This book made available by the Internet Archive.
It is with great affection I dedicate this book to
Paul and Sue Sailhamer
and
Howie and Marilyn Stevenson
whose lives and ministries radiate grace.
Because of our close friendship, I know better what it means to be free.
PUBLICATIONS BY CHARLES R. SWINDOLL
Books:
Come Before Winter Compassion: Showing Care in a
Careless World Dropping Your Guard Encourage Me For Those Who Hurt The Grace Awakening Growing Deep in the Christian
Life Growing Strong in the Seasons
of Life Growing Wise in Family Life Hand Me Another Brick Improving Your Serve Killing Giants, Pulling Thorns Leadership: Influence that
Inspires Living Above the Level of
Mediocrity Living Beyond the Daily Grind,
Books I and II
Living on the Ragged Edge Make Up Your Mind The Quest for Character Recovery: When Healing Takes
Time Rise and Shine: A Wake-Up
Call Sanctity of Life: The
Inescapable Issue Standing Out Starting Over Strengthening Your Grip Stress Fractures Strike the Original Match Three Steps Forward, Two
Steps Back Victory: A Winning Game Plan
for Life You and Your Child
Booklets:
Anger
Attitudes
Commitment
Dealing with Defiance
Demonism
Destiny
Divorce
Eternal Security
God's Will
Hope
Impossibilities
Integrity
Leisure
The Lonely Whine of the Top
Dog Moral Purity Our Mediator Peace in Spite of Panic Prayer Sensuality Singleness Stress Tongues When Your Comfort Zone Gets
the Squeeze Woman
Acknowledgments
*
I am a grateful man. I have every reason to be. It is my joy to have numerous people surrounding me with encouragement, affirmation, honest feedback, and an abundant supply of fresh hope to stay at tough tasks. I consider them more than friends; they are partners with me, true to the end. To say that they have been helpful in seeing this book to completion is a gross understatement of the fact.
Contrary to a recurring rumor, I have no writing staff or team of researchers who provide me with historical and illustrative material or serve as my "ghost-writers." Every word comes from my own pen through the age-old process most authors still use: blood, sweat, tears, sleepless nights, lengthy stares at blank sheets of paper, unproductive days when everything gets dumped into the trash, and periodic moments when inspiration and insight flow. My method is so obsolete I don't even use a word processor, and I have a thick, pen-worn callous on my finger to prove it.
Acknowledgments
But what I do have are these faithful partners who believe in me enough to pray for me while I'm in the midst of giving birth to a book. They do more than pray, however. Some make suggestions. Others offer ideas and toss out warnings as well as goad me with questions. One types, another edits, several read, and many patiently listen. Because I am a pastor, having served the same church since 1971,1 also have a lot of ears who hear the things I later put into a book. They help me hone my words by responding to what I have said with comments that are often poignant. And then there are those who serve with me on the same pastoral staff—my closest colleagues—with whom I have an enviable and rare relationship. As I acknowledge their value in my life and their contribution to my writing, I could not be more sincere or grateful. So much for all my unnamed yet eminently appreciated "partners."
Specifically, I am indebted to Byron Williamson of Word Publishing for his tireless enthusiasm over this book. His support has been relentless since its inception. In addition, Kip Jordon and Ernie Owen, both long-time friends of mine at Word, have given me great encouragement, being convinced that my perspective and convictions on grace deserved to be published so all could read what we have discussed and agreed on for years. While acknowledging my appreciation for those in the Word family, I dare not forget to mention my editor, Beverly Phillips, with whom I have worked for over a decade. She continues to model the qualities an author needs most in an editor—a discerning eye, a sensitive spirit, wise counsel, accuracy mixed with flexibility, penetrating questions that make me think, and a kind of convincing criticism that forces me to reevaluate and (ugh!) rewrite.
My list would be incomplete if I failed to mention Sealy Yates, who supplied invaluable assistance behind the scenes. Being the man of integrity that he is, his advice and suggestions rang true and proved to be best. I am grateful that he cared more about The Grace Awakening project than his own schedule, and when my patience wore thin he demonstrated the kind
Acknowledgments
of grace I write about. And, of course, I must again express my profound thanks to Helen Peters, whose diligence knows no bounds. With tireless determination she proofread the manuscript numerous times, corrected my spelling, typed every word, secured approval for my quotations and illustrations, adapted her personal calendar to meet the demands of my deadlines, put the final copy into perfect form ahead of schedule—in itself, a minor miracle—and all without one word of exasperation or complaint. Helen could sit for a portrait of amazing grace.
Finally, I acknowledge the support of my entire family, whose attitudes and expressions of grace (especially over the past two years) have been nothing short of incredible. In spite of the storms we have weathered and the pain we have endured together, not once have I felt anything but their unconditional love and absolute support. Rather than being pulled apart, we have bonded closer than ever. So thank you, Cynthia, Colleen, and Chuck . . . thank you, Curt and Deb, Byron and Charissa, along with Ryan, Chelsea, Landon, Parker, and Heather . . . and thank you, too, Luci, my dear sister, for your unfailing loyalty and love.
Tis grace hath brought us safe thus far And grace will lead us home. 1
Introduction
#
A new movement is on the horizon.
It is a movement of freedom, a joyful release from the things that have bound us far too long. More and more Christians are realizing that the man-made restrictions and legalistic regulations under which they have been living have not come from the God of grace, but have been enforced by people who do not want others to be free. It is not an overstatement to describe this movement as an awakening that is beginning to sweep across the country. Nothing could please me more. This awakening to freedom is long overdue. It fits the times in which we are living.
The world has been witnessing an astounding political awakening to freedom in Eastern Europe. The wide-eyed smiling faces of East Germans tell their own story as many in this generation are tasting liberty for the first time. The cry of Freiheit has been shouted at border gates and in the streets of Budapest, Prague, Bucharest, and East Berlin. Not since the
Xlll
Introduction
liberated victims of German concentration camps caught their first glimpse of hope back in the mid 1940s have so many enjoyed the reality of being released. After years of enforcement, they are free . . . free at last. We who live in "the land of the free" applaud their liberation. Free people find delight in others' freedom. Only the politically enslaved resist it.
The same is true spiritually. But as much as I would like to say that all are in support of our pursuit of grace-awakening freedom, I cannot. Be warned, there are grace killers on the loose! To make matters worse, they are a well-organized, intimidating body of people who stop at nothing to keep you and me from enjoying the freedom that is rightfully ours
to claim. I know whereof I speak; I was once numbered among them. Legalism was my security, and making certain that others marched to my cadence was a major part of my daily agenda. No longer. For years now, I have become increasingly aware of an awakening of grace in my own life . . . and nothing has brought me greater relief or, for that matter, more intense criticism. It was safer back then, but since when have we been commanded to take the safe route? Christ certainly didn't. His revolutionary message and methods, as we shall see, resulted in regular confrontations with the organized religious bureaucrats of His day. They were among those who ultimately pinned Him to a cross, I might add. Following such a Leader is not safe. Freedom movements never have been safe.
When the sixteenth-century European Reformers brandished the torch of freedom and stood against the religious legalists of their era, grace was the battle cry: salvation by grace alone ... a walk of faith without fear of eternal damnation. The church hated them and called them heretics. When the eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century revival spread across Great Britain and into America, preached fervently by John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and a handful of other risk-taking spokesmen for God, it was again grace that led the way. And there was again strong resistance from those who frowned upon their message of freedom
Introduction
in Christ. Interestingly, that sweeping movement came to be known as "The Great Awakening." What I am sensing these days is yet another awakening in the genre of those history-making movements. Perhaps it is best defined as "The Grace Awakening," a message whose time has come.
Scarcely a day passes when I am not reminded of the need for a book emphasizing the full extent of grace, giving people permission to be free, absolutely free in Christ. Why? Because so few are! Bound and shackled by legalists' lists of do's and don'ts, intimidated and immobilized by others' demands and expectations, far too many in God's family merely exist in the tight radius of bondage, dictated by those who have appointed themselves our judge and jury. Long enough have we lived like frightened deer in a restrictive thicket of negative regulations. Long enough have we submitted to the do's and don'ts of religious kings of the mountain. Long enough have we been asleep while all around us the grace killers do their sinister nighttime work. No longer! It is time to awaken. The dawn is bright with grace.
Too many folks are being turned off by a twisted concept of the Christian life. Instead of offering a winsome and contagious, sensible and achievable invitation of hope and cheer through the sheer power of Christ, more people than ever are projecting a grim-faced caricature of religion-on-demand. I find it tragic that religious kill-joys have almost succeeded in taking the freedom and fun out of faith. People need to know that there is more to the Christian life than deep frowns, pointing fingers, and unrealistic expectations. Harassment has had the floor long enough. Let grace awaken.
You may be able to compel people to maintain certain minimum standards by stressing duty, but the highest moral and spiritual achievements depend not upon a push but a pull. People must be charmed into righteousness. 1
I am convinced that nothing will strengthen the magnet of charm like freedom, for which the Bible has a great word: grace
Introduction
. . . liberating grace . . . revolutionary grace . . . amazing grace . . . awakening grace.
If you find yourself yearning to be committed to something beyond yourself, looking forward eagerly to the dawn of each new day, truly liberated from those who would hold you captive, free to be free and to challenge the world to embrace grace's liberties, all I ask for is your time and attention. Before too many chapters, I hope your heart will be as ablaze as mine has become. But I should warn you, once the smoldering embers burst into full flame, you'll not be able to extinguish them. Having joined the ranks of this freedom movement, you will never again be satisfied with slavery.
Having become a part of The Grace Awakening, your long-awaited freedom will encourage you and charm others for a lifetime.
Chuck Swindoll Fullerton, California
"[The] moralizing and legalizing of the Gospel of God's grace is a dull heresey peddled to disappointed people who are angry because they have not received what they had no good reason to expect."
— Richard J. Neuhaus
*
1
Grace: It's Really Amazing!
B
T
A he
here are killers on the loose today. The problem is that you can't tell by looking. They don't wear little buttons that give away their identity, nor do they carry signs warning everybody to stay away. On the contrary, a lot of them carry Bibles and appear to be clean-living, nice-looking, law-abiding citizens. Most of them spend a lot of time in churches, some in places of religious leadership. Many are so respected in the community, their neighbors would never guess they are living next door to killers.
They kill freedom, spontaneity, and creativity; they kill joy as well as productivity. They kill with their words and their pens and their looks. They kill with their attitudes far more often than with their behavior. There is hardly a church or Christian organization or Christian school or missionary group or media ministry where such danger does not lurk. The amazing thing is that they get away with it, day in and day out, without being confronted or exposed. Strangely, the same ministries that would not tolerate heresy for ten minutes will step aside and allow these killers all the space they need to maneuver and manipulate others in the most insidious manner imaginable. Their intolerance is tolerated. Their judgmental spirits remain unjudged. Their bullying tactics continue unchecked. And their narrow-mindedness is either explained away or quickly defended. The bondage that results would be
Grace: It's Really Amazing!
criminal were it not so subtle and wrapped in such spiritual-sounding garb.
This day—this very moment—millions are living their lives in shame, fear, and intimidation who should be free, productive individuals. The tragedy is they think it is the way they should be. They have never known the truth that could set them free. They are victimized, existing as if living on death row instead of enjoying the beauty and fresh air of the abundant life Christ modeled and made possible for all of His followers to claim. Unfortunately, most don't have a clue to what they are missing.
That whole package, in a word, is grace. That's what is being assaulted so continually, so violently. Those who aren't comfortable denying it have decided to debate it. Similar to the days of the Protestant Reformation, grace has again become a theological football kicked from one end of the field to the other as theologians and preachers, scholars and students argue over terms like frustrated coaches on opposite sides trying to gain advantage over each other. It is a classic no-win debate that trivializes the issue and leaves the masses who watch the fight from the stands confused, polarized, or worst of all, bored. Grace was meant to be received and lived out to the fullest, not dissected and analyzed by those who would rather argue than eat. Enough of this! It's time for grace to be awakened and released, not denied ... to be enjoyed and freely given, not debated.
Grace received but unexpressed is dead grace. To spend one's time debating how grace is received or how much commitment is necessary for salvation, without getting into what it means to live by grace and enjoy the magnificent freedom it provides, quickly leads to a counter-productive argument. It becomes little more than another tedious trivial pursuit where the majority of God's people spend days looking back and asking, "How did we receive it?" instead of looking ahead and announcing, "Grace is ours . . . let's live it!" Deny it or debate it and we kill it. My plea is that we claim it and allow it to set us free. When we do, grace will become what it was
Grace: It's Really Amazing!
meant to be— really amazing! When that happens, our whole countenance changes.
"NO" FACES . . . "YES" FACES
Dr. Karl Menninger, in a book entitled The Vital Balance, at one point discusses the negativistic personality. That
's the type who says no to just about everything. Calling these sad folks "troubled patients," Menninger (no doubt with tongue in cheek) mentions several of the things that characterize their lives: They have never made an unsound loan, voted for a liberal cause, or sponsored any extravagances. Why? He suggests it is because they cannot permit themselves the pleasure of giving. He describes them in vivid terms: ". . . rigid, chronically unhappy individuals, bitter, insecure, and often suicidal." 1
I would add one further description—they have never given themselves permission to be free. Still imprisoned behind the bars of petty concerns and critical suspicions, they have learned to exist in a bondage that has hindered their ability to see beyond life's demands. Lacking grace, they have reduced life to the rules and regulations essential for survival. Their God is too small, their world is too rigid, and therefore their faces shout "No!"
Candidly, I know of nothing that has the power to change us from within like the freedom that comes through grace. It's so amazing it will change not only our hearts but also our faces. And goodness knows, some of us are overdue for a face change! Were you reared by parents whose faces said "No"? Or are you married to someone with a "No" face? If that is true, you envy those who had "Yes"-face parents or are married to "Yes"-face mates. All of us are drawn to those whose faces invite us in and urge us on.
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 left its banks because of a
Grace: It's Really Amazing!
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." 2
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