"Transforming Grace", by Jerry Bridges (book review)

There are a handful of books I consider "must- reads" for Christians. There are also some books I consider must-re-reads. And there are some authors and teachers I consider true gifts of God to Christians. This book, "Transforming Grace", and its author, Jerry Bridges fit all three categories mentioned. I have read two of Bridges' other books, and was greatly helped by them. He is solid in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and is a trustworthy writer who is easy to comprehend.

I knew from the Introduction and Chapter 1 that I absolutely needed this book by this beloved saint. I realized from the early pages that I was caught in the "performance trap", where I was convinced I've been saved by God's grace, but that I now needed to - in an almost legalistic way - perform in a way to convince God to keep me.

I knew it was a wrong belief of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I hadn't convinced myself to abandon this pernicious lie. Thankfully, brother Bridges revealed not only my need to abandon the performance trap, but to recognize that every aspect of my life is utterly dependent on God's outpouring of grace on me.

I suspect I'm not alone in this realization, because this printed version comes equipped with a full-length discussion guide at the end, which is nearly a short book itself! It is apparent that many in the body of Christ are impacted by this lie that we need to perform in order to merit God's continued grace and are in need of the gospel's correction.

If you're planning to buy another book full off fluff, and ponies and rainbows, I challenge you to abandon that pursuit and pick this one instead. You will not only not regret your choice, but you will be transformed.... by God's grace alone.

Rating: Undoubtedly 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from the Tyndale Blogging Network. All opinions are mine, and I was not required to provide a positive review of it.