What do you think?
Rate this book
Grace Intervention: Understanding God's Beautiful Gift of Grace
How would you define legalism in today’s church? Discover the surprising answers presented by pastor, author, and professor Bill Giovannetti, as he guides you, step by step—with humor, compassion, and biblical insight—through the counter-intuitive shift from legalism to God’s staggeringly beautiful grace. Then rest secure, knowing that God has set you free!
- GenresChristian
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
5 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 21, 2019
I don't write reviews, I am only commenting because it appears according to the computer at Goodreads this is the highest rated book I read in 2019, and the one I feel was the most useless!
Read the Bible!
Read the Bible!
March 4, 2015
Bill Giovannetti wants to make church safe for “normal Christians”—for “seekers and doubters, addicts and therapists...humble people...broken people with more problems than solutions...” He wants a church where the everyday struggles of everyday people are as much works of wonder as the words of wonderful preachers, and where grace isn’t something we don’t deserve—it’s something we do deserve because Jesus does, and he dwells in us. Fuelled by that knowledge, grace might result in surprisingly small or great works. But without it, none of our works will ever fuel grace.
I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed its reminder that the least successful among us are just as great and as grace-filled as the greatest. I enjoyed its comfort that I shouldn’t be guilted into doing what others think my faith demands. And I enjoyed its wisdom, analyzing the church’s many different historical and theological stances; the arguments about grace plus works, Savior plus Lord, faith plus or minus whatever.
Okay, the arguments get a little slow and heavy at times. The author knows his stuff, where stuff means history, theology, doctrine, books... and people. But this is a great book, equally for those of deeply read enthusiasm, and for those who haven’t time to study because their lives are too busy. It’s an enjoyably empowering book, and a powerfully joy-filled read. It just might be a call to a more powerful sort of faith as well, where grace intervenes.
Disclosure: I heard the author at a conference, and a friend bought the book but let me read it first.
I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed its reminder that the least successful among us are just as great and as grace-filled as the greatest. I enjoyed its comfort that I shouldn’t be guilted into doing what others think my faith demands. And I enjoyed its wisdom, analyzing the church’s many different historical and theological stances; the arguments about grace plus works, Savior plus Lord, faith plus or minus whatever.
Okay, the arguments get a little slow and heavy at times. The author knows his stuff, where stuff means history, theology, doctrine, books... and people. But this is a great book, equally for those of deeply read enthusiasm, and for those who haven’t time to study because their lives are too busy. It’s an enjoyably empowering book, and a powerfully joy-filled read. It just might be a call to a more powerful sort of faith as well, where grace intervenes.
Disclosure: I heard the author at a conference, and a friend bought the book but let me read it first.
September 21, 2015
I won this book through GoodReads First Read program.
Cheap grace v. leagalism. Neither side likes the moniker I have set forth but each side certainly feels free to call the other that. Each side also paints the other to the farthest extreme of their respective positions. I found it ironic that I also won "A Call to Return" by Dan Rodriquez which set forth the legalist's view. After reading both books I found myself somewhere in the middle.
I think everyone who believes that Jesus died for their sins goes to heaven. The ultimate gift of grace. I also believe that if you are truly a Christian you will make attempts to obey what God has set out as his guidelines for us. I do know those who claim they are Christians yet have no repentance and continue to sin. Cheap grace.
I also tend to disagree with Giovannetti's most controversial theory "once saved always saved" no matter what you do. Thus if you became a Christian as a 13 year old, even if you ran away from the Church and even vehemently attacked Christians and Jesus you were still saved. Giovannetti's escape clause is "they were really Christians at the beginning". This Monday morning quarterbacking is what legalists use when they say if they were true Christians they would try to obey God's word and repent when they didn't. This is an example of how both sides of the argument do the same thing yet claim only the other side does such.
It is an interesting debate. Gets your grey cells geared towards God.
Cheap grace v. leagalism. Neither side likes the moniker I have set forth but each side certainly feels free to call the other that. Each side also paints the other to the farthest extreme of their respective positions. I found it ironic that I also won "A Call to Return" by Dan Rodriquez which set forth the legalist's view. After reading both books I found myself somewhere in the middle.
I think everyone who believes that Jesus died for their sins goes to heaven. The ultimate gift of grace. I also believe that if you are truly a Christian you will make attempts to obey what God has set out as his guidelines for us. I do know those who claim they are Christians yet have no repentance and continue to sin. Cheap grace.
I also tend to disagree with Giovannetti's most controversial theory "once saved always saved" no matter what you do. Thus if you became a Christian as a 13 year old, even if you ran away from the Church and even vehemently attacked Christians and Jesus you were still saved. Giovannetti's escape clause is "they were really Christians at the beginning". This Monday morning quarterbacking is what legalists use when they say if they were true Christians they would try to obey God's word and repent when they didn't. This is an example of how both sides of the argument do the same thing yet claim only the other side does such.
It is an interesting debate. Gets your grey cells geared towards God.
January 13, 2017
Bill Giovannetti offers another powerful affirmation of the doctrine of grace. Legalism sneaks into our hearts and lives so easily that we do well to saturate our hearts and minds with the doctrine of grace, keeping it front and center every day of our lives.
Because legalism comes in many subtle forms, the author exposes both traditional legalism and neo-legalism. He also responds to typical objections to grace using Scripture and examples. He defines grace as “the unmerited favor of a non-lenient God” because he doesn’t want people to confuse grace with leniency. In other words, it’s not that God is overlooking our sin because our sin cost Him dearly.
Grace Intervention reaches into our lives to the heart of our struggle to earn God’s blessings or keep the rules. The author explains that it’s not what we do for God—the arrows going up from us to God—that matters. Rather it’s what God does for us—the arrows going down from God to us—that is the source of grace and power in our lives.
If you need a fresh infusion of grace, pick up a copy of Grace Intervention and soak in these truths all over again.
This review first appeared (with additional book quotes) on my blog, ChristyBower.com.
Because legalism comes in many subtle forms, the author exposes both traditional legalism and neo-legalism. He also responds to typical objections to grace using Scripture and examples. He defines grace as “the unmerited favor of a non-lenient God” because he doesn’t want people to confuse grace with leniency. In other words, it’s not that God is overlooking our sin because our sin cost Him dearly.
Grace Intervention reaches into our lives to the heart of our struggle to earn God’s blessings or keep the rules. The author explains that it’s not what we do for God—the arrows going up from us to God—that matters. Rather it’s what God does for us—the arrows going down from God to us—that is the source of grace and power in our lives.
If you need a fresh infusion of grace, pick up a copy of Grace Intervention and soak in these truths all over again.
This review first appeared (with additional book quotes) on my blog, ChristyBower.com.
July 9, 2015
Shake, rattle, and roll: This book jounced my embedded limited thinking
I can't say that this is a comfortable book to read, but it is an important book to read. I found myself at times saying, "What?" That can't be right," only to look up in the Bible and see the author was indeed correct.
If you think you understand grace, read this book. If you've heard the word so many times growing up that it's lost its zip, read this book. If you are feeling smug that you deal out grace, you really need to read this book.
I can't say that this is a comfortable book to read, but it is an important book to read. I found myself at times saying, "What?" That can't be right," only to look up in the Bible and see the author was indeed correct.
If you think you understand grace, read this book. If you've heard the word so many times growing up that it's lost its zip, read this book. If you are feeling smug that you deal out grace, you really need to read this book.
April 21, 2015
Grace Intervention is a thought provoking book. There are portions of Giovannetti's writing with which I whole heartedly agree and other portions with which I slightly disagree, but on the whole I found more with which I agreed than I didn't. Grace is all a gift from God and it is not something we have earned nor can earn. I did really enjoy the alphabet of grace at the end of the book.
I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
Read
February 20, 2016Had some good stuff in it but overall, was ready to be done with it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews