PART ONE: UNDERSTANDING GOOD GRACE
1 The Grace Escape
2 Under New Management
3 Laying Down the Law...Without Giving Up Grace
PART TWO: GOOD GRACE LIVING
4 Good Grace Spirituality
5 Good Grace Decision Making
6 Good Grace Relationships
7 Good Grace Marriages
8 Good Grace Divorce
9 Good Grace Churches
10 Good Grace Giving
11 Good Grace Confrontation
12 Good Grace Spiritual Surgery
PART THREE: BALANCING GOOD GRACE
13 Dancing on a Tightrope
Notes
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A Review By Lisa Graff of:
http://www.townhall.com/
Grace Gone Wild!:
Getting a Grip on God's Amazing Gift
by Robert Jeffress
I’ve attended conservative, Protestant churches since I was born. Sunday School was a must on Sunday mornings, likewise for kid’s club on Wednesday evenings, and we started each day of school with Bible class. I’ve heard countless sermons on God’s grace, what God has done for us, and what God expects of us. And I’m familiar with the idea of grace being something that we don’t deserve. So when I picked up Robert Jeffress’ Grace Gone Wild!: Getting a Grip on God’s Amazing Gift, I thought it would be an interesting read and a good refresher. I certainly didn’t know everything, but I knew a lot about grace--or so I thought.
But Grace Gone Wild! quickly showed me that my understanding of grace was fairly shallow and superficial. Simple answers do not begin to capture the immensity of God’s gift of grace or to give insights on how to apply grace to tough situations.
Jeffress delves beyond the typical definitions of grace to explore the precarious balance Christians must achieve between legalism and libertarianism. Legalism denies the existence of grace, and libertarianism distorts its meaning. Jeffress rejects both interpretations, instead advocating a middle ground that appreciates the work of grace, while not using it as a license to sin. After explaining the true nature of grace, he applies it to difficult issues facing Christians today.
Christians have always struggled to find a balance between legalism and libertarianism. Some assert that true Christians live by a higher standard than Scripture requires, while others embrace freedom from the law and downplay the necessity of obedience. One Christian condemns others for disobeying God’s wishes by not homeschooling their children, while another Christian claims they cannot be held accountable for their marital infidelity because they “live under grace, not under law.â€Â
Grace Gone Wild! prescribes a more balanced approach, just as Jesus advocated during his earthly ministry. While Jesus repeatedly condemned the Pharisees for their heartless legalism, he also established a high standard of conduct for his followers, commanding them to pluck out their eye if it caused them to sin.
Similarly, Jeffress reproves both those who use grace as an excuse for a lawless lifestyle and those who discount the work of grace by requiring Christians to follow an additional set of rules.
In part one, he describes the incredible new status grace has given us. God has adopted us as sons and daughters, so we are truly free from the requirements of the old law. We should not, however, squander God’s incredible gift. Though we are no longer under the old law, we do have a new Master. We should treasure our gift of grace and show our gratitude for it by living our lives in a manner pleasing to God.
Part two describes how a proper understanding of grace impacts actions in the areas of spirituality, decision-making, relationships, marriages, divorce, churches, tithing, confrontation, and church discipline. This is the more controversial part of the book, but Jeffress’ guidelines for action are reasonable and Scripturally sound.
For example, in the area of divorce, he rejects standards that prohibit divorce under any circumstances and standards that allow it under many circumstances. He outlines the Scripturally acceptable reasons for divorce: adultery (Matthew 19:9) and desertion (1 Corinthians 7:15). Those who impose a higher standard than Scripture are being legalistic and those who excuse divorce in other circumstances are being libertarian.
Jeffress gives both improper interpretations of grace the designation “bad grace.†The end of each chapter in Part Two contains a useful summary of the chapter, which outlines the responses of “good grace†and “bad grace†to each issue.
As I read Grace Gone Wild!, I tried in vain to find something to critique--some flaw in the reasoning or prose. Jeffress’ style is informal and accessible but not casual. He uses simple, apt analogies to explain complex theological concepts. He backs up his assertions with well-chosen Scripture passages, which he interprets through their contextual and historical meaning. The whole work is accurate and thoughtful. Readers can sense that Jeffress himself has struggled to find the balance between legalism and libertarianism.
While Jeffress gives guidelines for living and for addressing particular situations, Grace Gone Wild! isn’t preachy. It teaches readers to appreciate the incredible gift of God’s grace. It then demonstrates how a proper understanding of God’s grace necessitates obedience, not from a sense of legalism but from a sense of grateful duty. And it concludes by offering suggestions on what forms that grateful obedience should take in our daily lives and situations. While readers might not agree with all of Jeffressâ€⢠conclusions, Christians would do well to consider them to avoid the “bad grace†practiced by the world.
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It sounds like good book.