The Discipline of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness

Rating:
Summary: Worth referring to again and again
Review: I bought this book, because I was intrigued by the preview on the back. At the time, I didn't really get into it and laid it on the shelf. I kept going back now and then. Finally, I picked it up and it really spoke to me. The Discipline of Grace has become a stand-by to keep me on track when I am discouraged or have time between other materials for daily meditation. Bridges has a new way of saying things that makes so much sense. This is a don't miss.

Rating:
Summary: Worth referring to again and again
Review: I bought this book, because I was intrigued by the preview on the back. At the time, I didn't really get into it and laid it on the shelf. I kept going back now and then. Finally, I picked it up and it really spoke to me. The Discipline of Grace has become a stand-by to keep me on track when I am discouraged or have time between other materials for daily meditation. Bridges has a new way of saying things that makes so much sense. This is a don't miss.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever Read!
Review: I grabbed this book of the shelf at a bookstore, started reading the first chapter for a bit, then couldn't put it down. I finished this book faster than just about any book I've read. Bridges helps explain how Christians can become for Christlike in their lives and lead their lives by God's example...I know I will refer to this book many times in my search for answers.

Rating:
Summary: A thoughtful and well written book worth reading.
Review: I had to read a certain amount of pages for a class in Bible School. I was looking through the library, when "The Discipline of Grace" caught my attention. I thought, how can those two terms go together. Well the author certainly gives a different way of looking at God's grace. I checked it out of the library and started reading it that night, I could not put it down. It is that interesting. The point I remember the most is, we live a disciplined life because of God's grace and not to recieve grace. It is God's grace that gives us the freedom to attempt to live a disciplined life. The Grace of God can not be obtained by what we do, it is a free gift and it is that free gift that enables us to live a disciplined life. The disciplined life is the kind of life that most closly lines up with what the Lord lived as an example in the Gospels and what Paul and the other new testament writers wrote. I would strongly suggest this book for anyone who does not q! uite understand what God's Grace really means.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most life changing books, next to the Bible.
Review: I had to read a certain amount of pages for a class in Bible School. I was looking through the library, when "The Discipline of Grace" caught my attention. I thought, how can those two terms go together. Well the author certainly gives a different way of looking at God's grace. I checked it out of the library and started reading it that night, I could not put it down. It is that interesting. The point I remember the most is, we live a disciplined life because of God's grace and not to recieve grace. It is God's grace that gives us the freedom to attempt to live a disciplined life. The Grace of God can not be obtained by what we do, it is a free gift and it is that free gift that enables us to live a disciplined life. The disciplined life is the kind of life that most closly lines up with what the Lord lived as an example in the Gospels and what Paul and the other new testament writers wrote. I would strongly suggest this book for anyone who does not q! uite understand what God's Grace really means.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome book
Review: I would recomend this book to anyone and everyone. I'm reading it for the third time right now, and I still get new depth and insight from it. It is filled with scripture and centered around that, so that is a very good thing. Jerry Bridges is an excellent author with a wonderful background in literature, and this book really just brings it all together. It has transformed my thinking about grace and how to apply it to my life daily.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome book
Review: I would recomend this book to anyone and everyone. I'm reading it for the third time right now, and I still get new depth and insight from it. It is filled with scripture and centered around that, so that is a very good thing. Jerry Bridges is an excellent author with a wonderful background in literature, and this book really just brings it all together. It has transformed my thinking about grace and how to apply it to my life daily.

Rating:
Summary: Discipline and Dependence; both are necessary
Review: Overview - The pursuit of holiness requires vigorous effort on our part, but it is primarily the work of the Holy Spirit. Even though the believer is a new creation in Christ, the believer still sins every day. Therefore the gospel is not only for the unbeliever, the believer also needs to be reminded of the gospel ever day. Without the reminder that we are sinners and that Christ has paid for all of our sins, past, present, and future, we will either fall into self-righteousness and become proud or fall into the feeling of guilt and despair. The discipline of grace includes instruction, reproof and correction, providential hardships administered in love aimed at cultivating spiritual growth and godly character. Spiritual growth requires both dependence on the Holy Spirit and effort on our part

Critique - I think this is valuable book and think that it is a book that every Christian should read. The strength of the book drives the point that both dependence on the Holy Spirit and our own effort are both required. Often times it seems that we get an emphasis on grace where we may think that there is nothing we need to do or we get an emphasis on what we are suppose to do where we may think that it is all up to us. One weakness that I think is missing from the book is the idea of idols. All idolatry is sin, but I think we recognize sinful actions or desires before we recognize idolatry in our lives. If we also look for idolatry in our hearts we will also see what we are trusting in or finding comfort in place of God.

Best Quote - "no plane can fly with just one wing; both are absolutely necessary... As you look at the two wings you see the words dependence on the left wing and discipline on the right wing. This airplane illustrates one of the most important principles in the Christian life. Just as the airplane must have both wings to fly, so we must exercise both discipline and dependence in the pursuit of holiness... We absolutely need both."


Rating:
Summary: A thoughtful and well written book worth reading.
Review: The Discipline of Grace is a wonderfully clear explanation of how God's grace frees us from the impossible task of being self-made people. The central idea of this book is that grace is the key to enjoying the freedom that is offered in the Gospel of Christ. This is without question one of the most helpful and encouraging books I have ever read. It would be an excellent read for the Christian who struggles with guilt or having an assurance of their salvation. It would also be a good book for a seeker who wants a better understanding of how the gospel of Christ should be applied in practical living.

Rating:
Summary: Recommend to everyone!
Review: This is one of those books that brought tears to my eyes. Not only can you not do anything to make God love you any less, you can't do anything to make God love any more! What a freeing truth! I would recommend this book to everyone.