I encountered the title of this book on Michael Patton's top 10 list. He recommended it as a great book for understanding God's grace. I picked it up as I prepare to teach on legalism versus liberty later this summer. In that regard, it was a useful resource. I moved through the book quickly, as Swindoll's aww-shucks, conversational style makes for an easy read.
Swindoll pushes believers to blow the doors open in terms of their understanding of grace. According to his estimation, the church is steeped in legalism, which drains the life out of people. He argues instead for Christian liberty, which is founded on a true understanding of grace. He spends much of the 14 chapters covering the same ground, but it was not at all cumbersome as it is such an important message.
I found myself cheering through most of the book. He helped to solidify much of my thinking. In fact, some of the ideas that I had jotted down to share at church were presented in almost identical fashion in this book. He definitely adopts a "live and let live" mentality when it comes to Christianity, most of which I found myself agreeing with. With that said, I wish he would have better developed his thinking regarding the issues of discipleship, personal sanctification/holiness, and discipline. He admits at points that Christians should comply with God's word, but this compliance almost seems to be an after thought.
All in all, I found this to be a very worthwhile book. I would recommend it to others, though it differs from much of what I typically might recommend. 4 stars.
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