Jerry Bridges is one of the best Christian authors on topics of personal growth. His “I’m-not-there-yet” honesty is genuine and human, and The Discipline of Grace is a clear summary of all he has written before.

Based specifically off of his Pursuit of Holiness (1978) and Transforming Grace (1991), Discipline (1994) discusses how God’s grace and man’s responsibility (what many deem to be an incongruous match) clearly merge into the only method of attaining Christlike holiness. Bridges expertly counters the various arguments many have against grace (i.e. the supposed freedom-to-sin argument, etc.) and against works (i.e. legalism, Pharisaical idealism, works salvation, etc.), and identifies clear teachings from Scripture on the unity of divine grace and personal discipline.

By opening his book with the arguments and foundational steps and closing his final chapters with five specific disciplines (commitment, convictions, choices, watching and adversity), Bridges identifies key principles necessary in the pursuit of Christ-likeness, all the while acknowledging the hard work it will take to get there. The Discipline of Grace is an excellent tool for Sunday School or Bible study, though, while essential and foundational for all believers, it may be rather deep for young or otherwise new believers (specifically Chapter 4: “Disciplined by Grace”).

© 2010 E.T.

See More from Jerry Bridges:

• The Pursuit of Holiness (1978)
• The Practice of Godliness (1983)
• The Crisis of Caring (1985)
• True Fellowship (1985)
• The Discipline of Grace (1994)
• The Gospel for Real Life (2002)
• The Chase (2003)
• Respectable Sins (2007)