Gospel Prism

We’re about to have Jerry Bridges come and speak at our church retreat in October. So I thought I’d post this review on one of Jerry’s books called Growing Your Faith. This is a great book for anyone who is first turning to the Lord or wants to grow more. It really is appropriate for any one of any spiritual condition.

Growing Your Faith is a semi-compilation of some of Jerry Bridges writings. Usually in such a work, you get the sense that there is no commonality since the thoughts can seem so disjointed. But in talking with Jerry, I was amazed to find out that each of his books are directly linked to the next since each book spawned a further elaboration of where the previous book left off. In this way, Growing Your Faith has become an excellent weaving together of much of Jerry’s thinking about the life of faith. I can’t think of a better book to recommend a new believer or an old believer, or for that matter, any believer.

It seems as though it would be impossible to include so much in such a small book, but somehow, Jerry does this seamlessly. He begins by making this important statement: “Our motivation for commitment, discipline, and obedience is important to God, perhaps even more so, than our performance.” (p. 27) Lest anyone mistake Jerry’s books on discipline as a works-based montage, they need to read this book which provides the context of grace (along with Transforming Grace, of course). Since God knows the heart’s motives, our efforts to grow flow not from a desire to please Him alone, but must have the foundation of a desire to glorify Him. So then he notes: “For the person living by grace, that reason should be a loving response to the abundant grace of God already manifested in Christ.” (p. 28)

I love this book because it is filled with the Gospel. Jerry writes: “Our acceptance by God is always based on the righteousness of Christ. And the enabling power to grow and become more Christlike always comes to us from Christ through the Holy Spirit.” (p. 48) The book is triune in context, considering that fact that the person of Jesus is emphasized, but so is the role of the Holy Spirit (ch. 4). And of course, in the right contexts with the right motives, discipline is absolutely essential in living the life of faith (ch. 5-7). Finally, he closes with the practice of Godliness, especially as exhibited by trusting God to rid oneself of fear.

I guess you can tell that I really like and recommend this book. Go out and get one soon!