This week on #RedeemerRecommends, Anna shares with us what she’s been reading this month as part of her internship year with the church!
I’m not a massive reader. I do try, but I’ll often give up half way through. It has to be a pretty special book for me to make it from cover to cover. Well Gods Lavish Grace made the cut, I made it to the end and I’m ready to go back to the start and read it again.
Terry Virgo was a prominent leader in the house church movement in the UK and in 1979 he founded Newfrontiers, which is the family of churches that Redeemer London belongs to. Newfrontiers has expanded so quickly in that time and now has over 1500 churches in over 70 nations across the world! When I first heard about this, I was expecting Virgo to be some sort of huge, powerful, superhero type, maybe like Chris Evans in Captain America, but he is in fact quite the opposite. A very mild, humble man, but powerful all the same and in this book he talks about a fundamental truth that we need to grasp if we are going to live in the true freedom and wonder that God has called us to.
Virgo begins his book describing a pretty familiar story, his own story, of a christian who describes his experience of ‘zealous but rather condemnation driven christianity’. Setting unrealistic resolutions about bible reading or serving more and then feeling guilty when those goals and plans fail. I’m sure I’m not the only person who relates to this story. In the first chapter Virgo describes ‘clouds of condemnation that trouble you even when you are trying to pray.’ Addressing the fact that ‘Reading the bible may have become a chore rather than a pleasure’. He highlights the vicious cycle of trying harder, followed by disappointment and despondence. The good news is that Virgo also explains how we are able to get out of this cycle and really, truly be free!
Have you ever hear a statement that sounds somewhat like this one?
“Only grace can save you BUT the law is required to shape you up and make you holy”.
Virgo addresses this statement in the opening chapter of his book, saying
’The reality. Of course, is totally the opposite. The law does not impart life, it does not produce righteousness.”
What a statement! Gods lavish Grace uses the truth of the bible to free us not only from sin but also from the bondage of law-keeping religion into a life where we can walk freely with Jesus.
Virgo goes on to describe that the grace of God is a free gift. We do not have to do anything to earn it. We must understand that our works, will not change how much God loves us, no matter what we do, his grace has saved us. After hearing that, you might ask, so why don’t we just carry on sinning? Luckily for us, Virgo covers that question too! He talks about how Gods grace to us should change the way we live completely! The way we think, the way we behave, the way we give will all be transformed when we fully grasp the grace of God. When we understand that our bondage to the law is broken, when we realise that Gods grace is the only thing that can save us, we will live that life to the full that John talks about in the bible (John 10:10).
Looking for words to describe this book I would have said it is radical, extreme, kind of crazy! But the reality is that this book just speaks truth. Yes its radical, its extraordinary and quite hard to get our heads around but it is biblical truth! God's grace is a fundamental wonder of Christianity and this book explains that extraordinary grace in such a simple and relatable way. It has unearthed some issues in my own faith I didn’t even recognise myself. Understanding grace more has helped me know God more so I would highly recommend this book to any christian who wants to step into the fullness of life and relationship with God.
