Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weakness

by Barbara R. Duguid

Why do Christians, even "mature" Christians, still sin so often? Why doesn't God set us free? We seem to notice more sin in our lives all the time, and we wonder if our progress is a constant disappointment to God. Where is the joy and peace we read about in the Bible? Speaking from her own struggles, Barbara Duguid turns to the writings of John Newton to teach us a theology with a purpose for our failure and guilt one that adjusts our expectations of ourselves. Her empathetic, honest approach lifts our focus from our own performance back to the God who is bigger than our failures and who uses them. Rediscover how God's extravagant grace makes the gospel once again feel like the good news it truly is.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Religion

237 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

Bar­bara Duguid is a coun­selor and min­istry assis­tant at Christ Pres­by­ter­ian Church (ARP) in Grove City, PA where she crafts the weekly liturgy. She is a pastor’s wife and the mother of 6 chil­dren, and she holds an advanced cer­tifi­cate in bib­li­cal coun­sel­ing from the Chris­t­ian Coun­sel­ing and Edu­ca­tional Foun­da­tion (CCEF) in Glen­side, PA.
She is married to Iain M. Duguid.

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book
I first heard about this book at my PCA church in 2013 (the year the book was published). Our community group started reading through it in Fall 2014, & Duguid (D) spoke at our church in September 2014. (As a side-note, I find it to be highly ironic that the author of a book about taking the focus off our own efforts has a last name that sounds like "do good." It's almost as delightful as the names of prominent anti-Stratfordians: Looney, Silliman, & Battey.) The best part of the book is the focus on God's sovereignty, especially as it's discussed in the letters of John Newton. The reminder that God's grace is greater than our sin, even persistent sin, is a good one, & because of this important emphasis in the book, I did not ultimately give it only one star (which means "I didn't like it," & I didn't).

Unfortunately, frequently the book seems to mock the idea of striving, or working, or pressing toward holiness (123), & this recurring disparagement of human exertion in sanctification is the most serious problem with the book, making it sound border-line antinomian. D justifies her mockery of the idea of a victorious Christian life by linking rhetoric of "victory" to spiritual blindness & pride (118–19), but such mockery is dangerous. See, for example, her mockery (& mischaracterization) of the song "Trust & Obey" (181, 207). Yes, God is faithful to the faithless, but doubting & disobeying do not make us happy in Jesus—the familiar song is right. Our disobedience does not make God happy either, although D claims that God cannot get angry with sinners any longer, because He poured out all His wrath on Jesus (210; cf. 14). D says that God cannot be angry because He is never surprised. But we do know that He can grieve (Eph. 4:30). Furthermore, the idea of variation of rewards in Heaven becomes silly if our obedience has nothing to do with sanctification. Will God say "Well done, good & faithful servant" to everyone? Does everyone get a participation ribbon? Of course, the idea that some will be the winners ("Best Saint") in Heaven is also silly, but the Bible does talk in terms of rewards & motivation for obedience (see C. S. Lewis's "The Weight of Glory" & see a link at the bottom of this review).

God's grace manifests itself, not simply in an abstract sense of forgiveness, but in change. D implies that grace abounds more when we sin than when we obey (192), as if obedience weren't a sign of grace abounding. People's lives are transformed by the grace of God, & that transformation is not limited to or primarily located in how we feel when we fail. God is sovereign over our sin, but our rhetoric is not put to its best use when we use the language of being "free to fail" (even if we can marshal quotes from Luther; see 153). What does free mean? Certainly not "free from consequences". Any truly compassionate counselor, upon telling someone "You are free to fail," should quickly add, "And you're also free to reap the consequences of your failures in this life. So don't take this 'free to fail' thing the wrong way." Because of Christ's work, we have been freed from the bondage of sin, & we are now free to obey, whereas prior to our conversion, we were not free to obey.

D frequently says that sanctification is not really about battling sin (18; cf. 52), & she likes to repeat the verse in 1 Timothy where Paul considers himself to be the chief of sinners (18, 81). But why does Paul say this about himself toward the end of his ministry? Is it because he has seen no growth throughout his life, or is he referring to his previous sins (e.g., being complicit in murder)? He may have seen the depth of his depravity more clearly as he matured as a Christian, & he certainly wrestled with his depravity (Rom. 7), but seeing one's sin in a different light is not the same as seeing no change at all. Paul wasn't still murdering people, & if he had been, Christians would have had every right to say, "Um, I don't think you're saved." Not because they were self-righteous legalists, but because the kind of fruit you bear shows what you're like.

It's one thing if your besetting sin is that sometimes you binge-watch Netflix shows & neglect household duties, but if your besetting sin is beating your wife (or another sin in which you are physically hurting other people), it is inappropriate to say to yourself, "Well, praise God that I am constantly humbled & reminded of my inability to save myself. I'm not going to try to stop sinning. I'm going to thank God that I constantly see my need for a Savior." Counselors would be abusing their leadership positions if they told battered women simply to rejoice in the truth that God is sovereign & that their husbands "are exactly as holy and mature in [their] faith as God wants [them] to be" (48). A helpful exercise with this book is to insert other extreme situations & see if the aphorisms still hold up. For example, "[Sanctification is not] simply that we actually sin less and less, [but] rather that we see our sin more and more" (59). Is this true for the thief? The rapist? The serial killer? One may say that behavior modification does not equal sanctification, but it does not follow that sanctification involves no behavior modification.

When D spoke at our church, she made many qualifying statements (e.g., I'm not saying that an abused person should stay in that relationship & thank God for His sovereignty), & even in her book, she admits that "there have been plenty of people in the history of the church who have erred by teaching that human effort is irrelevant in sanctification, with devastating consequences" (125), & "It is certainly true that in general we do reap what we sow; if we work hard we reap prosperity, while if we are lazy we will be hungry" (181). I'm thankful for the qualifications, but she really needed to make lots of them, & she never showed how her qualifications were consistent with the message of her book. What is it that justifies these qualifications, in light of certain statements in the book? If people can refuse to see sanctification as eliminating sin more & more, can a pedophile also refuse to see sanctification that way? Is he, too, free to fail, over & over & over again?

Occasionally, D acknowledges that obedience is important (in fact, D says here that "We are called to try very hard to obey God's law"), but her pervasive attitude of passivity practically cancels any strong affirmation of obedience, because over & over again she makes it seem as if those people who believe that they cooperate with God (98), or that sanctification has visible results, are foolish. But a passive "Calvinism" that focuses on God's sovereignty (to the extent that obedience is virtually eclipsed) is similar to hyper-Calvinists who are convinced that, since God does all the work, evangelism isn't necessary. D & others who promote this "grace-centered" message grudgingly affirm that obedience is important, but then they effectively rescind their affirmations when they say that obedience isn't really part of sanctification—it's all about seeing your sin, not actually growing in obedience. For some, sanctification is not really different from justification; sanctification is merely "getting used to (or comfortable with) your justification." This view of sanctification is a contentment with the status quo—sanctification is simply understanding that you're a sinner who can't save yourself, & it doesn't have anything to do with actual change. Terry Johnson calls this "sanctification by realization." There is no power in the gospel to change lives; the gospel is impotent.

Often books are written to address a facet of a much broader issue. Some books are written with a specific audience in mind, perhaps a kind of Christian in a certain stage of sanctification. If that's the case here, & D has claimed that it is, then the message of the book should be addressed periodically. It should not be the message preached weekly in churches, because it's not the whole story. The book addresses a facet, & it should be treated as a facet, not as if it contains the entire message of the gospel. D's book does not appear to be addressed to a narrow contingent of Christians—it's addressed to all Christians, & the heavy implication is that although no one ever improves in holiness, at least we can see afresh the marvelous grace of God to unholy sinners.

Related history
In 2012, Tullian Tchividjian (TT), who heartily praises D’s book, & Rick Phillips (the senior pastor at my parents' PCA church in Greenville, SC) went back & forth via blog posts (TT claimed that even believers were still totally depraved). In addition, a number of TT's books focus on this extreme view of sanctification. In the spring of 2014, after a blogger wrote about "celebratory failurism" (think "free to fail"), TT dug his heels in again (post unavailable). Later that year, TT left The Gospel Coalition over this very issue of sanctification. Kevin DeYoung (demonized by some who lean toward antinomianism) has a very helpful post here on some of the 2014 events, & the Christian Post has information here. In June 2015, Tullian resigned as senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church because of an extra-marital affair, but he re-entered the ministry elsewhere in September 2015. In March 2016 he was removed from that position when it was discovered that he had hidden a second affair while still at Coral Ridge (two elders had known but had covered it up). Then he resurfaced in September 2016 with this blog post where he promotes his books on radical grace & says that people refused to accept his apologies. About a month later, he preached in a public worship service, & in November 2016, news broke that he had remarried. In late November, numerous stories appeared in which women came forward to talk about Tullian's sexual misconduct with them, & a timeline was posted. It appears that Tullian may have another book published soon. One of Tullian's former pastors has said that Tullian should not be in ministry, & a number of Tullian's supporters & counselors agree (also here). Tullian's brother, Boz (at GRACE), released a statement here. He spent some time in Texas & (as of 2017) is now back in Florida at a Lutheran church. In June 2019, he held his first service in a church he's planting.



The (21c) controversy
Some have called this newish emphasis (it's not that new, really) on sovereign grace the "Contemporary Grace Movement" (CGM). In a sense, it's easy to see how Calvinists might have a tendency to see sanctification as monergistic (God's work alone) & not synergistic (working together), since they see justification as monergistic. The PCA is struggling with this issue now, & some people have even left PCA churches because of a "grace" emphasis that marginalizes exhortation to obey God's law. These people are not flaming legalists.

See here for some comments by Rick Phillips on the CGM. Rick is right: we need to avoid both extremes of legalism & antinomianism. As Rick says, "we do not improve the gospel by backgrounding things that are foregrounded in the Bible." It is not legalism to affirm "the biblical category of obedience." Yes, as Keller notes in Center Church (63; cf. 69), obedience is the result of deliverance, not the cause, but he adds that obedience is a necessary result, not an optional one, & just as the Bible does, we should encourage one another toward holiness, not simply think warm thoughts about our justified state (D praises Keller, but Keller does not blurb the book). As Bill Evans says (regarding TT's 2016 resurfacing), "The gospel is freedom from the power of sin as well as the guilt of sin."

Scripture highlights (many more could be added)
Ps. 1:2: The person who delights in God's law & meditates on it day & night is blessed/happy.
Ps. 119:9, 97 (NIV): "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word." "Oh, how I love your law. I meditate on it all day long."
Ecc. 12:13: The whole duty of man is to fear God and to keep his commandments.
Matt. 5:17: Jesus came to fulfill the law, but fulfill ≠ abolish.
Matt. 7:16–17: "You will know them by their fruits. . . . Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit."
Mark 6:17: Consider what John the Baptist said to Herod.
John 10:27: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
John 14:15: "If you love me, keep my commandments."
Titus 2:11–15: Grace teaches us how to live & how not to live.
James 2:17: "Faith without works is dead."
1 Peter 1:15–16: "[A]s he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" (see Lev. 11, 19, 20).
1 John 3:4: Sin is lawlessness.

Not Scripture (but still good)
Westminster Shorter Catechism (Answer 35: "Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness." D doesn't like the word enable (139–40), but she does use it positively sometimes (224).
Milton's Paradise Lost (Raphael to Adam & Eve in Book 8): "Be strong, live happy, and love, but first of all / Him whom to love is to obey . . . ." In other words, love God first of all, & remember that to love God is to obey Him.
William Hughes (wording mine): The Decalogue (given after the miraculous Exodus) was not God's way of placing freed people back into bondage.

More posts by Rick Phillips
- James Is, You Know, in the Bible (Sept. 2015)
- The Ten Commandments as God's Moral Law (Feb. 2015)
- Are Rewards a Valid Motivation for Sanctification? (Nov. 2014; cf. Lewis's "The Weight of Glory" & the way mercenary actions can grow into grateful ones)
- Relating Works to Justification (June 2014)
- Concerns about the "Efficacy" of Works (May 2014)
- Where the Sanctification Controversy Lies (May 2014)
- Law-Gospel Off the Rails (May 2014)
- Misconceptions about Justification and Sanctification (Dec. 2012)
- Oh to Grace How Great a Debtor—A Reply to Tullian Tchividjian (Dec. 2012)
- Thank God that Christians Are Not Totally Depraved (Nov. 2012)
- Seven Assertions Regarding Justification and Sanctification (Aug. 2011)

See a few more posts here.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that is hard to read. At least it was for me. And, I am not saying “hard to read” in the manner of, “I just don't understand what she is saying!” No, I understood perfectly throughout. Mrs. Duguid is a brilliant writer. She conveys her points beautifully and clearly and leaves no worldly obstacles to overcome in understanding what she is saying. Her writing is fun and fluid and filled with humor, heaviness, and heart.

But it is hard to read. The content she covers is shocking. She leads the reader through some territory that is uncharted for many readers, Christian or non. She does so with a boldness and ease that can be quite disorienting to the reader. Frankly, at times, the subject she covers and the manner in which she does so is downright offensive. There were times I argued out loud with this book. And I am so happy, and eternally blessed, that the objections I offered arose from my flesh and not the Spirit who is in me.

“Perhaps our greatest problem (as Christians) is not the reality of our sin, but our unbiblical expectations of what Christian growth should look like.”

This “perhaps” finds itself to be shown to be a resounding “most definitely” throughout Extravagant Grace. Why did God choose to sanctify believers progressively? If His only goal in sanctification is for us to sin less, why doesn't He remove all temptations, struggles, sinful desires, etc...to ensure our sinless Christian life? If I am His and He is sovereign and His sole desire is for me to stop sinning, then why do I still sin at all?
Duguid answers these questions with a theology of sanctification that is wholly biblical and historically orthodox yet, for some odd reason, is relatively an alien and offensive concept to so many believers today.

Duguid seamlessly weaves the theology of John Newton on sanctification with Scripture and her experience to produce a work that, for so many of us, is shocking and new. Salvation is by grace alone, apart from works. Anyone who holds to the ultimate sufficiency and authority of Scripture has to affirm this truth. God's work of salvation is an act of His goodness, His kindness, His merit. He earned it and He gives it. But how does that apply our life as Christians? Is grace the door into salvation and then works and obedience and our merit the means unto greater holiness? Is salvation all of grace or only part of grace?

Never have I seen a work that dealt with this issue so explicitly, powerfully, and practically. Duguid's life examples as, first, a sinner and, also, a counselor are helpful in a myriad of ways. To see the implications of the fact that salvation, from beginning to end, is a work of God for which He alone is to be praised displayed so clearly and practically was immensely encouraging, challenging, hope-filled and awe-inspiring. This book led me to the throne of grace, to worship my Savior in a mighty way throwing myself on the truth that I rely on Him completely for every good gift, including my faith and my sanctification.

Duguid's purpose in this book seems to be quite simple. She sets out to take a big, pointy, sharpened, Spirit-saturated, Gospel-exalting grace stick and then proceeds to spend 200+ pages poking and stabbing the reader in every self-righteous, self-condemning, grace-hating recess of his/her sinful flesh. Reading Duguid's work was one of the most painful/joyful, shocking/comforting reads I have ever endured/enjoyed.

This book is a hard read, not because of big words but because of a big God. It is a hard read, not because of overwhelming expectations of the reader but because of overwhelming expectations of the Savior. This book is a hard read, not because of what it tells the reader to do but because of what it reminds the reader that the Savior has done. This book is a hard read and it is, oh, so good!

"It is a radical and almost frightening thought to see that God is actually as much at work in our worst moments of sin and defeat as he is in our best moments of shining obedience."


I received this book for review purposes from the publisher through Netgalley.com


http://beforedawnwiththeson.blogspot....

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had really high hopes for this book, and I really want to love it. In the end, though, there were too many little details that unsettled me. This book had huge potential, but in my opinion, it missed the mark.

From the beginning, I found Barbara Duguid's personal story compelling. I really appreciated that she was so willing to be open and transparent with her own struggles with temptation and sin. That is a huge connector between people, to know that we are not the only ones struggling...and failing. In fact, in terms of what was excellent about her book, chapter 5 is the standout. She discusses in wrenching language her struggles with weight and anger...and I could relate, not simply because I share those particular struggles, but also because the way she struggled was something so understandable to so many of us. The lack of desire to change. Feeling overwhelmed by the problem...the sin. Lashing out at others for their failings toward us, when what we are really struggling with is the enormity of our own failings, our own depravity.

In the end, she really should have stuck with her personal story, rather than trying to write a theological commentary on John Newton writings. Her personal story is strong, and full of redemption and grace. On the other hand, her attempt at theological exegesis is inconsistent and weak. Duguid misinterprets or contradicts solid theology, and I had many instances of wondering what on earth she was thinking. In some cases she contradicted her own words in later pages, getting a theological point wrong the first time and right the second time. This was extremely distracting to me, and I believe detracted from the impact her book could have had. Further, I do not know if the points she makes are Newton's points, or if she has conflated her own opinions with Newton's, and given us a confusing (or confused) understanding of his theology.

What was perhaps the most unsettling aspect of this book, however, was the nagging feeling that she seemed to sanction a sort of wallowing in our sin. She kept making the point about how we are, as Christians, are meant to try and fail. That sometimes we are not going to grow, and that it is ok. That we need to learn to find contentment despite our inability to overcome certain sinful behaviors. This kind of language is ubiquitous in the book, and in my mind, this is a monumental misunderstanding (and misrepresentation) of sanctification. Recall in John 8:3-11, when the Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus, and Jesus responds in love and kindness, without condemning her, but he also calls on her to "go and sin no more." He doesn't give her an out. He doesn't sanction her sinfulness. He doesn't tell her to find contentment in her inability to conquer her sin. He tells her to go and sin no more. This is our commandment too.

I have read a lot of commentary and reviews on this book, more & more as I found myself more unsettled. I am linking to Amazon.com reviews by Jason Webb (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member...), and his review of Extravagant Grace should be his first review. He rated the book 1 star, which I believe is harsh, given than Duguid's story is a compelling one for anyone. However, I concur on his analysis of the theology.

[Julie Biles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why would Barbara Duguid write a book about the gospel that was so drenched in transparency, honesty and vulnerability? Why would she expose her own sinful tendencies with such candid, fearless abandon? There is only one reason, that we, the readers, might be forced to look at our own depravity and see not only our desperate need for a Savior, but that once we ARE rescued, we are wrapped up in the righteousness of Christ alone and when the Father looks at us, He sees only His Son and He is pleased! We need not wallow in sin and shame fearing the disapproval of an angry Father. We rest (or do not) and find our solace in the work of Christ, not in how successfully we are obeying or how desperately we are failing.
As I read, I found myself shaking my head and saying, "I can't believe this author just said that out loud, or recorded it in writing!" I do those things and think those things too, but I can't say that I would ever document those personal realities! Only God could move a woman to write this book to record these themes.
Duguid's writing is drenched in and staked on Scripture. The writings of John Newton have clearly influenced the way she views the gospel and her need for her Savior. On finishing her book, I started researching Newton's works and I look forward to growth in my understanding of the amazing grace of Christ! This book caused me to recognize that I need to really KNOW the gospel better! Thank you Barbara Duguid!

[Ben Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book -- and almost did. But early on I found myself alternating between thinking, 'This is great!' and 'This is misleading and unhelpful'.
The best parts focus on a neglected and supressed truth concerning the Christian life. There are some battles with sin where we make frustratingly little progress. Many tell us we should be able to achieve victory, we feel we ought to be able to, we cry out for it -- and God could answer, and grant us the outcome we feel must be right... but it seems he doesn't respond. We should indeed be more honest and open about this. And Barbara Duguid sets a great example of openness here in her own struggles. It seems there are some areas of our lives where the evidence of authentic faith is not in seeing huge progress in godliness, more in simple perseverance in the battle.
One very good reason she highlights for God withholding progress in some battles with sin is that we approach them the wrong way: to justify to ourselves our worthiness, for example. We would rather receive love for merit than failure. Failure may then wake us from this futile legalism.
The question then is: what approach should we take in the battle? It's here that Barbara Duguid emphasizes the main theme of her book: God's extravagant grace to us even in the face of persistent sin. This is wonderfully true, of course, but needs to be said with care. It needs to be said in a way that strengthens our resolve and determination in the battle, rather than weakening it.
The problem is that some may take the dual message of this book -- (i) that God sovereignly withholds victory against a sin, and (ii) his extraordinary grace -- and lapse into a comfortable, unrepentant complacency about it all. This is the last thing she wants, I know, but I've seen it happen.
One issue here is that while there is much talk of grace, it's all a bit conceptual and impersonal. There should be much more on the means of God's grace: the person of Jesus Christ, crucified and raised. Because it's in him that we break the destructive alternation between legalism and complacency in our battle with sin.
These things are hard to get right, and I feel we can only do so by stick very closely to the script given to us in the Bible. Which is the other major problem here. This is a popularisation of some of John Newton's pastoral letters. So Barbara Duguid is popularising Newton, who is drawing on his doctrine to address some specific pastoral issues. It all seems quite far removed from the detail and balance of the biblical text. And whenever she does engage with the Bible directly, it is less than satisfactory.
If it could be re-written to address these concerns, we'd have a wonderful resource for the brokenness all around us -- and in us. As it is, I don't think I could yet recommend this.

[Jason Kanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Extravagant Grace: God's Glory Displayed in Our Weakness (2013) on the recommendation of a friend who tweeted, "OK, so I didn't put together a Best Books of 2013 list, but if I had, this would have topped it." I received an Amazon gift card for Christmas and included this book as a part of my order.

Unlike my friend, I did put together a best books of 2013 list, BUT if I had read Extravagant Grace, this would also have topped my list. To me, this book was simply remarkable. Strongly influenced by the work of John Newton, Duguid wrote an extended meditation on the work of grace in the lives of weak sinners.

She opened the book with the recognition that Christians are often a discouraged bunch. We try hard to conquer sin, we pray, we fast, we read the Bible...but then sin creeps back in. She rightly asks, "so why do real Christians still sin so much, even after they have been saved for decades?" This is a right and good question and she explores the answer in greater depth.

Reflecting on the work of Newton, she discusses how our sin too is used as a part of God's sovereign plan; it draws us more and more to Him. While we seek to be sin-free, God is purposing to draw us more and more to Him and to recognize in greater measure our dependence upon his grace for everything.

Duguid not only used examples from her counseling ministry and personal life to add flesh to the structure she was building, but she kindly opened her own heart for us to see as well. Not only did she reveal struggles with past sin (which many of us do), but also discussed things she was dealing with right at that moment. We need more of that transparency in our churches.

As I read, I not only heard whispers of Newton, but also Tim Keller, Tullian Tchvidjian, Larry Crabb, and Elyse Fitzpatrick. She is a grace lover and it comes through in this beautiful volume.

Another friend of mine in the endorsements section wrote "Barb Duguid has done today's church a great service by sharing with us her fine overview of Newton's understanding of the Christian soul. Feast, be encouraged, and be built up." I do feel encouraged and built up. May you too feast on this excellent book.

[Loraena · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stars are not for style. And Mrs. Duguid is not what I would call a writer. But the book fills some gaping holes in our theology of sanctification that are very helpful.

I heard Barbara speak and was incredibly blessed by the vulnerability of her personal testimony and lifelong study of the life and writings of John Newton. My favorite section of the book was in chapter 12 on The Joyful Implications of amazing grace. As someone who has battled much fear and as someone who sees it regularly in people I converse with on a spiritual level and minister to/with, the reality of this statement weighs on me heavily: She says,

"There are powerful implications of the message of the gospel that we rarely talk about or hear proclaimed. They are beyond imagining as a source of comfort, peace, and joy, but we hesitate to mention them, let alone delight and frolic in them. We are terrified that too much grace equals freedom from human effort and that such a freedom will inevitably lead to debauchery, licentious living, and a loss of interest in pursuing holiness. Those are important things to think about, but they shouldn't keep us from immersing ourselves in the gifts that have been given to us in Christ. Fear is not a good foundation for godly counsel. Indeed, our fear may actually keep us from the one truth that is the most powerful motivator for change that God has given. What if being reminded that you don't have to change to win God's favor unleashes such joy and sense of safety in your soul that changing becomes the thing you desire most, simply out of gratitude for such overwhelming acceptance and love? If this is true, then holding people back from moving toward such relief and joy may be a huge stumbling block on their path to holiness. "

[Alejandra Sura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelente libro. Está en español! Se llama Gracia Extravagante.

Duguid de forma transparente, real y profunda expone los pensamientos de John Newton (el autor de la canción Sublime Gracia) quien expandió en el tema de nuestra dependencia total de Dios para dar fruto. Es una confrontación al moralismo que la iglesia a menudo fomenta. Hablar de la gracia de Dios puede sonar como un tema que ya conocemos. Sin embargo como consejera bíblica, uno de los grandes temas que las personas que veo experimentan una gran distorsión que los hace creer que Dios hizo todo por ellos en la cruz pero que aún así tienen que completar su obra con su propia obediencia.

Duguid ayuda a ver la extravagancia de la gracia de Dios sin dejar totalmente de lado la pregunta que naturalmente nos surge: ¿entonces que abunde el pecado para que abunde la gracia? Y ese es el único problema que hallé en el libro. Creo que no dio un tratamiento profundo a la necesidad de obediencia y de “ocúpense de su salvación con temor y temblor” (Fil 2:12). No es que no lo menciona del todo pero creo que así como hizo énfasis a la gracia de Dios creo que era importante traer a la mesa la conocida teología de santificación que sus lectores (o al menos aquellos que ella busca segmentar y corregir) ya manejan.

Mientras busquemos tener clara esa otra parte, este sigue siendo un libro necesario y de gran consuelo. Especialmente para aquellos que vivir en auto-acusación y desmoralizados por luchas persistentes contra su pecado.

Creo que este libro podría ser profundo y transformador para muchas personas.

[Bambi Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some fantastic chapters and I was brought to tears at times at the author's beautiful descriptions of God's grace. I also loved her explanation of God's sovereignty in sin, and her transparency of personal sin habits was helpful and refreshing. I underlined a lot in this book, especially the first half, and read some chapters twice over, so probing and thought provoking was the message. However, I cannot shake several concerns and frustrating points where the author seems to slide into antinomianism. Statements such as, "You are free to grow slow. You are free not to grow at all."

The new Christian that was on my heart to give this book to, I will instead recommend some select chapters rather than the entire book. Overall, this book was sharpening! It has provoked me to read The Letters of John Newton which the author refers to heavily.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has serious problems.

Here is a much more eloquent review than I could ever drum up, with which I wholeheartedly agree. I hope that anyone who thought this book was amazing will take into consideration: http://www.reformation21.org/shelf-li...

Duguid's purpose for writing the book is noble, and with this review I mean her no disrespect. Her aim is to encourage Christians who frequently struggle over their remaining sin and find themselves despairing. She bases many of her thoughts on concepts she claims she found in John Newton's writings. Certainly there is a lot of truth in this book and much I agree with, but I am seriously disturbed by it. Here are my top problems:

1. Sloppy writing

Confusing Newton: Duguid only rarely takes a direct quote from Newton. Most of the Newtonian content is Duguid summarizing or paraphrasing his writings. It is unclear which thoughts are Newton's and which are Duguid's. Shouldn't I be able to tell the difference? Others have also pointed out that Newton's own writings are in sharp opposition to many paths that Duguid digresses with them.

Vagueness: Duguid does not define her terms very often. What is holiness? What is grace? What is sanctification? No foundation is laid before Duguid is off and running.

Lack of logical flow: Duguid mixes her own testimony, Newton's thoughts, and illustrations in such a hodgepodge that often I was left wondering why paragraphs were even next to each other. Or she introduces an illustration, only to quickly slap it with a judgment or exclamation, assuming the reader is following her train of thought. Often I wasn't.

False dichotomies: The amount of false dichotomies in this book is staggering. It begins in the preface, when she states her thesis for the book: “What if growing in grace is more about humility, dependence, and exalting Christ than it is about defeating sin?” Why are these things opposed to each other? Duguid sets up a system of thought in which you are either a “triumphalist” Christian (someone who expects constant, vigorous, law-loving sin slaying, and who will beat up weaker Christians with condemnation), or someone who is dependent on grace. There is no middle ground in her explanations or examples. Either you are totally law or totally grace.

2. Unbalanced Grace

Duguid uses the truth of God's sovereignty to comfort the reader not only in their past sins, but also in their present and future sins. This wouldn't be so shocking, but she combines this with an unbiblical exaggeration of the remaining sinfulness of the believer. This pushes her concepts into antinomianism. Sure, Duguid still agrees that we must fight our sin and attempt to obey, but since God is in control of whether we even have the desire to obey, we should all just cut ourselves some slack. Every so often Duguid is quick to say she isn't condoning sin, nor does God bear any blame for sin. We should hate sin and we should fight it, but because God is ultimately in control, we may find ourselves “stuck” in sin. God may withhold the desire to obey or He may allow us to try, but then fail. Here are some direct quotes illustrating Duguid's system of sanctification. I have tried not to lift things out of an important context:

“We sin with every breath we take.” (203) Really?

“Let's be honest: if the chief work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification is to make Christians more sin-free, then he isn't doing a very good job.” (30) What does the word SANCTIFICATION mean, then?

“God has ordained that we try hard and fail instead of doing nothing at all.” (144)

“The rate of our spiritual growth rests entirely in the hands of the Holy Spirit.” (49) This is true, but Duguid goes on to say that sanctification is NOT 100% my effort, plus 100% God's enabling. It is only 100% God. So there is no mathematical place for any sort of human effort, or I would be able to steal God's glory, and He will have none of that.

“What if the pathway to huge, overwhelming, and abundant joy in Christ does not take us around our sin, but right through the middle of it?” (98) God may grant me joy in repentance over my sin, but can I say that I get joy through my sin?

“...[T]he Christian life is made up of times when God is at work to will and to do (Phil 2:13), times when he is at work to will but not to do, and times when it seems that he is doing neither.” (220)

One telling illustration: Duguid, as a pastor's wife, has been offended by someone but finds herself unable to let go of her grudge against this person. “I should forgive her as freely as I have been forgiven, but I don't want to. What am I to make of myself?....I am stuck, but at the same time I can be at peace for now with my inability to do as I should. I understand that I will never be able to want to forgive without an act of God on my heart. Indeed, in another sense everything I feel in my heart right now simply verifies all I have learned. There is no switch that I can flip to make myself want to love this lady, no spiritual discipline I can perform to bring my unruly heart into line.” She ends this by saying that because she is stuck in her sin by God's design she can have “compassion on herself” because “there is no condemnation.”

The example above is the book in a nutshell. Because God is sovereign over my desire to obey and my every victory over sin , I can have “compassion on myself.” Duguid never balances out her compassionate approach to the believer's sanctification. Instead we are urged to delight in our remaining sinfulness with the assurance that God will use our sin to glorify himself.

3. Weak Christians Who Never Grow are Superheroes.

Duguid maintains that no only should we delight in our remaining sinfulness, but Christians that can barely pull themselves out of bed in the morning, much less remember the gospel, are the real heroes of the faith. “I am convinced that these believers – whom some may refer to as 'the least of these' – may in fact be among the real champions of our faith They limp through life barely able to remember the truth or connect the mighty doctrines of faith to their struggles in a way that would calm their fears and quiet their hearts.” Duguid has strong words for anyone who would urge these Christians to obedience. I am not denying that weak Christians exist. We are called to have compassion on those weak in faith, and not beat them over the head (which is what Duguid sees as the only alternative to compassion in her examples). But does the New Testament acknowledge a giant section of Christians who are unable to grow in their faith, whose very inability to grow should be seen as victory? Duguid would argue that since God sovereignly decreed weak faith for these believers, they are exempt from any expectations of growth.

All in all, Duguid's God is one-dimensional. He is a God who, because we are justified, always looks on us with 100% love no matter what we do, who is never disappointed in us, who lets us fail in our attempts at holiness (or never even gives us the desire to obey in the first place) because He wants us to be weak, He wants to get all the glory, and He is glorified in our sin. Duguid's God is not interested in believers who experience more and more of his fellowship and pleasure through growth in holiness. Why? Because He is as pleased as He will ever be with us in Christ. There is no more love or closeness to strive for because we already have it all. “Be holy, for I am holy” is commanded not so that we may work toward it, but so that we would look to our sovereign God in our total weakness and hope that one day he will sovereignly decree it.

Duguid's explanation of sanctification is illogical and dangerous.

I don't pretend to know why this book was chosen as book of the year by World Magazine, nor why a couple of writers I truly respect wrote a blurb for the back. Those people are far wiser than me. I am genuinely puzzled by this book's reception. Our fascination with grace has exceeded Biblical bounds.

[Joshua Schwisow · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some valuable content in this book and I appreciate the author’s transparency and humility. However, at points the author formulates false dichotomies and at points does not accurately portray the biblical teaching on sanctification. Mark Jones provided a helpful review of the book which outlines some of these issues.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this 5 years ago, but I was recently realizing how significantly this has shaped my view of my life, God's love, and the on-going work of the Spirit in my life and the lives of others. Based on the work of John Newton, but with a lot of the personal story of the author, too.
Would love every believer to read this, and plan to keep rereading myself.

[Aberdeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this probably two months ago but it's been sitting in my desk since then because I've been overwhelmed at the thought of trying to review it. Basically this book has changed my life. It has changed the way I see my faith and my relationship with God. It is the answer to all (or close) of all of the lies I believed in middle school and high school. I kept thinking I wish I had read it then, but I'm not sure it would have been as meaningful if I hadn't gone through I have these past few years since actual physical hardship has a way of breaking down lies and opening my heart up to truth that nothing else can do. So anyway, I know God's timing is perfect, and I'm so thankful he gave me this book now.

It's so freeing. I wish we talked about the Christian life like this—I wish I'd heard this growing up. I guess I'm not really reviewing it, saying what it's about, but the question that it seeks to answer is why do we still struggle with the same sins when we are saved? The endorsement on the front, which convinced me I need to read it, sums it up: "if you desire to follow Jesus but still feel like such a sinner, this is the perfect book for you."

Barb is so honest. But not in a sensational, this-is-my-memior way. She's simultaneously aware of how flawed she is and aware of how ridiculous her sin is—like, it's serious but it's also almost amusing. We're such silly, bumbling creatures—and we have been lavished with such grace and glory. She's totally floored by what God has done for us, but her descriptions of it didn't feel overdone or "I have to sound like this to sound like a Christian" (to me, at least; maybe to some people it would sound gushy, but we each have different preferences).

Basically, the idea is that we've been talking about the Christian life wrong. It's not about becoming more and more sinless (on this earth, at least). It's about showing how incredible Jesus is—which often is displayed BETTER through our constant failings with sin than in our triumphs over it. It's not AT ALL to say we should give up and stop sinning but it's meant to encourage us in our struggle to stop. God may actually withhold victory over certain sins in order to remind us of our dependence on Christ and that it's not about us being such great Christians.

Here are some quotes:

If the story of redemption is about us gradually becoming more and more sinless, then Paul's boasting in his weakness makes no sense whatsoever. But, if the story of redemption is about Jesus and his righteousness, then our continuing weakness actually shines the spotlight on Jesus all the more brightly.

God gave me grace to grieve over my sin and hate it long before he granted me the grace to grow in that area.

What a joyful surprise to discover how he bears with me now, walking me through the deserts he has planned for me and patiently suffering the injustice of my sinful responses in order to show me my heart and teach me about his love.

Regardless of how we happen to be doing in the obedience department today, there is great joy and delight to be found in the fact that Jesus trusted and obeyed in our place, and now his faith and perfect obedience are credited to us every moment of every day.

[Amy Kannel]

Well. If the measure of a book is how much it makes you think, how much underlining and starring and scribbling in the margins you do...then this is five stars for sure. It took me six months to get through it because I felt I needed to answer the questions at the end of each chapter, and consider the arguments carefully.

I found so much of this to be rich and helpful. But reading it was also angst-producing, because never before have I read a book that simultaneously resonated so deeply with my experience, yet also left me skeptical of its handling of Scripture.

I still can't decide whether my significant concerns and reservations are stemming from the fact that the author has pinpointed my own weaknesses and it is the message I most need to hear but find difficult to rest in, or whether my disagreements are legitimate because I am discerning sketchy theology. At this point I don't think I can recommend it without significant disclaimers/cautions...yet I am not ready to dismiss it for all the value mixed in with the questionable.

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for our women's bible study at church. She was too inconsistent in her theology, made broad, sweeping generalizations in one chapter but then flushed it out well. This book is definitely not for a new believer as it could cause a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. The other annoyance I had was she did not make it clear when she was referencing/paraphrasing John Newton or if it was her own thought. For me, I equate it to being too similar to the parenting book of Give Them Grace by Fitzpatrick. There is a healthy relationship between discipline and grace and this one has swung too far to grace as well.

[Grace Catherine Beckham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal, and I think every Christian should read it. As someone who has spent all of her remembered life a Christian and much of her life resistant to the receiving/beholding of grace, this book spoke into everything my heart cried for. Duguid faithfully intertwines the personal theological work of John Newton and stories from her own life to express the experience and reality of what it means to grow in grace (and how that process often looks different or more disjunct than we think it should). It was incredibly comforting to read her words calling out that the Lord has each of His children *exactly* where He wants them in their spiritual maturity in *this exact moment.* We can drink deeply from the truth-well of grace knowing that its piercing and perfecting power will draw us into deeper worship and obedience, not the bondage to sin that we so often fear. She dignifies the wilderness and presses into the importance of God's sovereignty even and especially in our falling and failures. I am so grateful I read this book and pray that God's truth and comfort in it will continue to sink more and more deeply into my heart and shape the way I live and love.

A few quotes I really enjoy:
"Spiritual growth to maturity is God's work from beginning to end, and He alone will get the credit. ... you are exactly as holy and mature in your faith as God wants you to be. He cannot be disappointed in you or surprised by you."

"... joy and peace comes because it reminds us that God will have his way with us in spite of our weakness and the power of our ongoing sinful desires."

"... you are free to struggle and fail; you are free to grow slowly; you are free at times not to grow at all; you are free to cast yourself on the mercy of God for a lifetime. Repeated failure does not mean that you are unsaved or that God is tired of you and disappointed. It does mean that he has called you to a difficult struggle and that he will hold on to you in all of your standing and falling and bring you safely home."

"The good news of the gospel is precisely what gives us the courage to be honest about our sin without being undone by it."

"Gratitude is a strong and mighty emotion that calms the spirit and restores order to the universe. To be grateful, of course, you must first be needy..."

"... the Holy Spirit's work within them cannot be frustrated."

[Sharon Loves to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book 10⭐️, believe me, I would. I recommend this book to every follower of Jesus, whether you think you need to understand grace more or not. (I can almost assuredly, yet humbly, say you do.)

Most churches get grace wrong, either swinging towards permissiveness or toward some degree of legalism. This book shows another way—I believe the right way. Why don’t we as a church follow this way? Because it is easier to exist in an extreme that we can grasp, understand, and explain.

Barbara Duguid isn’t afraid of the seeming contradictions in living an obedient yet grace-filled life. I have read books that try to bridge this divide, yet I have always come away with more questions or conflicting thoughts. Extravagant Grace finally bridged this gap for me. Now that I have finished the book, I know I need to reread it yearly to try to make sure God’s “Extravagant Grace” gets impressed into my soul, overcoming years of conflicting messages from well-meaning church teachings which stressed obedience but were inadequate in presenting God’s truly amazing grace.

Highly recommended!!

CW—some sins that Duguid gives as examples may be too strong for younger teens. I recommend for 15+.

[John Boyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace is a term that is thrown around all the time in Christian circles, and is rarely understood. Barbara incorporates the writings of John Newton, the former slave trader and author of "Amazing Grace", to fully define and apply what God's grace on our lives should look like. The first thing she does is break down the incorrect view of the victorious Christian life, where if I just work hard enough I will stop sinning and glorify Christ in my works. The author easily points out that that just isn't the case in any Christian life. Instead, what happens is that we continually sin and sin again, yet God's grace is still applied to us. God uses our sins for his glory to the point where we need to not be continually run down by guilt over our sin but to continuously rejoice and rest in God's grace. It is God's grace that gives us victory, not our resistance against temptation. It is through God's ordination of our sins that our weaknesses are put on display and that God's power is manifested in our lives. I highly recommend this book to those who are struggling with why they continue to sin and ask God why he hasn't removed that sin from their lives. It may just be that God is using that sin to further his kingdom and to use you to bring him even more glory.

[Hilary Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this all the way through with a book group, and I'm so glad. It was a great book that made me grow in faith. I read it at a perfect time in life when several things were very relevant and were made all the more impactful. I know some of the ideas presented pushed me to think beyond set beliefs I've had about God. There are still some things that Mrs. Duguid presented that I want to believe are outright crazy...but upon discussion and time to ponder I think are fairly spot on. I would like to read it again, especially with my husband. I am grateful that I was able to talk about the chapters as I went along to digest and question and marvel...I recommend this for anyone wanting to stretch their faith muscles.

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Jack Miller has a famous and confounding quote: “Cheer up you’re worse that you think. Cheer up the love and grace of God is far deeper than you could ever imagine.” Extravagant Grace took me into a deeper understanding of this truth. Drawing a great deal from the writings of John Newton, Duguid mines the depths of sin with great personal honesty, and then lifts up the incredible, “extravagant” grace of our God.

This book further deepened—dare I say—transformed my understanding of my sin and the depth of grace. When I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about it and seeking to apply it to my life. Theologically, Duguid leans very hard on the “grace” side of the grace vs. works pendulum. At times, this was jarring to my works-based-righteousness heart. But I am grateful for how it has challenged me in my understanding of God’s sovereignty over all of my life, including my sin.

[Sophia]

Still processing this! It really hit me hard and has challenged my view of sanctification. I agree with some of the other reviews that said this book was hard to read. It was and partially I think because of her writing style. At the end, I can’t say she’s saying anything wrong, biblically (at least how I can see it in my limited view) but it’s just hard to swallow and I need more time to process.

[Brooke Froberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of book you can’t stop bringing up in conversation

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Duguid's blend of theology and personal stories makes for fascinating, transforming reading. This book examines the ways in which the author's view of sanctification has changed over the course of her life. Barbara reveals moments in her life that beautifully illustrate her developing view of God's work in the life of the believer, not only through obedience and traditional methods of "spiritual formation," but perhaps more profoundly in the sin which leaves her realizing her dependence on Christ.

These insights on the way in which God is glorified even when we sin and are at our weakest were the parts of the book that affected me the most deeply. As someone who spent many years studying the classics of spiritual formation, I have wrestled with the role they play in the life of the Christian. Barbara knows grace. She knows theology. She loves church history. She knows John Newton, whose works provide a framework for her discussion, and she is honest about her life, which she shares with a vulnerability that never feels forced or irrelevant. She shares her stories in a way that reveals Christ.

I read this book in two days; I could not put it down. I also have not stopped recommending it since I finished it. If you want a deep drink of grace, pick up this book.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Classic antinomianism re-imaged with modern stories and modern helplessness. It is full of false dilemmas, equivocations, unidentified opponents, misrepresentations and failures to make distinctions. At times it even tries to sell a popular Calvinist caricature: fatalism.

Read Mark Jones' Antinomianism. It shows how this modern form of "free grace" is just the old antinomianism recycled.

[Kimi Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life. Absolutely will re-read and give to everyone i know. I’ve never experienced or understood the Gospel like this before. So good!

[Diane Dekker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Those of us who have been brought up in the Puritan tradition have always been taught that sin is terribly destructive, that it poisons our souls, separates us from God, and ultimately makes shipwreck of our faith leading to death. We believed that if we stubbornly continued in sin, we would be storing up wrath for the day of judgment. But Barbara Duguid isn’t having it.

Duguid begins in her preface:

"If our ongoing sin keeps us at the foot of the cross, desperately in need of a refuge and redeemer, then the party starts here and now and my daily sin becomes the conduit for outrageous joy and celebration. So let the festivities begin (p.18).

Her main thesis in the book is that there is something God loves even more than a life that is victorious over sin — he loves for his people to be broken and contrite — and for this reason he will often choose to walk us through our sin rather than give us victory over it. She says,

Let’s be honest: if the chief work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification is to make Christians more sin-free, then he isn’t doing a very good job… his decision to leave Christians with many struggles with sin must also somehow serve to glorify him and benefit his people. This is shocking news, isn’t it? Think of what this means. God thinks that you will actually come to know and love him better as a desperate and weak sinner in continual need of grace than you would as a triumphant Christian warrior who wins each and every battle against sin. This makes sense out of our experience as Christians (p. 30).

Personal experience ranks high in her determination of what is true and the whole book is filled with story after story about her personal failures.

Duguid assures us that God’s real goal is not to remove sin but to make us more aware of it. She says,

What is God’s goal for us as we mature in faith? Is it simply that we actually sin less and less, or rather that we see our sin more and more? If his goal is that we see more and more sin, then he is ordaining to leave and tolerate a great deal of sin in us for his higher purpose (p. 59).

She also assures us that when we sin, it is because God willed it:

It may come as a shocking thought that God ordains sin! We know from Scripture that he never tempts anyone to evil and cannot be tempted by it himself (James 1:13). However, it is equally clear that a God who could stop sin and chooses not to, but chooses instead to use it for his own ends, has clearly willed it without ever causing it (p. 60).

Duguid lists godly fruit as a further benefit of ongoing sin:

However, if you believe that God is completely sovereign over your sin and is always using it for your own good to teach you more about yourself and more of his grace, then you are free to hate your sin but love what God is doing through it. This does not lead to discouragement, fear, anxiety, and depression. On the contrary, it leads to peace, joy, and greater confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit living in you (p.61-62).

Duguid reimagines sanctification as a monergistic act of God, denying that at regeneration we have been empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit to kill sin in our lives. According to Duguid, sin is inevitable and we are not free agents.

What if God has left you in such a weak state here on earth that you couldn’t even want to flip that Holy Spirit switch (if there were such a thing) without his help and enabling? What if he has done this very thing for our own good—and for his glory? What if the pathway to huge, overwhelming, and abundant joy in Christ does not take us around our sin, but takes us right through the middle of it? (p. 98). God has been writing the story of your life and, on a grander scale, the history of his people by allowing and restraining sin. You are not a free agent (p.105).

If decreasing the total number of sins that I committed were God’s primary objective, he would have kept me out of the wilderness…God loves broken and contrite hearts, and we don’t acquire those by living the victorious Christian life (p. 118-119). God loves a humble and contrite spirit, and this can come to us in no other way than through our own repeated sinful failure (p. 214).

In the entire book, there is not one warning such as what we find in Romans 2:4-5. “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” The book has a very ‘woke’ flavor to it as it seeks to coddle sinners and convince them they are saved when they may not be. Pretty dangerous stuff when dealing with eternity.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, rounded up.

This book was very difficult for me to read. It was also very encouraging, all at once. The good part of this book was that it enlarged my view of God, and truly, a book like that has much merit. This book will help you see ways that are utterly harmonious with Scripture that God can be glorified by leaving Christians to struggle so hard with sin. It will help you to complete the cycle of repentance that John Calvin describes in "The Little Golden Book of the True Christian Faith" that starts with shame over our sin but ends in joy at the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

However I typically finished a time of reading this book utterly discouraged. I appreciated Barbara Duguid's willingness to share her own struggles with sin and definitely identified with her - sometimes in the pattern of how the struggle works, sometimes in the actual temptation and falling into a specific sin. But Duguid's description of her own life and her reading of Newton (which I'm not 100% convinced, having never read "The Letters of John Newton" for myself, is completely accurate) left me hopeless that I'd be given grace at any point to make a measure of progress in sanctification here on earth. Who wants to finish reading a book and think, "well, so I'm just going to keep hurting those around me with my sin I guess. But soli Deo gloria, right?" If there's a recipe for plunging one into depression, that could be one ingredient.

I think this book presents these particular flaws because it presents a deterministic, rather than compatibalistic, view of the human person. The book actually declares that, "you are not a free agent, able to do whatever you want in the spiritual realm, any more than you are able to fly simply by wishing for some wings." If I am reading correctly, the view of this book is that God's sovereignty does not leave human beings room for free choice. This is out of step with the Westminster Confession of Faith 3.1, "God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established." In fact this book's error seems to be that it dances dangerously on the edges of hyper-Calvinism. It does not fall fully into the trap of believing that God does not call all to salvation. The call to all is affirmed resoundingly when Duguid states, "God calls all men and women to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation." Yet by denying our agency, Duguid also dances very close to the antinomianism that many other reviews accuse her of, and I think the accusations are valid. I've followed along with the Contemporary Grace/hyper-grace controversy a bit and in some cases think the accusations are utter poppycock. Not here.

As other reviewers have noted, there are a lot of false dichotomies in the book too.

If there's one thing the book has made me want to do, it's read "The Letters of John Newton." I'd hope that he's less sloppy - keeping the grand view of God without the problematic elements. Another reviewer on Amazon also recommended Thomas Watson's "All Things for Good" as a source of the positives of this book without the negatives, and I put that in on my TBR list also.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book paints a picture of a Christian to living out the truth of 2 Cor. 12:9 "my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weakness that the power of Christ may rest on me." John 15:4 also plays prominently as Duguid honestly shares how the Christian life is one of continual dependence on Christ as we continue to struggle with sin. My favorite thing about this book is Duguid's vulnerability as she shares how Jesus has been faithful and kind to her in the midst of her darkest struggles with pride. This is the first book I've read where someone describes wrestling with an eating disorder. I had always wanted to read John Newton, so this was a helpful introduction to his ideas. Duguid encouraged me that I am not alone in feeling the tension between Jesus saving me but me still being a mess who sins everyday. However, I wish she had meditated more on 2 Cor. 5:17 and other passages that speak of us being new creations in Christ and living into our upcoming glorification (Eph. 2:4-10). Perhaps she should have a more positive view of our sanctification alongside her deep understanding of God's grace. This book was worth reading just to press into my soul that I am not sanctified by our own efforts and God loves me more than I can fathom despite my innumerable sins.

[Heather Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ I want everyone I know to read this book!!!!! The author takes the writings of John Newton and makes them digestible and applicable to life today. This book so deeply explains the biblical view of sin, grace, and sanctification. I see grace & freedom in Christ anew after reading

"But though my disease is grievous, it is not desperate; I have a gracious and infallible Physician. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord."

“God has not linked his own glory with our performance, but rather with the performance of his only beloved Son. The agreement made within the Trinity before time began was meant to reveal the glory of the Godhead, and man was never given the power to diminish that glory with his sin. Quite the contrary, the relentless sinfulness of man could only magnify the huge, wonderful, determined, and unshakable love that God set on his people for his own good pleasure. The glory was never meant to reside in the creature but fully in the goodness and holiness of the Creator.”

[Easton Tally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite, but faithfully encouraging.

If the primary goal of God’s redemption in us is not to minimize our sin, but rather enlarge His beauty and glory, we ought to react to sin differently than simply pledging to stop - it must lead us to praise. Sin has no actual power, let us not allow it experiential power. “But though my disease is grievous, it is not desperate; I have a gracious and infallible Physician. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.”

The words “It is finished” can hold real, daily significance. If all our sin - past, present, and future - was nailed to the cross on that day, let us not act as if they can undo those words but rather understand that it is that sin that put Him there, but it was that same sin that was unable to keep Him there.