Please note: Due to the conflict with Canada Post, we will not be able to deliver orders as usual. Our in-branch pickup service remains available. All orders placed by mail will be processed as soon as Canada Post services resume. - Thank you for your understanding

Infinite Grace: A power that frees from sin and transforms from within

Book cover

This book is full of Scripture references that will help you understand why you need to rely on this infinite resource. The more you draw from it, the more the Gospel will produce in you a joy that will transform your life from the inside. Not only will you want to know God and His plans better, but you will also be free to obey Him without compromise. Bryan Chapell is a pastor. He is the author of numerous works including Preaching: the art and the manner . We talk so often about the “grace of God” that we sometimes forget its supernatural power. By his grace, God closes the door on all our attempts to please him to avoid his wrath or gain his favor. But it goes much further. How does God’s grace change our motives and affections? How can we rely on it to flee sin and finally obey wholeheartedly as God expects of us?

Introduction

I have never been more blessed than in my years in Peoria as pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church (Illinois). I had just spent thirty years teaching and administrative work at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis when I was offered this position as pastor. How could I refuse such an offer! Three things especially attracted me:
  1. Some of my family and friends lived near this church.
  2. Two wonderful people took care of all the ministry and administrative tasks of the Church full time. Freed from the bureaucratic aspect, I could therefore concentrate on what I loved above all: preaching and teaching.
  3. Most importantly, Church leaders asked me to help them transmit the grace of the Gospel. This grace which had transformed their own lives as well as their vision for the Church.
For years our Church has influenced and led those who attend it. She has done a lot of good, and helped many people. Its size and influence grew. Then growth stopped. Tensions began to divide the assembly, and young people who had grown up in the Church left it. Those responsible could have blamed others, or tried the latest method to grow a church, or left. That's not what they did. They confessed: “We have become proud, withdrawn and self-centered. We need help learning to lead with humility, depend on the gospel every day, and serve others in the name of Christ. Grace must not only be our banner, it must truly be part of our identity.” Above all, it was these words, full of honesty, confession and hope, that led my wife Kathy and me to Grace Church . We said to ourselves, “These are the kind of leaders we need to better understand the grace of the Gospel ourselves.” And this is how we journey alongside the dear members of our Church to discern how the grace of the Gospel can transform a community, free from sin and enliven lives with renewed hope and joy. This book serves two purposes: to reflect what we have learned together and to teach values ​​that we hope can guide those who join us in this gospel-centered endeavor. Referring to the alchemy of the heart , in the subtitle. I would like to respond to people who worry when they hear about a ministry centered on the grace of the Gospel: “If everything we teach boils down to God's forgiveness. we do not encourage Christians to move away from evil.” We always have the opportunity to respond to these objections by recalling the words of Jesus: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 Dove). Our Savior knew: a whole heart for God creates alchemy which surpasses the reasonings of a divided heart. When we experience the immensity of his grace towards us, our hearts become one with his. He changes our desires. Thus, his priorities become our greatest joy. They become what we love to do, what we feel driven to do. Grace is a path of blessings. This is why the walk with Jesus is not a forced march based on merit, gain, or protection. It is a voluntary response of love, recognition, and thanksgiving.
  1. The first part takes us on a journey, to help us discover how grace can free us from the guilt and shame of our sin-filled lives and how it fuels our day-to-day joy, which is the strength of our Christian life. .
  2. Part two explains how preachers, teachers, counselors, mentors, parents, and all those who share God's word around them can find grace in every passage of Scripture. I sincerely hope that everyone will discern that grace is not just one element among many in the Bible, but the essential, recurring theme that culminates in the ministry and message of Jesus. Discerning grace throughout Scripture prevents us from dividing the Bible into two: those passages that speak of the necessity of doing good on one side, and those that speak of the reward to be earned on the other. Rather, grace motivates and enables a life of love for God.
  3. Part three attempts to answer commonly asked questions about grace: how to recognize it in the Bible and how to avoid abusing its blessings. We have tried to give clear answers, without avoiding difficult questions.
  4. The fourth part is not in this book. This is the chapter that God is writing in our hearts and in our Churches today, as we seek to discover to what extent and with what depth the Gospel of grace can bring us closer to the heart of our Savior.
Back to Blog