The Discipline of Grace

Preaching on the theme of God's grace today reminded me of this very helpful Jerry Bridges work. It effectively keeps in appropriate tension the complimentary pursuits of discipline and grace.


Bridges, Jerry. 1994. The Discipline of Grace: God’s role and our Role
in the Pursuit of Holiness. NavPress, 239 pp. ISBN 1576839893

Discipler Jerry Bridges offers a treatment of the Christian Disciplines which purposes to show how grace and discipline are compatible. He does this by bringing together in one volume the spirits of his two earlier books, the practical Pursuit of Holiness and the devotional Transforming Grace. Bridges takes the perspective that conformity to Christ’s image requires of the Christian much hard work, but this work must be done in dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit -- or the Christian’s walk will become performance based (legalism), rather than based on His grace alone. “Preach the Gospel to yourself everyday” is a constant refrain throughout, reminding the disciple that he will only advance as he began his walk in Christ, in the stout heart of fresh forgiveness.

The first half of the book is largely taken up with an explanation of His grace (and our need of it), followed by a treatment of the implications of His grace (and our use of it). Before launching into the specific disciplines of the second half of the book, Bridges reminds us that our motive for working for God is the love of God and our love for Him comes only from being convinced of His love for us. From here we see that discipline (our work for God) and dependence (our receiving God’s grace) are as interdependent as two wings of an airplane. And this truth orients us to the specific disciplines of commitment (to God and His purpose for us), convictions (that are based on His Word and not the world), choices (to do His will and to avoid sinful behavior), watching (remembering and reducing through prayer our weaknesses), and adversity (hardships from God which cause our growth in Him).

Are you laboring until Christ is formed in your congregation? Christ will not be formed in a people whose hearts are not growing in the motivation of love for God. And love for God will not grow unless we faithfully receive the love we have from God. On Page 108 we get this helpful reminder: Nothing so motivates us to deal with sin in our lives as does the understanding and application of the two truths that our sins are forgiven and the dominion of sin is broken because of our union with Christ.

This book will convince you that you must do more to grow in Christ-likeness. His illustrations are effective and his applications find you right where you live. His suggestions are well worth trying. However, though I was thankful for Bridges’ copious use of Calvin, Owen, Smeaton, et al., and I well know that this book is written more for the congregation than for clergy class, the book is a bit lacking in argument and I was not convinced of some of its theological points. He denies that regeneration precedes justification on page 96, for example.

A continuo that underscores God’s grace beneath a persuasive call to do God's work and develop His convictions will unwrap for you the gift of God’s love; and then provide helpful instructions for what to do with it. This sampling of Jerry Bridges discipleship is one to read and return to.