Simple Grace: A Handbook for New Covenant Living

by Shawn Reinsel, Benjamin Rudman (Foreword), kirsten lasinski (Editor)

Do you feel stuck in your walk with God? Like all your efforts to experience an abundant Christian life end in failure? Do you wonder if you’ve missed the secret of how to be a good Christian?

Jesus came to bring us a New Covenant – a new way of relating to God that’s rooted and grounded in His abundant, life-giving grace. This New Covenant provides everything we need. In fact, it’s the secret to a fruitful Christian life!

Packed with Scripture, this practical Bible study will help you plumb the depths of God’s grace. Each chapter features questions for reflection and discussion, making it the perfect study tool for individuals and small groups alike.

135 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2023

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple truth but very challenging for me, and maybe for others. Humbling and eye-opening.

[David Mccowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 / 5 Stars.

TL;DR. Good, Simple, too simple.

I wanted to like this book, but I didn't. I wonder if I'm not the intended audience for this book?

This book is primarily about the middle tense of salvation, sanctification, or becoming more Christ-like while our spirit is here on earth. The emphasis is on Grace & relationship. Yes, it is true, salvation is all of grace (Reinsel never states his soteriology), and this grace is ministered through a relationship. I happen to go to a church that focuses on such things.

But besides praying more and reading my Bible (the first two steps), Reinsel never goes into detail about what that means. This is similar to the critique I had against /Solution of Choice/.

It is well-written for what it is -- a critique against legalism. One issue is that legalism is not clearly defined, critiqued, and then refuted. I do think Reinsel has a proper position -- legalism being the belief that my ability to keep the law will make me righteous. But if I go to a brother and cry out my failure to stop sinning and my brother then just says well you just need to abide, read your Bible, and pray more. I’m going to scream -- hopefully not at him.

That advice will not help me.

Let’s compare this to four other books on sanctification I’ve read this year, three I’ve finished, two I’ve reviewed: /Principles of Spiritual Growth/ by Stanford; /I’m Saved but Struggling With Sin/ by Rokser; /Mortification of Sin, The/ by John Owen; and /The Normal Christian Life/ by Nee. Each are focused on an already existing believer's walk with Christ and each has a different angle.

Simple Grace falls short of each.

What is not in Simple Grace:
- There is no overview of gaps in understanding that cause a believer to sin.
- No systematic look at Romans 6-8:17.
- No clarification on the anthropology of a believer, i.e., Do I still have a sin nature?
- No exegesis of what it means exactly to be “in Christ” and not “In Adam.”
- No analysis on “Why God would let me sin?”
- No practical tips on how to abide in Christ except to pray more, read your Bible, and trust more.
- No engagement with Romans 7 and whether Paul is the 'I' in the second half or not.

Listen, the Spirit of Christ is enough but God has also given us teachers and two thousand years of Church History. The reader could find answers to the above in scripture but they might not because: they lack experiences or don’t believe or know some foundational truth, they might misunderstand and read in an analogy where there isn’t one -- Church history is riddled with such mistakes, or missing the practical advice because of the epistolatory nature of most of the New Testament. There are any number of reasons a believer might be struggling.

Scripture presents many dichotomies that are hard to grasp. When it comes to sanctification the primary one is Philippians 2:12-13: So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (WEB)

Reinsel quotes but doesn’t say what “Work out” means except to say it is not “work for”. Great! I know I’m saved by grace, and am sanctified by grace but Paul is telling me to do something in Verse 12 please tell me what that is?

Listen like I’ve said. I am likely not the focus for the book. I don’t have a legalistic background. But if I picked this book up because I was struggling with sin and I thought it might have the answer, I would be wrong.

P.S.

For my brothers and Sisters who are struggling.

Romans 6:8-17 in few words.

First understand that you actually did die with Christ. (Romans 6:1-10) (Col 3:1-4) (Nee).
Logically Understand the implications of the fact that you did really die at the cross with Christ Romans 6:10-14 (Php 2:12) (Nee)
Offer yourself as a slave to Christ (Romans 6:14-25) (MacArthur’s /Slave/)
Understand that there is a war in your body (Romans 7:7-25) (Rokser)
Walk by the Spirit by setting your focus on Christ and killing the sin -- accounting for as dead and separate -- within you (Romans 8:1-17) (Owen) (Rokser)
Eagerly waiting for full adoption the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:18-29) (Stanford)