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The Grace Awakening
The Grace Awakening calls all Christians to wake up and reject living in such legalistic, performance-oriented bondage. The God of the universe has given us an amazing, revolutionary gift of grace and freedom. This freedom and grace set us apart from every other "religion" on the face of the earth.
In this best-selling classic, Charles Swindoll urges you not to miss living a grace-filled life. Freedom and joy-not lists and demands and duties-await all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In this best-selling classic, Charles Swindoll urges you not to miss living a grace-filled life. Freedom and joy-not lists and demands and duties-await all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
306 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
351 people are currently reading
2802 people want to read
About the author
Charles R. Swindoll
964 books833 followersCharles Swindoll has devoted over four decades to two passions: an unwavering commitment to the practical communication and application of God's Word, and an untiring devotion to seeing lives transformed by God's grace. Chuck graduated magna cum laude from Dallas Theological Seminary and has since been honored with four doctorates. For his teaching on Insight for Living, he has received the Program of the Year award and the Hall of Fame award from the National Religious Broadcasters as well as multiple book awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
March 3, 2016
Wow! I usually don't like when people use the term "life-changing" while describing a book, speech, conference, or film because it is usually only "life-changing" for a day or two after the experience before the feelings finally fade. However, The Grace Awakening was life-changing for me. I would urge the reader of this book to also spend the extra money and purchase the companion radio broadcast series with the same title by Charles Swindoll from the Insight for Living Ministry. I actually listened to each broadcast after reading each chapter.
I love Swindoll's down-to-earth humble style of teaching, coupled with his infectious joy and GRACE! This book was a renewing fresh breath of air! Read it... You won't be disappointed!
I love Swindoll's down-to-earth humble style of teaching, coupled with his infectious joy and GRACE! This book was a renewing fresh breath of air! Read it... You won't be disappointed!
February 10, 2017
I appreciate the thought-provoking nature of this book. I really like some aspects of "Grace Awakening", but had some disagreements with Swindoll as well. First of all, I enjoy Swindoll's writing style. His books are always simple and easy to understand, I'm sure even for a new Christian. I think it's great to dwell on the truths of grace. Where Swindoll shines is his explanation of grace as it relates to our relationship with God. There is nothing we can do to deserve salvation or to please God through our own abilities and actions. Everything we have, from our salvation to victory in Christian living, is a gift of God's grace. This book is a needed reminder that the Christian life isn't a checklist, it's a relationship with Christ.
Where I disagree with Swindoll is in his definition and explanation of what I would call interpersonal grace, grace as seen in relationships between believers. First, he uses the term "legalism" in describing those who believe that Christian should follow a checklist in order to please God and try to push their moral code onto others. Legalism, strictly speaking, refers to those who believe that good works are necessary for salvation. A better term might be "self-righteousness"; thinking that you are better than others because of the good things that you do. This is certainly a problem in many churches today. More concerning to me is this: Swindoll seems to say that grace in regards to other believers means letting them do whatever they want without even trying to advise or help them, that grace means that other people's actions are only between them and God and that we have no business judging OR trying to help them grow. He implies that grace means that we have to let people just grow at their own pace, and that it's not our business to be concerned with the actions of others at all. I agree that we should be very careful about judging others or comparing ourselves to others in our actions, but I believe that grace involves seeking the highest good of others. Sometimes this may involve rebuking or correcting, sometimes encouraging others. I think that grace is practical love, love at work. Treating others with grace means wanting what is best for others and helping them to grow closer to God.
On a separate note, there is an aspect of church life where accountability must be exercised. A church should show grace, but it also has other responsibilities like discipleship and even occasionally church discipline. Grace in a church certainly doesn't mean dumping all standards of Christian living.
I agree that in our relationship with God, we need to recognize our constant need for grace. In our dealings with others, we should show grace. But while that doesn't involve imposing a checklist of standards on other people, it may involve conversations that help people to think through these issues and deal with them personally.
I don't intend to convey a negative attitude about this book through this review. Taken as a whole, "Grace Awakening" is a valuable resource on the topic of grace. I enjoyed it and can recommend it, but with these reservations.
Where I disagree with Swindoll is in his definition and explanation of what I would call interpersonal grace, grace as seen in relationships between believers. First, he uses the term "legalism" in describing those who believe that Christian should follow a checklist in order to please God and try to push their moral code onto others. Legalism, strictly speaking, refers to those who believe that good works are necessary for salvation. A better term might be "self-righteousness"; thinking that you are better than others because of the good things that you do. This is certainly a problem in many churches today. More concerning to me is this: Swindoll seems to say that grace in regards to other believers means letting them do whatever they want without even trying to advise or help them, that grace means that other people's actions are only between them and God and that we have no business judging OR trying to help them grow. He implies that grace means that we have to let people just grow at their own pace, and that it's not our business to be concerned with the actions of others at all. I agree that we should be very careful about judging others or comparing ourselves to others in our actions, but I believe that grace involves seeking the highest good of others. Sometimes this may involve rebuking or correcting, sometimes encouraging others. I think that grace is practical love, love at work. Treating others with grace means wanting what is best for others and helping them to grow closer to God.
On a separate note, there is an aspect of church life where accountability must be exercised. A church should show grace, but it also has other responsibilities like discipleship and even occasionally church discipline. Grace in a church certainly doesn't mean dumping all standards of Christian living.
I agree that in our relationship with God, we need to recognize our constant need for grace. In our dealings with others, we should show grace. But while that doesn't involve imposing a checklist of standards on other people, it may involve conversations that help people to think through these issues and deal with them personally.
I don't intend to convey a negative attitude about this book through this review. Taken as a whole, "Grace Awakening" is a valuable resource on the topic of grace. I enjoyed it and can recommend it, but with these reservations.
May 9, 2016
This is a somewhat updated edition with a 31 day devotional at the back, and this is a reread, so I'm not sure if this link it the one showing here or not, but I'll shelve the one I added to GR for the reread since it would only let me switch existing editions since someone has put them altogether, even though that is wrong due to added material, new introduction and updated examples, etc.
This is the best book I've ever read on the sometimes elusive Grace preached in the Bible. So many people want to take that and turn it into a strict set of extra rules (legalism) or use it as a license to do whatever they feel like it, regardless (license to sin). But grace is neither; on the one hand it comes freely and with forgiveness, but on the other it's not to be abused.
Swindoll examines what grace is and how accepting and showing it leads to healthier lives, relationships and impact. Given my very busy week, I have had to read over half of this deep book in the past 24 hours among sleeping and life's tasks, so it's hard to write an elaborate review as my brain needs time to rest. Nevertheless, it was worth the reread.
This is the best book I've ever read on the sometimes elusive Grace preached in the Bible. So many people want to take that and turn it into a strict set of extra rules (legalism) or use it as a license to do whatever they feel like it, regardless (license to sin). But grace is neither; on the one hand it comes freely and with forgiveness, but on the other it's not to be abused.
Swindoll examines what grace is and how accepting and showing it leads to healthier lives, relationships and impact. Given my very busy week, I have had to read over half of this deep book in the past 24 hours among sleeping and life's tasks, so it's hard to write an elaborate review as my brain needs time to rest. Nevertheless, it was worth the reread.
January 8, 2013
I bought this book when I was in college, but I didn't read it until a few years ago. I was researching the concept of grace for a piece of fiction I was writing. Then, in the middle of reading it, I realized that I had forgotten why I was reading it. Why, oh, why isn't the concept of grace talked about more in our lives? Swindoll makes his point over and over again that if we fully understood grace, it would change everything about us. I was changed in reading this and the book I was writing changed too.
Read
October 24, 2023This book gave me a lot of new ways to think about grace and how it impacts every area of our lives. It reminded me of how much grace is extended to me daily, by God and by people, and how much I am in a position to give others. I enjoyed it.
March 15, 2010
Enjoyed meditating on this devotional about grace. Some of my favorite quotes include:
During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river which had overflowed its banks because of a recent downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who was not part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side.
As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, "Tell me, why did you select the President to ask this favor of?" The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him.
"All I know," he said, "Is that on some of your faces was written the answer 'No,' and on some of them was the answer 'yes.' His was a 'Yes' face."
"Please understand, to be justified does not mean "just as if I'd never sinned." I hear that often and it always troubles me. In fact, it weakens the full impact of justification. Justification really means this: Even though I still sin periodically and have found myself unable to stop sinning on a permanent basis—God declared me righteous when I believed. And because I will continue to sin from time to time, I find all the more reason to be grateful for grace. As a sinner I deserve vengeance. As a sinner I'm afraid of justice. And so, as a sinner, my only hope for survival is grace. In its purest form, it makes no earthly sense!"
“Grace is God’s universal good news of salvation. The tragedy is that some continue to live lives in a death bog because they have been so turned off by a message full of restrictions, demands, negativism and legalism. You may have been one of those held in bondage, victimized by a system that has stolen your joy and snuffed out your hope….if you can come to the camp of grace beneath the cross you’ll never be in the awful bog again.
You will be free ... free at last."
“Grace also brings a freedom to do something else—a freedom to enjoy the rights and privileges of being out from under slavery and allowing others such freedom. It’s freedom to experience and enjoy a new kind of power that only Christ could bring. It is a freedom to become all that he meant me to be, regardless of how he leads others. I can be me—fully and freely. It is freedom to know him in an independent and personal way. And that freedom is released to others so they can be who they are meant to be—different from me.”
The one place on earth where we would most expect to be set free is, in fact, the very place we are most likely to be placed into slavery: the church.
With all this talk about grace and liberty, perhaps it's time for me to clarify something. Some may be asking: Doesn't liberty have its limits? Shouldn't folks restrain their freedom and occasionally hold themselves in check? Yes, without question. Grace can be and sometimes is---abused. By that I mean exercising one's liberty without wisdom, having no concern over whether it offends or wounds a young and impressionable fellow believer. But I must hasten to add that I believe such restraint is an individual matter. It is not to be legislated, not something to be forced on someone else. Limitations are appropriate and necessary, but I fail to find in Scripture anyplace where one is to require such restraint from another. To do so is legalism. It plugs up breathing holes. It kills grace. The best restraint is self-restraint that comes from the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit through the person and presence of Jesus Christ in each individual life. It's been my observation over the last thirty years that the vast majority of believers need to be freed, not restrained. Our job is to free people; God's job is to restrain them. God is doing His job much better than we are doing ours.
In spite of the terrible consequences sins may bring, grace also means we allow others the freedom to choose, regardless. To do otherwise abuses as much as those who use their freedom as a license to sin. I am a firm believer in mutual accountability, but grace means I will not force or manipulate or judge or attempt to control you, nor should you do those things to me. It means we will keep on helping others to freedom by providing breathing holes. It means we deliberately let go so each of us can grow and learn on our own; otherwise, we shall never enjoy the liberty of an open sea. For most of us, letting others go is neither natural nor easy. Because we care, it is more our tendency to give people hints or advice. The thought of letting them fail or fall is extremely painful to us, but God treats us like that virtually every day of our lives. We tend to clutch, not release . . . to put people in our frame and not allow them any breathing holes unless and until they accept the shape of our molds.
Few people realize better than non-Christians how guilt-ridden many Christians are. A lady in our congregation tells of a conversation she had with a fellow student while the two of them were students at the Berkeley campus of the University of California. He knew she was a Christian, and he made it painfully clear that he had no interest whatsoever in her faith. When she asked why, his answer bore the sting of reality: "Because the most guilt-ridden people I know are Christians. No thanks."
Grace releases people, not only from sin but from shame. Do you do that in your ministry? Or do you make a note of those things and keep reminding yourself when that particular name comes up: "Well, you know, you'd better watch her" or, "You've gotta watch him." Do you give people reasons to feel greater shame? Who knows what battles of shame most folks struggle with? It is enormous.
My hope has been to create an appetite for grace that is so strong nothing will restrain us from pursuing the freedom and spontaneity it can bring---a longing so deep that a new spiritual dawn, a "grace awakening," if you will, cannot help but burst through the wall of legalism. Since I am a Christian minister, much of my involvement and exposure is in the realm of the church and Christian organizations. It has been my observation that even here most folks are not free; they have not learned to accept and enjoy the grace that has come to us in Jesus Christ. Though He came to set us free, it saddens me to say that many still live behind the wall of bondage. Regrettably, the stones of constraint are everywhere to be found. Instead of being places of enthusiastic, spontaneous worship, many churches and Christian ministries have become institutions that maintain a system of religion with hired officials to guard the gates and to enforce the rules.
In vain I have searched the Bible, looking for examples of early Christians whose lives were marked by rigidity, predictability, inhibition, dullness, and caution. Fortunately, grim, frowning, joyless saints in Scripture are conspicuous by their absence. Instead, the examples I find are of adventurous, risk-taking, enthusiastic, and authentic believers whose joy was contagious even in times of painful trial. Their vision was broad even when death drew near. Rules were few and changes were welcome. The contrast between then and now is staggering.
The difference, I am convinced, is grace. Grace scales the wall and refuses to be restricted. It lives above the demands of human opinion and breaks free from legalistic regulations. Grace dares us to take hold of the sledge of courage and break through longstanding stones. Grace invites us to chart new courses and explore ever-expanding regions, all the while delighting in the unexpected. While others care more about maintaining the wall and fearing those who guard it, grace is constantly looking for ways to freedom. Grace wants faith to fly, regardless of what grim-faced officials may say or think or do.
There is a "grace awakening" loose in the land. Will you become a part of it? While you take your turn with the sledgehammer and pound away, a host of us are standing near, and some of us may be half a world away, cheering you on. Don't think of it as a lonesome, isolated task. You are breaking through to freedom, and no one is more delighted than the Lord Jesus Christ, who has promised you His grace. Never forget His words: "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Stay at it. By the grace of Almighty God, the new movement will someday sweep across every continent and the longstanding wall that has kept people in bondage for centuries will come tumbling down. And we shall all, at last, be free indeed.
During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river which had overflowed its banks because of a recent downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who was not part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side.
As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, "Tell me, why did you select the President to ask this favor of?" The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him.
"All I know," he said, "Is that on some of your faces was written the answer 'No,' and on some of them was the answer 'yes.' His was a 'Yes' face."
"Please understand, to be justified does not mean "just as if I'd never sinned." I hear that often and it always troubles me. In fact, it weakens the full impact of justification. Justification really means this: Even though I still sin periodically and have found myself unable to stop sinning on a permanent basis—God declared me righteous when I believed. And because I will continue to sin from time to time, I find all the more reason to be grateful for grace. As a sinner I deserve vengeance. As a sinner I'm afraid of justice. And so, as a sinner, my only hope for survival is grace. In its purest form, it makes no earthly sense!"
“Grace is God’s universal good news of salvation. The tragedy is that some continue to live lives in a death bog because they have been so turned off by a message full of restrictions, demands, negativism and legalism. You may have been one of those held in bondage, victimized by a system that has stolen your joy and snuffed out your hope….if you can come to the camp of grace beneath the cross you’ll never be in the awful bog again.
You will be free ... free at last."
“Grace also brings a freedom to do something else—a freedom to enjoy the rights and privileges of being out from under slavery and allowing others such freedom. It’s freedom to experience and enjoy a new kind of power that only Christ could bring. It is a freedom to become all that he meant me to be, regardless of how he leads others. I can be me—fully and freely. It is freedom to know him in an independent and personal way. And that freedom is released to others so they can be who they are meant to be—different from me.”
The one place on earth where we would most expect to be set free is, in fact, the very place we are most likely to be placed into slavery: the church.
With all this talk about grace and liberty, perhaps it's time for me to clarify something. Some may be asking: Doesn't liberty have its limits? Shouldn't folks restrain their freedom and occasionally hold themselves in check? Yes, without question. Grace can be and sometimes is---abused. By that I mean exercising one's liberty without wisdom, having no concern over whether it offends or wounds a young and impressionable fellow believer. But I must hasten to add that I believe such restraint is an individual matter. It is not to be legislated, not something to be forced on someone else. Limitations are appropriate and necessary, but I fail to find in Scripture anyplace where one is to require such restraint from another. To do so is legalism. It plugs up breathing holes. It kills grace. The best restraint is self-restraint that comes from the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit through the person and presence of Jesus Christ in each individual life. It's been my observation over the last thirty years that the vast majority of believers need to be freed, not restrained. Our job is to free people; God's job is to restrain them. God is doing His job much better than we are doing ours.
In spite of the terrible consequences sins may bring, grace also means we allow others the freedom to choose, regardless. To do otherwise abuses as much as those who use their freedom as a license to sin. I am a firm believer in mutual accountability, but grace means I will not force or manipulate or judge or attempt to control you, nor should you do those things to me. It means we will keep on helping others to freedom by providing breathing holes. It means we deliberately let go so each of us can grow and learn on our own; otherwise, we shall never enjoy the liberty of an open sea. For most of us, letting others go is neither natural nor easy. Because we care, it is more our tendency to give people hints or advice. The thought of letting them fail or fall is extremely painful to us, but God treats us like that virtually every day of our lives. We tend to clutch, not release . . . to put people in our frame and not allow them any breathing holes unless and until they accept the shape of our molds.
Few people realize better than non-Christians how guilt-ridden many Christians are. A lady in our congregation tells of a conversation she had with a fellow student while the two of them were students at the Berkeley campus of the University of California. He knew she was a Christian, and he made it painfully clear that he had no interest whatsoever in her faith. When she asked why, his answer bore the sting of reality: "Because the most guilt-ridden people I know are Christians. No thanks."
Grace releases people, not only from sin but from shame. Do you do that in your ministry? Or do you make a note of those things and keep reminding yourself when that particular name comes up: "Well, you know, you'd better watch her" or, "You've gotta watch him." Do you give people reasons to feel greater shame? Who knows what battles of shame most folks struggle with? It is enormous.
My hope has been to create an appetite for grace that is so strong nothing will restrain us from pursuing the freedom and spontaneity it can bring---a longing so deep that a new spiritual dawn, a "grace awakening," if you will, cannot help but burst through the wall of legalism. Since I am a Christian minister, much of my involvement and exposure is in the realm of the church and Christian organizations. It has been my observation that even here most folks are not free; they have not learned to accept and enjoy the grace that has come to us in Jesus Christ. Though He came to set us free, it saddens me to say that many still live behind the wall of bondage. Regrettably, the stones of constraint are everywhere to be found. Instead of being places of enthusiastic, spontaneous worship, many churches and Christian ministries have become institutions that maintain a system of religion with hired officials to guard the gates and to enforce the rules.
In vain I have searched the Bible, looking for examples of early Christians whose lives were marked by rigidity, predictability, inhibition, dullness, and caution. Fortunately, grim, frowning, joyless saints in Scripture are conspicuous by their absence. Instead, the examples I find are of adventurous, risk-taking, enthusiastic, and authentic believers whose joy was contagious even in times of painful trial. Their vision was broad even when death drew near. Rules were few and changes were welcome. The contrast between then and now is staggering.
The difference, I am convinced, is grace. Grace scales the wall and refuses to be restricted. It lives above the demands of human opinion and breaks free from legalistic regulations. Grace dares us to take hold of the sledge of courage and break through longstanding stones. Grace invites us to chart new courses and explore ever-expanding regions, all the while delighting in the unexpected. While others care more about maintaining the wall and fearing those who guard it, grace is constantly looking for ways to freedom. Grace wants faith to fly, regardless of what grim-faced officials may say or think or do.
There is a "grace awakening" loose in the land. Will you become a part of it? While you take your turn with the sledgehammer and pound away, a host of us are standing near, and some of us may be half a world away, cheering you on. Don't think of it as a lonesome, isolated task. You are breaking through to freedom, and no one is more delighted than the Lord Jesus Christ, who has promised you His grace. Never forget His words: "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Stay at it. By the grace of Almighty God, the new movement will someday sweep across every continent and the longstanding wall that has kept people in bondage for centuries will come tumbling down. And we shall all, at last, be free indeed.
April 27, 2021
I love this book and have reread it multiple times. What a freeing description of the grace and liberty that is bestowed on believers through Christ! Swindoll combines straightforward explanations and real-life examples with a thorough exegesis of the amazing truths of Galatians and Romans. My only wish is that it could have used the KJV, but all of the points are thoroughly scripture-based nonetheless. What an amazing God we serve, and what a relief to know we are free to serve Him as He leads us and not as others dictate.
May 2, 2021
Loved this book. Definitely something we can aspire to try and live in grace!
July 5, 2019
Chuck Swindoll's The Grace Awakening is a book that I highly recommend to any Christian. But even more than that, I think it would be an interesting read for non-Christians, too. The reason I say that is that Swindoll presents an excellent picture of what the Christian life should look like. It cuts through the muddle of doctrinal and behavioral disputes and focuses simply on the life of grace and freedom that ought to characterize Christianity wherever it's found. Christians should be known to be people full of joy and grace, not people who argue with each other, who generate long lists of prohibited activities, who look scornfully at the rest of the world. When I read Swindoll, in this book and others by him, I think, "What a fantastic example of how attractive and joyful a Christian should be!"
I think a lot of evangelical Christian pastors are uncomfortable with ambiguity and mystery. Swindoll gives a different approach that I really appreciate:
As this book points out, a lot of our problems in living out a life of grace come down to our desire to compare ourselves with others, and our desire to control others. This fearful life is hardly what Jesus meant when he said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). But it's where a lot of us stall out, and the lesser kind of life we end up living then becomes the rest of the world's impression of what it means to follow Jesus. The Grace Awakening suggests another way to live, and it's a kind of life that I yearn for. Swindoll covers tough questions, such as disagreements with other Christians, strife within marriage, worries about finances, and other everyday challenges to grace. Our goal is clear, but our habits and fears hinder us. May we all find the freedom that Swindoll writes about!
I'm grateful for this clear, winsome reminder of how I should be seeing life. Books like this help jolt me out of my own obsessively analytical mind and skewed perspective. I need that—pretty regularly, actually.
I think a lot of evangelical Christian pastors are uncomfortable with ambiguity and mystery. Swindoll gives a different approach that I really appreciate:
Someone on our staff at our Insight for Living office informed me several months ago that a woman had called the ministry office to find out what my "official position" was on a certain gray area. When she was told that it's not my policy to make "official" public statements on such issues, she was bewildered . . . actually, a little irritated. She asked, "How are we to know what to decide on this issue if Chuck doesn't tell us?" Some may find her question amusing. Frankly, I find it a little frightening. I thought, Have we created that kind of Christian, where the minister must make statements in areas that are a matter of personal preference? There is a fine line between responsible leadership and dogmatic control. All risks notwithstanding, people need to be informed and then released to come to their own convictions. Why must a minister continually issue public edicts and decrees? . . . Have we wandered that far from grace?In a time when, in my opinion, Christian ministers sometimes overstep their sphere of influence in making comments about politics, I find this attitude very trusting and refreshing.You will never grow up as long as you must get your lists and form most of your opinions from me or some Christian leader. (44)
As this book points out, a lot of our problems in living out a life of grace come down to our desire to compare ourselves with others, and our desire to control others. This fearful life is hardly what Jesus meant when he said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). But it's where a lot of us stall out, and the lesser kind of life we end up living then becomes the rest of the world's impression of what it means to follow Jesus. The Grace Awakening suggests another way to live, and it's a kind of life that I yearn for. Swindoll covers tough questions, such as disagreements with other Christians, strife within marriage, worries about finances, and other everyday challenges to grace. Our goal is clear, but our habits and fears hinder us. May we all find the freedom that Swindoll writes about!
I'm grateful for this clear, winsome reminder of how I should be seeing life. Books like this help jolt me out of my own obsessively analytical mind and skewed perspective. I need that—pretty regularly, actually.
September 23, 2020
The Grace Awakening by Charles R. Swindoll {review}
.
.
It’s taken me forever to get to this review so it won’t be very detailed.
But despite the passing of time since I read this months ago, I still believe that it is an excellent read! Grace is the theme of the book and grace was the style employed in the writing. While I don’t agree with everything spoken of here by Chuck Swindoll, I gleaned a lot of food for thought. I appreciate the humble and gracious spirit of the author, which shines through so clearly. Grace is a sticky subject in the Christian world, and I though Swindoll did a wonderful job of approaching it biblically. The balanced explanation of the errors found in both legalism and cheap Grace were incredibly helpful!
“Cheap grace justifies the sin rather than the sinner. True grace, on the other hand, justifies the sinner, not the sin.”
“Legalistic people with their rigid dos and don’ts kill the spirit of joy and spontaneity of those who wish to enjoy their liberty. Strict legalistic people in leadership drain the very life out of a church, even though they may claim they are doing God a service.”
“Those who seek to please God only are invincible from within. Not only that, but when we stop striving to please people, we are also unintimidated from without.”
This following is a from a favorite section:
“Once we truly grasp the freedom grace brings, we can spend lengthy periods of our lives without sinning or feeling ashamed. Yes we can! And why not? Why should sin gain the mastery over us? Who says we cannot help but yield to it? How unbiblical! You see, most of us are so programmed to sin that we wait for it to happen. To tell the truth, most Christians have been better trained to expect and handle their sin then to expect and enjoy their freedom.”
I believe TGA is a book for every Christian, regardless of background. It’s a wonderful starting point for unraveling what exactly God has given us when it comes to His grace!
4.5⭐️
.
.
It’s taken me forever to get to this review so it won’t be very detailed.
But despite the passing of time since I read this months ago, I still believe that it is an excellent read! Grace is the theme of the book and grace was the style employed in the writing. While I don’t agree with everything spoken of here by Chuck Swindoll, I gleaned a lot of food for thought. I appreciate the humble and gracious spirit of the author, which shines through so clearly. Grace is a sticky subject in the Christian world, and I though Swindoll did a wonderful job of approaching it biblically. The balanced explanation of the errors found in both legalism and cheap Grace were incredibly helpful!
“Cheap grace justifies the sin rather than the sinner. True grace, on the other hand, justifies the sinner, not the sin.”
“Legalistic people with their rigid dos and don’ts kill the spirit of joy and spontaneity of those who wish to enjoy their liberty. Strict legalistic people in leadership drain the very life out of a church, even though they may claim they are doing God a service.”
“Those who seek to please God only are invincible from within. Not only that, but when we stop striving to please people, we are also unintimidated from without.”
This following is a from a favorite section:
“Once we truly grasp the freedom grace brings, we can spend lengthy periods of our lives without sinning or feeling ashamed. Yes we can! And why not? Why should sin gain the mastery over us? Who says we cannot help but yield to it? How unbiblical! You see, most of us are so programmed to sin that we wait for it to happen. To tell the truth, most Christians have been better trained to expect and handle their sin then to expect and enjoy their freedom.”
I believe TGA is a book for every Christian, regardless of background. It’s a wonderful starting point for unraveling what exactly God has given us when it comes to His grace!
4.5⭐️
February 14, 2020
A very good book! Grace is one of the things that all Christians know and yet all Christians do not know at the same time. Our whole lives are a product of grace and our new life is a product of grace. All we do is by grace and all we show should be of grace.
Chuck Swindoll labors to show this in a book that is very easy to read and follow. He starts of with a basic understanding of Grace and the greatest show of grace creation has ever seen and that is the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He then goes on to show what this grace has brought for us and how we should not give in to what he calls “Grace Killers”.
The book ends with the practical out working of grace in various areas of life but this is far from conclusive because we must all look at our lives and show grace as we have been shown grace.
Chuck Swindoll labors to show this in a book that is very easy to read and follow. He starts of with a basic understanding of Grace and the greatest show of grace creation has ever seen and that is the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He then goes on to show what this grace has brought for us and how we should not give in to what he calls “Grace Killers”.
The book ends with the practical out working of grace in various areas of life but this is far from conclusive because we must all look at our lives and show grace as we have been shown grace.
June 6, 2014
3.5 stars. This book revealed to me how much I want grace and want what Dr. Swindoll wrote about it. It also revealed some of my more recent struggles with legalism.
The good: I was encouraged by Swindoll's writings about grace and it help me ponder and long for a "Grace Awakening."
I also wanted more. I wanted to know as a legalist how to be free. How does a rule follower and one who has a tendency towards legalism become free?
To be fair, I read parts and skimmed/skipped other parts. So perhaps it was my own fault I didn't get my answers.
The good: I was encouraged by Swindoll's writings about grace and it help me ponder and long for a "Grace Awakening."
I also wanted more. I wanted to know as a legalist how to be free. How does a rule follower and one who has a tendency towards legalism become free?
To be fair, I read parts and skimmed/skipped other parts. So perhaps it was my own fault I didn't get my answers.
November 17, 2013
A little redundant, but an inspiring read. Chuck's fervent position on the notion of grace makes for a double take of one's own way of life, whether a fellow Christian or not. I was skeptical that a near 300 page book on grace could hold me (not that I don't appreciate grace) until its conclusion, but Chuck does a fine job in providing diverse content and expounding upon it without being painfully meticulous.
January 30, 2008
An excellent book, showing the need for God's grace, and what it means in real life. A plea against fundamentalism and legalism, towards a richer, freer life in Christ. A little heavy in places, perhaps, but very sound. Well worth the effort. Similar message to Philip Yancey's 'What's so Amazing about Grace?'
May 31, 2012
Swindoll does a good job interweaving scripture plus personal anecdotes to help clearly convey why Grace is the best gift a human could ever receive and why it should and has transformed of so many. However there was particularly disappointing chapter I found both offensive and incomplete. This chapter discussed the needs/roles of men and women in a relationship.
February 14, 2013
This was my least favorite of Swindoll's book. I felt that the book lacked balance. Reflective thought seemed to be missing. I felt that he made little or no effort to understand the point of view of others who disagree with him. In other words I felt that he failed to extend Grace to others.
December 23, 2017
I agree with Swindoll. The church needs a grace awakening. I loved this book. It spoke to my heart in several areas. I would recommend it to everyone. We need the reminder of what God's grace has been to us and what our grace can mean to others.
October 31, 2009
One of the auther's best. he faces complete grace more completely here than in some of his other works where he seems to fear that his readers may confuse "grace" with "license".
Read
September 15, 2016A Great eye opener for anybody, that like to cry about anything and everything. Look up and have faith. Be grateful and content.
Read
February 14, 2016Charles R. Swindoll has written a 311-page book entitled “The Grace Awakening: Believing in grace is one thing. Living it is another.” Published in 1990 by Word Publishing, this book proclaims the grace of God in both a pastoral and personal tone.
Before beginning to answer objections, Swindoll assists the reader in formulating his or her concept of grace by illustrating how it emerges in common-day experiences. Many conservatives may share objections to grace that parallel their objections to liberal notions of tolerance. Some people are intolerant of intolerance, of course. And they have good reason to be so!
As Swindoll says: We all admit that grace is risky. Let’s also admit that some will live irresponsibly. You can detect such irresponsibility rather quickly. 1.) There is a lack of love for others… little care about anybody else. 2.) There is a rationalization of out and out sin. 3.) There is an unwillingness to be accountable. 4.) There is a resistance to anyone’s getting close enough to give them wise advice. 5.) There is a disregard for one who is a new convert and therefore weak in the faith.” (50-51). Unfortunately, God does not permit us to extend conditional grace contingent upon this system of exceptions, for His own Son was crucified on our behalf – entirely disregarding our repentance. Even John Calvin rejected the notion of limited atonement, for “Christ died once for all.” So, how could we refuse to extend grace?
Yet, what of the interaction between boundaries and grace? What of the boundaries Jesus set through confrontation with the Pharisees, and through voluntary withdrawal from His disciples into the wilderness? Grace denies moral systems a position in the life of the grace-giver. Receiving grace elevates a person to an unassailable position beyond human judgments – even when those judgments are aligned with the morality of God, revealed, for example, in the Ten Commandments. Indeed, “the power of sin is the law,” and the law has been fulfilled in Christ. Grace negates questions of balance between boundaries and grace, but it also ties a person inextricably to Christ from whom grace has been extended.
While tied to Christ, a person’s control is surrendered. Grace strips us of our illusions of control. We are entirely in the mercy of the Bridegroom. Here, we are “no longer helplessly bound by impulses or desires” (50). When we are released from our attempts to control, we find freedom!
Part of living out grace is opposing legalism. Swindoll believes that freedom is worth fighting for. But how do we fight for Christian freedom without being ungracious toward those subdued by moralism? Using the illustration of Paul and Barnabas who parted ways after a conflict concerning the presence of John Mark on their upcoming missionary journey. This conflict did end in separation, but the presence of grace prevented bitterness from hindering the ministry of these two men. We must not assume that God intended for these men to work together, for it is possible that God intended these men to separate at that time. If this is the case, we could assume that Paul and Barnabas sought God first and human companionship second. This permitted their gracious departure from one another. However, it is also possible that Barnabas’ compassion toward John Mark was a higher call than Paul’s insistence on the integrity of his mission, but even if Paul stumbled here, God still demonstrated His goodness despite the evil of Paul’s impatience, high expectations, and lack of grace.
It is not difficult to lack grace. Swindoll shows that we must accept the grace God bestows to us as well as extend that grace to others. There is no magic here, though Christ might once again multiply the youth’s surrendered loaves and keep the widow’s oil jars from emptying. Those who accept God’s grace may find themselves suffering when they extend grace to others. Extending grace in ministry can be draining. Swindoll expresses that “these five characteristics are true of those who serve others in grace: 1.) Generosity with personal possessions … absence of selfishness. 2.) Encouragement in unusual settings … absence of predictability. 3.) Life beyond the letter of Scripture… absence of dogmatic Bible-bashing. 4.) Liberty for creative expression … absence of expectations. 5.) Release from past failures… absence of shame.” (233).
Two of these absences are particularly difficult: the absence of predictability and the absence of expectations. Giving up our “rights” to predictability and expectations could be uncomfortable, but it isn’t likely to lead to suffocation via crucifixion – though it wouldn’t be the first time this has happened to a person of grace.
And marriage may be rough. Swindoll devotes a chapter to grace in marriage. I consider this a most appropriate response to the increase in divorce in our culture. The extension of grace is vital to the health of a marital relationship.
Another chapter addresses materialistic, consumerist, and commercial cultures. Generosity can be addicting, and it can also free us from our self-enslavement to novelty and material wealth.
Two particular ideas captured my attention in this book. The first concerns the distinction between unity and unanimity. Unity is produced by grace, and unanimity is produced through moralism or legalism. As Eugene Rossenstock-Hussey expresses in his profound book “Planetary Service,” true peace on a global (as well as local) scale depends upon grace and common purpose. The compulsion of moralism leads only to “cold war” in which there is – despite the absence of battle – no peace.
The second idea that interests me concerns a Christian’s willingness to release expectations and predictability. A zealous young believer may be determined to die a martyr’s death, but clinging to that expectation is a form of control that evinces a fear not contained in grace. Grace strips us of control, expectation, and fear, for “perfect love casts out all fear.” To nail oneself to a crucifix is to deny God the opportunity to deliver you, though it might provide a sense of security through the knowledge that you did not waver in your faith.
“The Grace Awakening” met me in my sorrows, and it preached the gospel to me, risking and suffering my anger. I set it down many times, frustrated because I could not refute the distasteful truths it gently presented. I’m thankful to the pastor who recommended it to me.
Before beginning to answer objections, Swindoll assists the reader in formulating his or her concept of grace by illustrating how it emerges in common-day experiences. Many conservatives may share objections to grace that parallel their objections to liberal notions of tolerance. Some people are intolerant of intolerance, of course. And they have good reason to be so!
As Swindoll says: We all admit that grace is risky. Let’s also admit that some will live irresponsibly. You can detect such irresponsibility rather quickly. 1.) There is a lack of love for others… little care about anybody else. 2.) There is a rationalization of out and out sin. 3.) There is an unwillingness to be accountable. 4.) There is a resistance to anyone’s getting close enough to give them wise advice. 5.) There is a disregard for one who is a new convert and therefore weak in the faith.” (50-51). Unfortunately, God does not permit us to extend conditional grace contingent upon this system of exceptions, for His own Son was crucified on our behalf – entirely disregarding our repentance. Even John Calvin rejected the notion of limited atonement, for “Christ died once for all.” So, how could we refuse to extend grace?
Yet, what of the interaction between boundaries and grace? What of the boundaries Jesus set through confrontation with the Pharisees, and through voluntary withdrawal from His disciples into the wilderness? Grace denies moral systems a position in the life of the grace-giver. Receiving grace elevates a person to an unassailable position beyond human judgments – even when those judgments are aligned with the morality of God, revealed, for example, in the Ten Commandments. Indeed, “the power of sin is the law,” and the law has been fulfilled in Christ. Grace negates questions of balance between boundaries and grace, but it also ties a person inextricably to Christ from whom grace has been extended.
While tied to Christ, a person’s control is surrendered. Grace strips us of our illusions of control. We are entirely in the mercy of the Bridegroom. Here, we are “no longer helplessly bound by impulses or desires” (50). When we are released from our attempts to control, we find freedom!
Part of living out grace is opposing legalism. Swindoll believes that freedom is worth fighting for. But how do we fight for Christian freedom without being ungracious toward those subdued by moralism? Using the illustration of Paul and Barnabas who parted ways after a conflict concerning the presence of John Mark on their upcoming missionary journey. This conflict did end in separation, but the presence of grace prevented bitterness from hindering the ministry of these two men. We must not assume that God intended for these men to work together, for it is possible that God intended these men to separate at that time. If this is the case, we could assume that Paul and Barnabas sought God first and human companionship second. This permitted their gracious departure from one another. However, it is also possible that Barnabas’ compassion toward John Mark was a higher call than Paul’s insistence on the integrity of his mission, but even if Paul stumbled here, God still demonstrated His goodness despite the evil of Paul’s impatience, high expectations, and lack of grace.
It is not difficult to lack grace. Swindoll shows that we must accept the grace God bestows to us as well as extend that grace to others. There is no magic here, though Christ might once again multiply the youth’s surrendered loaves and keep the widow’s oil jars from emptying. Those who accept God’s grace may find themselves suffering when they extend grace to others. Extending grace in ministry can be draining. Swindoll expresses that “these five characteristics are true of those who serve others in grace: 1.) Generosity with personal possessions … absence of selfishness. 2.) Encouragement in unusual settings … absence of predictability. 3.) Life beyond the letter of Scripture… absence of dogmatic Bible-bashing. 4.) Liberty for creative expression … absence of expectations. 5.) Release from past failures… absence of shame.” (233).
Two of these absences are particularly difficult: the absence of predictability and the absence of expectations. Giving up our “rights” to predictability and expectations could be uncomfortable, but it isn’t likely to lead to suffocation via crucifixion – though it wouldn’t be the first time this has happened to a person of grace.
And marriage may be rough. Swindoll devotes a chapter to grace in marriage. I consider this a most appropriate response to the increase in divorce in our culture. The extension of grace is vital to the health of a marital relationship.
Another chapter addresses materialistic, consumerist, and commercial cultures. Generosity can be addicting, and it can also free us from our self-enslavement to novelty and material wealth.
Two particular ideas captured my attention in this book. The first concerns the distinction between unity and unanimity. Unity is produced by grace, and unanimity is produced through moralism or legalism. As Eugene Rossenstock-Hussey expresses in his profound book “Planetary Service,” true peace on a global (as well as local) scale depends upon grace and common purpose. The compulsion of moralism leads only to “cold war” in which there is – despite the absence of battle – no peace.
The second idea that interests me concerns a Christian’s willingness to release expectations and predictability. A zealous young believer may be determined to die a martyr’s death, but clinging to that expectation is a form of control that evinces a fear not contained in grace. Grace strips us of control, expectation, and fear, for “perfect love casts out all fear.” To nail oneself to a crucifix is to deny God the opportunity to deliver you, though it might provide a sense of security through the knowledge that you did not waver in your faith.
“The Grace Awakening” met me in my sorrows, and it preached the gospel to me, risking and suffering my anger. I set it down many times, frustrated because I could not refute the distasteful truths it gently presented. I’m thankful to the pastor who recommended it to me.
July 15, 2021
Wow. The perfect book for where I am in my walk with Jesus. So many valuable verses coupled with Chuck’s amazing insights and connections.
The sections on Marriage and Charitable Giving are incredible.
Practical applications for how to live a Grace-filled life abound. Tools for diagnosing when we are not living one are in there too. I don’t see how anyone could not get at least a few life-changing insights from this book.
Thank you God for working so powerfully through your humble servant Chuck!
The sections on Marriage and Charitable Giving are incredible.
Practical applications for how to live a Grace-filled life abound. Tools for diagnosing when we are not living one are in there too. I don’t see how anyone could not get at least a few life-changing insights from this book.
Thank you God for working so powerfully through your humble servant Chuck!
September 2, 2023
The first half, on what God-given grace is, was incredible -- eye and heart opening for me. I know I'll be reading my Bible with a new lens of freedom because of this first part. The second part, what living a gracious life can look like, was less so (somewhat culturally dated in the edition I read).
July 19, 2023
Tremendous book on the Grace of God. Swindoll does a great job describing how grace is not only for salvation but for living our lives out as well. It is a must-read for ministers and laymen alike.
August 6, 2024
This is the latest book I've read from my collection of books on grace:
Lee Strobel's "The Case for Grace"
Max Lucado's "Grace: More than We Deserve, Better than We Can Imagine"
John Piper's "Future Grace"
Charles Spurgeon's "Grace: God's Unmerited Favor"
Each has been different, according to each author's style; each is well worth reading.
"The Grace Awakening" touched me a few times, with the story of Mephibosheth and fear when I was facing something unnerving. The timing of reading that felt like a gift from God Himself.
I also had to mull over Swindoll's quote, "With a commitment to excellence comes an attitude of intolerance." There are parts of my life in which I strive for excellence, and I need to watch myself not to put down others who don't, even if I do it just internally. I had not really correlated striving for excellence with frustration of others before. It bears watching.
"But let it be understood that God will not bless what springs from pride."
I liked the chapter, although it was not written for me, "Are you really a minister of grace?", but it can apply to various ministries where we volunteer, too. "Every project you undertake can be accomplished your way or God's way. The energy source of human strength is impressive and logical and effective... A ministry built by the energy of the flesh looks just like a ministry built by the energy of the Spirit... But internally, spiritually, down deep in the level of motive, you know in your heart God didn't do it; you did it! There is no glory vertically. And equally tragic, there is no grace horizontally."
"Restrain yourself from might and power if you are a minister [or, I would add, if you volunteer in ministry.] Deliberately give the Spirit time and room. Consciously hold yourself back from clever ingenuity."
"Anything that does not result in God's getting the glory ought to be enough to restrain our own might and power so His Spirit can do the job, which includes moving the obstacles."
The first part of the book, however, did not seem to be clear to me. He did not distinguish clearly from trying to live in freedom from man's rules, while still seeing the goodness and guidance of God's own rules. Yes, we no longer strive to keep the law for salvation, but we realize that God knew what He was talking about when He set them up, as far as what's best for an individual and for a society.
It gets a little further complicated than that, however, because some of the Old Testament sacrificial rules we no longer follow because Jesus fulfilled them, and the civil law we no longer follow because we have our own government, but the moral law ... that, I am convinced, we should still follow as a picture of God's heart for us, without trying to earn heaven.
I think of Ezekiel 36:27, "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them."
His Spirit leads us into following His statutes, not leading us away from them. I would paraphrase this, perhaps too loosely, as God's Spirit within us makes us want to do the right thing, and that will be walking in His statutes. Many Christians, I think, want to do the right thing even when they wrestle with the rules. So they can identify with God's Spirit within them giving them the desire to do the right thing.
Swindoll took a great deal of time talking about trying to live against legalists' additional, unnecessary rules, but I think people today are more likely to flaunt all rules, both God's and society's, without bothering to stop and think through and distinguish them.
Having said that, I do think that some Christian places could have more grace. I am always puzzled what to do with them. Swindoll would have us break the unnecessary rules.
I loved what Swindoll said about having balance, which he calls one of his favorite words. That is neither subcoming to legalism nor giving way to license to sin. "When asked how they could justify such irresponsible behavior, almost without exception they refer to grace, as though it is the God-given, pervasive covering for whatever they please."
"Cheap grace justifies the sin rather than the sinner. True grace, on the other hand, justifies the sinner, not the sin."
I grew up in a denomination that many complain of as legalistic, but I never, for the most part, saw that. I think that was in part, because our parents did not hold us to the extra rules, and did not pretend to hold to them. They were not hypocritical.
My dad just savored the good, Biblical teaching. (Savored does seem the appropriate word there for his response.) But he did not care about dancing and the rest. If anyone asked, he was always willing to explain his point of view, but he never let the crowd - including the Christian crowd - determine what that was. He wanted to get his viewpoints directly from scripture itself. But he did not get worked up over what others' did, and he seemed so calm and so logical in his thinking that others tended to respect him.
Swindoll wrote, "Those who seek to please God only are invincible from within. Not only that, but when we stop trying to please people, we are also unintimidated from without."
That would describe my dad.
The same was true about encouraging his daughters' careers. He seemed to think we were capable of doing any legitimate career we chose, and supported us in that - even if it intimidated others. But that, of course, wasn't the point. We didn't choose them in order to intimidate others.
I am thinking of later in my life in particular of a Christian school. There were times when I'd be up all night with the baby, and barely get our kindergartener to school on time, only to have her written up because she wasn't wearing a belt I'd forgotten. It seemed so trivial and unnecessary, considering all the rest of the struggle.
And when the kids were older, and their peers in public schools were dying in suicide or fighting terrible emotional illnesses - that we, as a society were losing kids - that our school seemed to be focusing on whether or not kids wore collars as a part of their shirt, rather than on the fact that kids were dying and that all were welcome to try our school.
I understand the school's point of view, that there is training to obey rules, to obey leadership, so that they will obey governmental rules, obey police officers, etc. But during times of crisis, you let up on rules a little, to allow people to heal. It seemed like the school did not do that during our time of national childhood crisis, and it gave new students to our school just one more thing to complain about in the transition from public school.
There were reasons for each rule, of course, even when they weren't stated. In regards to clothing, they wanted the kids to feel and act more professionally, and there is a correlation with clothing and behavior. Not fool-proof, however. You've heard of the old adage, "The clothing makes the man." Or, more Biblically, God wanting the Old Testament priests to dress a certain way to give them dignity and respect.
"Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honour." - Exodus 28:2
It is also more complicated than perhaps it originally looks because we are told, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities." - Romans 13:1. So usually, I tend toward obeying the ridiculous or burdensome rule, unless there's a very clear, compelling reason that it's immoral to do so. "We must obey God rather than men." - Acts 5:29.
Well, okay, that's more my theological stance. Sometimes, I'm afraid, the rules seem so unnecessary or so burdensome that I have been known to forego them. I am not inherently a rule-follower. I have to remind myself that I obey the rules because I love Jesus and because I am convinced His way is best. Externally, I realize, it can look the same: obeying rules because someone's a rule-follower vs. obeying rules because one wants to honor Jesus. Inwardly, there's quite a difference.
I shocked some kids I had on a field trip once by going into an employees only area of a restaurant to get some ice for a sick kid when we couldn't get anyone's attention. The memory makes me laugh. But I did not see that as one of God's golden rules.
By and large, for the most part, the rules were not something that I wrestled or struggled under. I remember my dad, who, before I was born, taught math at a Christian school. (My earliest memories of his career were him teaching at a public college.) When he taught at the Christian school, and his students would chaff under the rules, he would remind them that it was just for a few years, and then they could do as they wanted. He had the more long-term perspective. That seemed like sound advice to me, not to forego the good in a school for the sake of a few nonsensical or burdensome rules that were temporary. (And I really do love our school and think there is vast good there.)
His attitude was one of meeting legalism with a shrug, not a fiery response, and continuing on the right way to go.
There is, of course, a danger in legalism of trying to get to heaven by good works. It won't get us there. I like Charles Spurgeon's comment that trying to get to heaven by good works is like trying to sail the Atlantic in a paper boat. But I think all these places - the churches, the school - realize that salvation comes through Jesus alone, through His sacrifice.
So, I wished the book was a little more clear about distinguishing God's rules from man-made rules. Otherwise, I can see it as confusing to people who've never contemplated it before. Why is he saying that the rule against adultery is important when he's saying that the rule about dancing isn't? Aren't they both about grace?
And I do think it's important that he noted we cannot push people into choosing the moral decision, as much as we'd like to spare them the horrific consequences of such a decision. It's got to be their own choice.
"Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” - Revelation 22:11
This is where many ministries and missionaries went wrong in the past. Coerced faith is not faith at all, and is of worse value than no value. It only builds resentment towards the things of God.
That does not mean that there should be indifference and lack of reaching out to those who go astray, just that the final decision is theirs.
Lee Strobel's "The Case for Grace"
Max Lucado's "Grace: More than We Deserve, Better than We Can Imagine"
John Piper's "Future Grace"
Charles Spurgeon's "Grace: God's Unmerited Favor"
Each has been different, according to each author's style; each is well worth reading.
"The Grace Awakening" touched me a few times, with the story of Mephibosheth and fear when I was facing something unnerving. The timing of reading that felt like a gift from God Himself.
I also had to mull over Swindoll's quote, "With a commitment to excellence comes an attitude of intolerance." There are parts of my life in which I strive for excellence, and I need to watch myself not to put down others who don't, even if I do it just internally. I had not really correlated striving for excellence with frustration of others before. It bears watching.
"But let it be understood that God will not bless what springs from pride."
I liked the chapter, although it was not written for me, "Are you really a minister of grace?", but it can apply to various ministries where we volunteer, too. "Every project you undertake can be accomplished your way or God's way. The energy source of human strength is impressive and logical and effective... A ministry built by the energy of the flesh looks just like a ministry built by the energy of the Spirit... But internally, spiritually, down deep in the level of motive, you know in your heart God didn't do it; you did it! There is no glory vertically. And equally tragic, there is no grace horizontally."
"Restrain yourself from might and power if you are a minister [or, I would add, if you volunteer in ministry.] Deliberately give the Spirit time and room. Consciously hold yourself back from clever ingenuity."
"Anything that does not result in God's getting the glory ought to be enough to restrain our own might and power so His Spirit can do the job, which includes moving the obstacles."
The first part of the book, however, did not seem to be clear to me. He did not distinguish clearly from trying to live in freedom from man's rules, while still seeing the goodness and guidance of God's own rules. Yes, we no longer strive to keep the law for salvation, but we realize that God knew what He was talking about when He set them up, as far as what's best for an individual and for a society.
It gets a little further complicated than that, however, because some of the Old Testament sacrificial rules we no longer follow because Jesus fulfilled them, and the civil law we no longer follow because we have our own government, but the moral law ... that, I am convinced, we should still follow as a picture of God's heart for us, without trying to earn heaven.
I think of Ezekiel 36:27, "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them."
His Spirit leads us into following His statutes, not leading us away from them. I would paraphrase this, perhaps too loosely, as God's Spirit within us makes us want to do the right thing, and that will be walking in His statutes. Many Christians, I think, want to do the right thing even when they wrestle with the rules. So they can identify with God's Spirit within them giving them the desire to do the right thing.
Swindoll took a great deal of time talking about trying to live against legalists' additional, unnecessary rules, but I think people today are more likely to flaunt all rules, both God's and society's, without bothering to stop and think through and distinguish them.
Having said that, I do think that some Christian places could have more grace. I am always puzzled what to do with them. Swindoll would have us break the unnecessary rules.
I loved what Swindoll said about having balance, which he calls one of his favorite words. That is neither subcoming to legalism nor giving way to license to sin. "When asked how they could justify such irresponsible behavior, almost without exception they refer to grace, as though it is the God-given, pervasive covering for whatever they please."
"Cheap grace justifies the sin rather than the sinner. True grace, on the other hand, justifies the sinner, not the sin."
I grew up in a denomination that many complain of as legalistic, but I never, for the most part, saw that. I think that was in part, because our parents did not hold us to the extra rules, and did not pretend to hold to them. They were not hypocritical.
My dad just savored the good, Biblical teaching. (Savored does seem the appropriate word there for his response.) But he did not care about dancing and the rest. If anyone asked, he was always willing to explain his point of view, but he never let the crowd - including the Christian crowd - determine what that was. He wanted to get his viewpoints directly from scripture itself. But he did not get worked up over what others' did, and he seemed so calm and so logical in his thinking that others tended to respect him.
Swindoll wrote, "Those who seek to please God only are invincible from within. Not only that, but when we stop trying to please people, we are also unintimidated from without."
That would describe my dad.
The same was true about encouraging his daughters' careers. He seemed to think we were capable of doing any legitimate career we chose, and supported us in that - even if it intimidated others. But that, of course, wasn't the point. We didn't choose them in order to intimidate others.
I am thinking of later in my life in particular of a Christian school. There were times when I'd be up all night with the baby, and barely get our kindergartener to school on time, only to have her written up because she wasn't wearing a belt I'd forgotten. It seemed so trivial and unnecessary, considering all the rest of the struggle.
And when the kids were older, and their peers in public schools were dying in suicide or fighting terrible emotional illnesses - that we, as a society were losing kids - that our school seemed to be focusing on whether or not kids wore collars as a part of their shirt, rather than on the fact that kids were dying and that all were welcome to try our school.
I understand the school's point of view, that there is training to obey rules, to obey leadership, so that they will obey governmental rules, obey police officers, etc. But during times of crisis, you let up on rules a little, to allow people to heal. It seemed like the school did not do that during our time of national childhood crisis, and it gave new students to our school just one more thing to complain about in the transition from public school.
There were reasons for each rule, of course, even when they weren't stated. In regards to clothing, they wanted the kids to feel and act more professionally, and there is a correlation with clothing and behavior. Not fool-proof, however. You've heard of the old adage, "The clothing makes the man." Or, more Biblically, God wanting the Old Testament priests to dress a certain way to give them dignity and respect.
"Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honour." - Exodus 28:2
It is also more complicated than perhaps it originally looks because we are told, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities." - Romans 13:1. So usually, I tend toward obeying the ridiculous or burdensome rule, unless there's a very clear, compelling reason that it's immoral to do so. "We must obey God rather than men." - Acts 5:29.
Well, okay, that's more my theological stance. Sometimes, I'm afraid, the rules seem so unnecessary or so burdensome that I have been known to forego them. I am not inherently a rule-follower. I have to remind myself that I obey the rules because I love Jesus and because I am convinced His way is best. Externally, I realize, it can look the same: obeying rules because someone's a rule-follower vs. obeying rules because one wants to honor Jesus. Inwardly, there's quite a difference.
I shocked some kids I had on a field trip once by going into an employees only area of a restaurant to get some ice for a sick kid when we couldn't get anyone's attention. The memory makes me laugh. But I did not see that as one of God's golden rules.
By and large, for the most part, the rules were not something that I wrestled or struggled under. I remember my dad, who, before I was born, taught math at a Christian school. (My earliest memories of his career were him teaching at a public college.) When he taught at the Christian school, and his students would chaff under the rules, he would remind them that it was just for a few years, and then they could do as they wanted. He had the more long-term perspective. That seemed like sound advice to me, not to forego the good in a school for the sake of a few nonsensical or burdensome rules that were temporary. (And I really do love our school and think there is vast good there.)
His attitude was one of meeting legalism with a shrug, not a fiery response, and continuing on the right way to go.
There is, of course, a danger in legalism of trying to get to heaven by good works. It won't get us there. I like Charles Spurgeon's comment that trying to get to heaven by good works is like trying to sail the Atlantic in a paper boat. But I think all these places - the churches, the school - realize that salvation comes through Jesus alone, through His sacrifice.
So, I wished the book was a little more clear about distinguishing God's rules from man-made rules. Otherwise, I can see it as confusing to people who've never contemplated it before. Why is he saying that the rule against adultery is important when he's saying that the rule about dancing isn't? Aren't they both about grace?
And I do think it's important that he noted we cannot push people into choosing the moral decision, as much as we'd like to spare them the horrific consequences of such a decision. It's got to be their own choice.
"Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” - Revelation 22:11
This is where many ministries and missionaries went wrong in the past. Coerced faith is not faith at all, and is of worse value than no value. It only builds resentment towards the things of God.
That does not mean that there should be indifference and lack of reaching out to those who go astray, just that the final decision is theirs.
June 23, 2025
We are saved by grace, yet so many believers and churches throughout the centuries have struggled with legalism. Swindoll’s book highlights the symptoms of a lack of grace in our lives and gently encourages us to live in the freedom God has given us. Worth reading!
August 6, 2019
I read this book when it first came out. This is a reread for me. Love the precepts in this book and how the author related it to both current situations and Biblical characters and events.
February 25, 2018
In this book, Swindoll looks hard at an often-talked about yet also overlooked aspect of the Christian faith - grace. He shows how vital it is and how it needs to be woven into all aspects of our life in order for us to live truly free. Each chapter was a lot to take in, but I hope that in the reading of this book, my own viewpoint has been changed and I begin to implement the lessons I learned in my own life and walk. I look forward to sharing this book with friends.
Favorite quotes: "There are people who want to be told what to do and when... how to believe and why. And the result is tragic - perpetual adolescence. Without being trusted, without being freed, maturity never happens. You never learn to think on your own."
"Being free means you have no reason whatsoever to agree with my personal list; nor should you slander me because it isn't exactly like yours. That is one of the ways Christians can live in harmony. It is called living by grace... and it is the only way to fly."
"When grace is present there is plenty of freedom provided for creative expression. Paul writes of that this way: 'Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty' (2 Cor. 3:17). This means there is also an absence of expectations... Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is room - plenty of room - for liberty."
Favorite quotes: "There are people who want to be told what to do and when... how to believe and why. And the result is tragic - perpetual adolescence. Without being trusted, without being freed, maturity never happens. You never learn to think on your own."
"Being free means you have no reason whatsoever to agree with my personal list; nor should you slander me because it isn't exactly like yours. That is one of the ways Christians can live in harmony. It is called living by grace... and it is the only way to fly."
"When grace is present there is plenty of freedom provided for creative expression. Paul writes of that this way: 'Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty' (2 Cor. 3:17). This means there is also an absence of expectations... Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is room - plenty of room - for liberty."
February 28, 2022
I humbly admit I experienced a grace awakening while I read this book. It was if a switch flipped in my brain and my heart while I soaked in the truth of what brother Swindoll introduces. Another "fun" part was to read it in his "voice".
Every person should read this book, and especially those who are buried deep in legalistic churches and ministries. He succinctly lays out the beauty and freedom found in the word and message of grace! This book is now in my all time top ten and maybe even top 5, and its the first book I have ever read by Swindoll - but it won't be my last!
2nd time - Very moving and provoking. Saw new thoughts and developed a deeper appreciation and realization of grace.
Every person should read this book, and especially those who are buried deep in legalistic churches and ministries. He succinctly lays out the beauty and freedom found in the word and message of grace! This book is now in my all time top ten and maybe even top 5, and its the first book I have ever read by Swindoll - but it won't be my last!
2nd time - Very moving and provoking. Saw new thoughts and developed a deeper appreciation and realization of grace.
March 10, 2015
Tremendo, tremendo! Es de admirar la gran y amplia perspectiva con la que el autor va desarrollando el tema de la gracia tanto apoyando a los que están a favor como exponiendo a los "asesinos de la gracia".
Me encantó que su visión no quedó corta a la gracia encontrada en la cruz y la que vemos en el Padre(verticalmente) sino que cómo se aplica en un ámbito terrenal con nuestro prójimo(horizontalmente). Sobretodo, impactó mucho mi vida el tema del legalismo, y qué tan frecuente es en nosotros en que aún siendo ya libres por fe preferimos seguir siendo esclavos del pecado.
Me encantó que su visión no quedó corta a la gracia encontrada en la cruz y la que vemos en el Padre(verticalmente) sino que cómo se aplica en un ámbito terrenal con nuestro prójimo(horizontalmente). Sobretodo, impactó mucho mi vida el tema del legalismo, y qué tan frecuente es en nosotros en que aún siendo ya libres por fe preferimos seguir siendo esclavos del pecado.
February 25, 2020
Chuck Swindoll is one of my favorite pastors and this book was a breath of fresh air. His tone is always warm and friendly, and casual enough that you feel like you’re talking with an old friend, not a well-revered expert in his field.
Churches these days have become institutions for upholding and continuing legalistic rigidity. A huge departure from the early Christians in the Bible who were adventurous, creative, fun, ACCEPTING, and passionate about the message of grace. I particularly loved the chapter on marriage. I’m sure I will read it again.
Churches these days have become institutions for upholding and continuing legalistic rigidity. A huge departure from the early Christians in the Bible who were adventurous, creative, fun, ACCEPTING, and passionate about the message of grace. I particularly loved the chapter on marriage. I’m sure I will read it again.
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