their life—just as the apostle Paul. Are you willing to take a second look, to lay down your life? The Portrait of a Christian was written to help you do so.

For more than thirty-eight years, Minister Raymond D. Sopp studied the Scriptures, not to parrot God’s Word through memorization but just to know God’s heart as He communicated through His Word. To know anyone’s heart, you must listen to their words.

Raymond wrote The Portrait of a Christian to challenge and provoke thought to those who desire a closer relationship with Christ. He wanted to paint a portrait of God’s heart through thirty-one separate commentaries—starting with the importance God placed on His Gospel and ending with a Lost Love. All of us must earnestly contend for the faith!

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About the Author

Minister Raymond D. Sopp has been a born-again Christian for more than thirty-eight years and ordained for more than eighteen years. He is not affiliated with any organization, nor a denomination. This has given him a unique opportunity to view the entire realm of Christianity from an objective point of view. His heart broke when he saw so many inconsistencies within the Church at-large. He inherently knew in his heart that the best way to point out error is to expose the truth in a way to provoke thought and challenge the Christian reader, while at the same time reach out to the nonbelieiver.

Concerned by the teachings that he heard, or better yet, what he did not hear, he started a ministry on May 1, 1996 solely focused on reaching the world. (Sopp Ministries became a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization on January 1, 1999.) The only purpose this ministry has is salvation both within and outside the Church at-large. Being somewhat overwhelmed, he knew he needed to stay focused on delivering a narrow message—a message that will cause all to examine themselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) to see if they’re literally born-again—to a true and biblical salvation—a simple message that has both temporal and eternal implications.

More from Raymond

Do you believe we’re approaching the Last Days? Are you seeing the season change—beginning to see leaves fall to the ground? Yes! Then, The Portrait of a Christian, is a must read for you.

There are several warnings given to the professing Christian in God’s Word; to me, the most terrifying warning to the professing Christian for this time we’re living in is what Jesus said in Matthew 7:15–23: “‘Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.’ Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (NASB)

The book I wrote, The Portrait of a Christian, is to help the professing Christian not to be one of those who just say “Lord, Lord.” Are you willing to take a second look at your Christianity? If so, then The Portrait of a Christian was written for you.

My Review

2020 seems to be a year for unique books, at least in the Christian market. Minister Raymond Sopp’s “The Portrait of a Christian” is one of them, and even though it is a second edition published again in August, I am counting it as this year’s. The cover on my paperback copy is the first thing that drew me in, with a beautiful lantern in the forefront and smoke behind; the first thought that crossed my mind was how God appeared to the Israelites as a cloud after delivering them out of Egypt. Even though most of this book focuses on the New Testament, particularly the apostle Paul and the book of Romans, there is plenty of material on other sections as well.

Expository but not dull, “The Portrait of a Christian” provides thirty-one detailed commentaries on laying down one’s life for the One who laid down His for us, Jesus. Each commentary can easily stand alone and is useful for individual or group study, opening with Scripture and proceeding into a discussion of a Bible story topic. These commentaries are unexpectedly engaging, and I found myself engrossed and reading more than I thought I had each time I picked it up. Sopp relies heavily on Bible verses in order to discuss the meaning of the text and demonstrates skill in incorporating verses from multiple Bible books. The very first chapter struck me; in it, Sopp offers some perspective on why Jesus told the recipients of His miracles not to tell anyone about them: the people were focusing on the restoration to health itself rather than Jesus, their salvation! A few chapters later, Sopp appeals to us not to be spiritually blind because “We zealously pray for health, wealth, and prosperity, but at the same time scarcely mention in our prayers a desire for the weightier provisions of faithfulness, mercy, forgiveness, and a heart like unto our Lord and God which is the heart of a servant.” Throughout the book, each message is like a personal call to draw closer to the Light of the World. In so doing, we not only light our own flames, but pass the torch to others along the way.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.