Remember that your worst days are
never so bad that you are beyond the
reach of God's grace, nor are your
best days ever so good that you are
beyond the need of it.
We know we need grace. Without it we'd
never come to Christ in the first
place, but being a Christian is more
than just coming to Christ. It's about
growing and becoming more like Jesus—
it's about pursuing holiness. The
pursuit of holiness is hard work, and
that's where we turn from grace to
discipline—and often make a big
mistake.
Grace is every bit as important for
growing as a Christian as it is for
becoming a Christian. "The pursuit of
holiness," writes Jerry Bridges, "must
be anchored in the grace of God;
otherwise it is doomed to failure."
Grace is at the heart of the gospel,
and without a clear understanding of
the gospel and grace we can easily
slip into a performance-based
lifestyle that bears little
resemblance to what the gospel offers
us.
According to Bridges, many Christians
don't have a good grasp of what the
gospel message is. In The Discipline
of Grace, he offers a clear and
thorough explanation of the gospel and
what it means to the believer. Bridges
discusses how the same grace that
brings us to faith in Christ also
disciplines us in Christ, and how we
learn to discipline ourselves in the
areas of commitment, conviction,
choices, watchfulness, and adversity.
If you've ever struggled with what
your role is and what role God takes
in your growth as a Christian, this
book will comfort and challenge you as
you learn to rest in Christ while
vigorously pursuing a life of holiness.