Holiness by Grace: Delighting in the Joy That is Our Strength

What a fantastic read. I couldn't breeze through it like I can most other books. There was just too much meat. I could only handle a half dozen pages at a time just because I had to sit back and ponder what I had just read. This book excels where other books on Sanctification fails. Some authors focus so much on our doing that they neglect the Cross and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Chappell puts the Cross back into focus and grace as the only means of Sanctification, but at the same time does not neglect our obedience in walking it out. This book destroys any concept, realized or unrealized, that you might hold concerning a Law of Merit or Attainment. Instead, Chappell goes into detail on the unmerited favor of our Lord toward us and the Law of Love that compels us. You ever just want to throw up your arms and give up when other believers tell you that in order to conquer sin in your life you just need to do the right things....read your Bible more, pray more, etc? This book totally dispells that notion. Instead, Chappell shows how we have been delivered of these things already through the Cross of Christ and that the doings we do now are merely the outward reaction to that. It is freeing to come to the realization that we don't have to live defeated lives...that Christ took care of it all and created in me a brand New Creation who is thoroughly empowered through His ressurrection life to live out this life....pursuing that Holiness that is had by Grace.

If only everyone could read and understand the full message of the gospel. A great read for non-Christians who want to know what living as a Christian is about and Christians who want to be reminded that Holiness is attainable only through the acknowledgement of God's grace, not on our own merits. This is a beautifully written discussion of God's amazing grace and what effects it should have on us.

This book has a similar theme to books by Jerry Bridges and Steve Brown on the grace of God, but is much bigger and more thorough than the others. If you want a quick and to the point rundown on grace try "Transforming Grace," by Bridges, or "Born Free" by Steve Brown. But, if you have the time and desire to soak in the depths of the Bible's teachings on God's grace, I heartily recommend this book. It is best taken slowly. I think I read it too fast and will need to go back and re-read some portions of it. Chapell has a great writing style. He mixes teaching with illustration very effectively. His illustrations range from the mundane things of everyday life to quotes from famous theologians in the Reformed and Puritan tradition. The title of the book shows the theme clearly - holiness comes by the grace of God. Too often Christians treat grace as the thing that gets them into the Christian life, and holiness as the thing that gets them through the Christian life. The fact is that grace gets us into the Christian life and grace produces the holiness that characterizes us throughout the Christian life. The author does a wonderful job of displaying the grace and mercy of God without making it a license to sin. One of my favorite chapters was the one on mercy. We Christians often forget God's mercy after awhile, and our daily need of it. He shows that, rather than being an excuse for sin, grace helps us live above sin. The grace that saves us from the penalty of sin saves us from the power of sin. Thanks to the Sonship ministry of World Harvest Mission and the writings of Bridges, Brown, Max Lucado and others grace is now high on the radar of many Christians. But Chapell reminds us that grace is not just a new fad for the church, nor is it a mere reaction to more oppressive types of fundamentalism. Grace is the path we walk throughout the Christian life.

If you ever read a Christian books, and you actually have a conscience that is displeased with your sin, this book will mean the most comfort to you, apart from reading the Bible yourself. Chapell takes us away from our delusions that we'll never be able to be holy, to the hope that we can be holy--a hope that only comes from the love of Jesus and the power of grace given by the Holy Spirit within. This book will transform not only your erroneous theological assumptions, but also the dread you feel in your heart towards God's standard of holiness. Read it! It is worth every penny...

This book was my first encounter with Chapell. His clarity and exposition are excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed this work on the wonderful doctrine of grace. Chapell systematically demolishes the fallacy of human merit. He displays the beauty of liberation through justification based on Christ's imputed righteousness to the undeserving sinner. The entire book is one of liberation and spiritual growth. Highly reccomended!