Allein durch Gnade: Endlich frei von Gesetzlichkeit

by Derek Prince

"Ich halte Gesetzlichkeit für das größte Einzelproblem in der Gemeinde Christi. Verwirrung in diesem Bereich ist die Ursache vieler unserer Probleme." - Diese dramatische Aussage von Derek Prince spiegelt den Grundtenor dieses Buches wider. Nachdem er das zentrale Problem der Gesetzlichkeit, das jeden von uns betrifft, identifiziert hat, wird Derek Ihnen helfen, es in Ihrem Leben auszumerzen, und Sie zu einem wirklich revolutionären Verständnis der Gnade Gottes bringen. Sie werden durch dieses Buch dazu befähigt: Gesetzlichkeit in Ihrem eigenen Leben identifizieren zu können - Die ganz praktischen und biblischen Anweisungen von Derek in Ihrem Leben umzusetzen - In einer neuen Freiheit und Sicherheit im Herrn zu wandeln!

Genres: Christian Living, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian

229 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Derek Prince (1915-2003), was an International Bible teacher and founder of Derek Prince Ministries International, wrote more than fifty books.
He was born in India of British parents. Educated as a scholar of Greek and Latin at Eton College and Cambridge University, England, he held a Fellowship in Ancient and Modern Philosophy at King’s College. He also studied Hebrew and Aramaic, at Cambridge University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His daily radio broadcast, Derek Prince Legacy Radio, still reaches listeners around the world.

Reviews

[Lee Rubsam · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Derek Prince were alive during the ever-swirling controversy around "grace teaching" which we see today, I have no doubt he would be considered by some a heretic. Because of the extremes embraced by false grace teachers, it seems the Body of Christ is very afraid of this subject -- a tragedy, since grace not only for salvation, but for continued life in Christ is central to true Christianity.

I first began to read in-depth about grace about nine years ago, when, after praying a great deal for understanding on the topic, I was introduced to Joseph Prince's books (no relation to Derek Prince). My eyes were opened at that time to just how steeped in legalism the Church is, and how little I knew of true grace. I began a journey into real freedom, as I learned that genuine holiness comes from God's continuous flow of grace into us.

Derek Prince was every bit as radical as Joseph Prince is, in his no-compromise stance on grace. Both clearly state that most Christians are trying to live a mixture of law and grace, and that this is neither acceptable to God, nor does it work. The only real difference between how the two of them approach grace is that, in his earlier teachings, Joseph Prince erred in not seeing a need to confess sin to God, since we are continually washed in Jesus' blood. While one does need to sift carefully through Joseph Prince's older writings on grace, Derek Prince's teaching on it is solidly biblical from beginning to end.

As is usual with Derek Prince, the points he makes are simple but profound, crystal clear, and wonderfully methodical in layout. He uses a precept-upon-precept, line-upon-line approach which makes deep spiritual concepts easy to absorb.

As with all of Mr. Prince's books published since his death, I was amazed at the incredible editing gifts of those who compiled By Grace Alone. By pulling together his many written notes and hours of audio teaching, they have created an end product so seamless that the reader would never guess it had not been written out exactly as it appears by Mr. Prince himself.

I highly recommend this book!

[Margaret Metz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think one of the biggest problems facing the church of today is legalism or a works based righteousness. It is perfectly natural -- the world we live in judges by performance. It is very hard to give up that mindset. Some of it is just our experiences and "worldly" influence and teachings and some of it is pride. We think we need to earn it -- and that we're capable.

In reality, we need to humbly come before God and recognize that our righteousness is like rags. We need to recognize that He is the one who saves, equips, and makes us right with God.

It's a powerful and important mindset. I think this book delivers the message very well and backs up points with Scripture. I appreciated what he was saying - but I wish the book didn't read so much like a textbook. It would have been better if it was more personal --- and included stories from real people about how their life was changed when they accepted true grace.

Still, it's very good book and though I am thankful Chosen gave me a copy, it in no way influenced my review.

[Abigail · Rating 1 out of 5]

By Grace Alone is a book that, from the very first page, seeks to show us how to live in grace alone, set aside from any kind of works. "The ultimate purpose of this book is for you to discover what does and does not matter in your Christian walk. I believe for each of us, this is a matter of critical importance." While some parts of this book were decently thought provoking, I was not impressed by it. I'll be the first to admit, however, that this was due to the fact that I did not agree with quite a bit of Prince's theology.

Throughout this book I found tidbits and statements that clearly showed that Prince either was not basing his theology 100% of the Scriptures, or he was failing miserably to adequately explain what he meant by such statements. The front of the book states that four different translations have been used and marked accordingly so that you know which translation is being used, and yet not once were any of the verses marked. As far as I know, NKJV is the only translation he used. Ironic really, because early on in the book he makes the statement, "This is the New King James translation, but it is not a literal translation of the Greek." The KJV and NKJV are literal translations.

In other areas he makes other statements only to contradict himself or negate his own statement later on in the book. Overall, I didn't agree with a lot of what he said, which is why I am unable to recommend this book. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.

[Petko Bossakov · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an Eastern Orthodox, I am pleased that Derek Prince's conclusions appear to match what I feel our Church has been saying all along, even though he is rooted in an entirely different Christian tradition.

Salvation through following Mosaic law is (probably) impossible; salvation through empty faith is equally impossible. Salvation is by grace alone; accepting and receiving grace involves both faith and works, but in the process it is important to tame our ego, to put aside any preconceived strict and hard rules, as well as our personal opinions on what is right or wrong, and to simply make space for God to work inside us. Works are not an achievement that we can take pride in, and failure is not something we should feel guilty about. Grace is simply an undeserved gift for us to accept.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is much like Joseph Prince, though they aren't related actually.
By grace alone is a doctrine of justification, a soteriology. Opened with laws, The purpose of the law, and ended with love and grace. The purpose of this book is that many still live under the old law, and thus not have freedom. The author want us to really understand what is law, how we already filled with grace, then live under love and freedom.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me a completely new perspective on walking with Christ. I always felt like I had to earn my way to Heaven. But Derek Prince breaks down why it's by God's grace - not our own works - that we have been saved. This is the one book I highly recommend to anyone (besides the Bible of course).

[Yolanda Michalowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book title says it best

This book was ,next to the bible, the most important read in my walk with Christ. Clarified what Jesus saved us from, the chains of legalism, the law, and the why. God's grace is so lovingly amazing!

[Sean Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for every Christian. Clear and concise on the role of the law and the role of grace. I found it very insightful

[Trdat III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful to purge legalistic mindsets and roots.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

By Grace Alone is a good book for those struggling of feeling worthy to follow the faith, especially if you've experienced legalism at church or from other Christians. While Prince balances the subject well of following law and God's grace, he let's some of his own opinions verses letting scripture talk in the book. I didn't disagree with his viewpoints, but I felt to strengthen them it would have been better to let proof in the scriptures attest to what he was saying. It would have made for a more concise book.

Summary: For many Christians their walk consistent of a bunch of don't's. Don't drink alcohol. Don't curse. Don't smoke. Don't miss church on Sunday. Plus many more as well. Derek Prince though believes that while trying to follow the laws of God is a must, and one that represent your love and loyalty to God, he also believes that getting caught up on legalism can turn your act of faith into act of works toward believing you can be righteous enough for God's grace. Prince believes that the law is more than about causing people to feel they should be perfect, but one that instead shows us just how much humanity needs the grace of God because we can never achieve perfection.


Characters: Well there are no characters. Just Prince discussing his views and thoughts on the delicate balance of law and grace. Prince comes off with some great viewpoints, and I loved that he has made it a pursuit to try to find this very thin line in how you follow your faith without becoming the king of laws yourself. I don't know if anyone has every met someone who makes constant statuses about the evils of drinking alcohol or even others' sexuality, but it sometimes feels that these people are so busy constantly wanting to report on others, and building themselves up on the things they don't do to make themselves feel more pleasing to God. It's like they've lost the idea that the sole reason Christ died in the first place is because no one could eve please God only through our works. And while as a Christian you want God's grace, you also try to follow the standard God has set to try to show your love toward him. I would say that trying to follow God's standards is more about showing your thankfulness, your love, your loyalty, and commitment to God. It's not about making yourself feel better than others because others don't want to, or have fallen away from God.

Writing: The writing at times doesn't always flow easy. I like the overall point, and there were enough repetitive points to keep us on cue with that. I felt at times he lacked referring to scripture to back up some of the statements he made though. Don't get me wrong, for the most part he seemed really great about always giving a lot of insight to Bible, but some things seemed like gigantic leaps of assumption. Like the Cain and Abel bit about that being the first of two religions. I thought that was a great idea, but not necessarily anything you could say so firmly in stone. There are ideas and solid foundation ideas you could get from that, but the Bible never clearly states why Cain had an offering that God thought lesser of than Abel's. I think Derek Prince makes some great points about what he has concluded as to why God thought the way he did, but to write so know all about God, I guess is the way to put it, just seems so set in stone, and unless God clearly ever stated it then it isn't. Also, it is very obvious that Prince is Pentecostal. I don't disagree with Pentecostals in many of their view points, but I feel they do put a lot of emphasis on some Biblical ideas than others, and at times I felt that Prince was almost being a bit stand offish from other denominations because honestly speaking tongues, healings, etc., are much more apart of his central doctrine.

Plot: Prince develops his point with making each chapter an additional build upon on the last one. He goes from just discussing the law, to what the law leaves for humans who can't even fully achieve, and then how grace comes in to play. I guess the biggest thing was that I felt the book could have been summed up quicker. There are times I zoned out reading because it was very wordy and felt like things I had already gathered somewhere else in the book.

By Grace Alone does present one of the better portraits of how God's grace works that I've read. There were a few moments I oddly felt someone might feel condemned though in a book trying to avoid people feeling that their is no grace for them. A book like this should try to fully reply on scripture, but with a person writing it there will always be that struggle to not be the know all to your book and present a portrait of God that might be more about the opinions someone has placed on how he works. I loved the overall message and hope though.

Rating 7 of 10.

This book was provided by Chosen books in exchange for a review.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn’t what you think, though it may likely be what you need. You would imagine that a witch hunt for who should be labeled a legalist would be what you would find, but that is not the case at all. No, what you have is what grace really is and what it could never be.

The tone is respectful throughout, but the issue is faced head on. He doesn’t try to ditch the Law of God, but use it as the Lord intends. Here is the irrefutable fact: Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness. Christ, of course, fulfills the Law, but He ends it as a source of righteousness for you and me.

Most Christians I know grasp that as it pertains to salvation. The problem is that we think the opposite when we try to live the Christian life. We try to earn God’s favor, we think we must be worthy of His love. The problem is that we are as in need of grace as before. As Mr. Prince so ably points out it can’t be both. You may get to the Lord through grace or the Law–it is one or the other, now and always!

Here is his definition of legalism: “the attempt to achieve righteousness with God by keeping a set of rules.” Well, that definition alone makes it folly. I once believed that legalism was a concept that only applied to salvation, but I was wrong. Like the foolish Galatians, I can go back as a believer and live as an ardent legalist!

The purpose of the Law is not for the purpose we use it. A teacher, yes; a deliverer, never. In fact, the Law only brings condemnation. Liberty comes from Christ.

He shows how when a Holiness lady, who may love the Lord, doesn’t wear makeup and holds that up as her approval with the Lord, she makes this error. (He kindly never mentions we Independent Baptists who have a few of these ourselves). He does show how this is exactly the same as the orthodox Jew who won’t eat ham.

What really makes this book so valuable is how Mr. Prince teaches in the latter chapters how to receive God’s grace in your life and how to apply it.

If you have been hearing all the debate about legalism and you are at a loss for how to process the debate, I highly recommend this book. If you just want to straighten out your own thinking, then I recommend it even more.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 .

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you long for freedom and to experience God’s grace? Does your life feel more like you are living by a set of religious rules than living an abundant life in God’s grace?

In By Grace Alone, Derek Prince teaches that being a Christian is not about being perfect and living by a set of rules. Being a Christian is about living in God’s grace and that salvation comes through grace alone. We can do nothing to earn it.

What I Liked

This book is a book that takes on a deep and challenging topic, the Law vs. grace, the Old Covenant vs. the New Covenant, and Derek Prince takes on this topic in a way that makes it easy to understand. He uses Biblical examples and verses to illustrate the point that he was trying to make with this book.

It is not a light read or even a book that you would read all in one setting. It is a book that is meant to be taken in parts, and those parts reflected on. It is a book meant to deepen your relationship with God and your understanding of what grace is and how it works in our life.

What I Didn’t Like

The only that I didn’t like about the book is how he approached the topic of supernatural attestations of the Holy Spirit. The few times that he discussed this in the book the examples that he used were primarily talking in tongues and healing. I believe that these examples are not the only examples that should be used and I also believe that this topic either needed to be left untouched in the book or that he needed to expand upon it a little more.

Favorite Quotes

“If we seek through our own works to establish our own righteousness, we are refusing to submit to the righteousness of God, which is by faith.”
“The person motivated purely by love is always free to do exactly what he wants, and, thus, lives like a king.”
“Obedience is the way that love is expressed; furthermore, it is the way that love is developed. The more we obey, the greater our love becomes.”
“If we do not start and finish with God’s grace, Christian living is not possible on the level that the New Testament outlines.”

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"By Grace Alone: Finding Freedom and Purging Legalism From Your Life" piqued my interest because I'd never read a book that devoted itself to exploring the grace of God. It's also interesting to see what people have to say about legalism, as there is such a difference in the way this topic is viewed.


A caveat right off the bat: I had never heard of "worldwide Bible teacher Derek Prince" before, and although I looked around online before I agreed to review this book, I didn't realize he had a Pentecostal background. Therefore I did not agree with the doctrines he occasionally touched upon, such as a separate baptism of the Holy Spirit, conditional salvation, the prosperity gospel, etc. These were only briefly mentioned throughout the book, but it is part of the whole.


Overall, I found this a very interesting an thorough look at law and grace, and why the two cannot mix. Legalism in this book was strictly defined as works-based salvation. Prince expounds upon why the law was given, how the law is something we could never achieve, and how "Law writes with ink on external tablets; grace writes with the Holy Spirit on the heart" (pg. 143). Grace is the unmerited favor of God bringing us salvation and changing us into His image.


My favorite parts of the book were when Prince explained more about the cultural background of Galatians 3:24 ("...the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ...") and the last chapter, The Presence of Grace, where he discusses how grace manifests itself in a Christian's life. On the whole, I thought the book was engaging and interesting for a deeper look on these topics.


I received my copy from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.

This review originated at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com

[writer... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having had the privilege of working at the author's ministry headquarters in the English countryside, I looked forward with anticipation to reading a new compilation of Mr Prince's previously unpublished work. It doesn't disappoint.

From his opening statement of purpose, readers are in for a bit of sod turning. "The ultimate purpose of this book is for you to discover what does and does not matter in your CHristian walk...a matter of critical importance...confusion on this issue is the root of most of our problems." What are the issues of religious law vs grace that need recognition in our own lives? In the Church? Have we relegated ourselves to lives of rules and regulations? Lives of striving? Analysis is followed with anti-dote. God's gift of grace.

Mr Prince leads us into a comprehensive and life-changing understanding of grace beginning with Romans 10.4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." With this fresh perspective we begin to live the life of liberty and freedom that God's gift of grace provides. Mr Prince goes on to develop this in its entirety for full benefit and release from living a life of religious constraints.

What I love about Derek Prince's writing is his ability to distill his thorough knowledge of difficult topics into accessible language that ensures our understanding and ability to apply the principles learned. The application of those truths is up to us.

By Grace Alone provides us with seeds of grace we can choose to plant in the soil of our heart. The impetus of the Holy Spirit will bring it to fruition. Let us keep the soil clear of religious weeds that will try to choke out the new growth. And let us pray for fresh rainfall to increase the growth of grace presented via this excellent new release from Derek Prince...

[Beth Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

“By Grace Alone” is a Tool for Healing Legalism
Perhaps the hardest concept of all to grasp in Christianity is the idea of grace. After all, we’re told about grace but also told in the next breathe that in order to be good Christians we have to (fill in the blank here.) It is so easy to get caught up in the “doing” that you can forget that it isn’t the critical element in faith. “By Grace Alone” is a great resource for people who find themselves leaning towards legalism or for anyone wanting to explore the concept of grace in greater detail. This is not a quick read as the concepts require time to explore and absorb but it would make a great study for a small group. Derek Prince has done a thorough job of presenting what grace is and how it is meant to work in our lives. Beautifully researched and well-written, this is not a book to read quickly but rather a book to read slowly and to absorb. Even if you don’t view yourself as legalistic, you may be surprised to find how much unconscious legalism may have crept into your life. Just as grace itself is a gift, a greater understanding of how grace works in our lives is a gift you can give yourself.
This book was provided to me by Chosen (a division of Baker Publishing) for this review. The opinions, however, are entirely my own!

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In By Grace Alone, Derek Prince explored the law and legalism and following all of the religious rules to being a good Christian. He began the book by looking at the Law of Moses and how it was a closed system and you have to follow the commands perfectly. The good news, Derek revealed that Christ fulfilled the law when He died on the cross for our sins and we now have the concept of grace. Another strong point of the book is Derek discussing the true definition of love and how we need people in our lives who will stand beside us instead of the ones who only want to betray us with a kiss. He thoroughly went through the diverse benefits of grace in multiple chapters.

I would recommend this magnificent book on understanding the concepts of grace to all believers. I learned the importance of getting rid of our legalism and all of our rules that religion tries to put on us. I immensely loved how he portrayed how grace was introduced and how it has changed when Jesus died for our sins. The book is a little long to read because it’s written more formal and treacherous. But it’s effective at presenting the information of the slope of grace. If you’re pursuing a book on comprehending grace, then read this one!

“I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers/ Chosen book review bloggers program.”

[Chickadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

When biblical grace is taught correctly, it is the most freeing, refreshing topic there is to listen to. Especially for those who have been weighed down by religious legalism and bondage.



If you think the message of grace is a "free for all" teaching that encourages sin (which is what *I* was led to believe), I urge you to read this book.


I was quick to discover that grace (in the circles I was in), has been distorted, misrepresented and slandered. This book teaches the differences between grace and law, what God requires of us, what we are to obey and more. It also exposes the root of "self-dependence" that comes when you sit under legalism and law.

When taught correctly, grace does not encourage or condone sin, but helps you resist it. Grace causes you to fall in love with your Savior that much more, once you understand it.

You are set free from working and trying to be good enough. You no longer live with a performance acceptance mentality.

I highly recommend this book, especially for those who are burned out, weary and overloaded in their walk with God.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

In trying to explain the delicate balance of faith and works/law and grace, Derek Prince delivers solid information in a relatively dry, heavy style that reads like a term paper. His writing style would be improved by 'fleshed out' examples, stories, illustrations or parables. By communicating dryly, the liberating, beautiful concept of grace seems dimensionless. A much more interesting book on this exact same subject is the life-changing "Prodigal God" by Tim Keller. Theologically, this book has much to teach, but without an element of pathos, it doesn't powerfully deliver.

Thank you to Chosen Books for allowing me to review this book.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prince thought that legalism was a problem with the church today. He presents an exhaustive study showing that we must not live trying to earn God's approval. Living by grace is a life long process and this book is a good place to be encouraged along the way. I highly recommend this book. See my full review at http://bit.ly/19cX1H0.

[Cyril Tangham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book....Balanced approach
Nice read..
Refreshing and uplifting

[Daunavan Buyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deals very well with issues of grace and the law. I recommend it for anyone that may feel that they are under the bondage of legalism... It's good stuff!

[Myra Percle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

This book is a must read for all believers. It is foundational for anyone entering into the new covenant in Jesus Christ!!