Grace is so integral to the Christian faith that people can sometimes fail to realize that the general concept is not unique to Christianity. In ancient secular Greek writings, the word charis essentially meant “that which delights.”[1] In this sense, grace could mean “a gift given” or “a favor done,” as well as “a sense […]
Tag Archives: The Divine Progression of Grace
Favor without a Hook
My wife and I took a cruise to Bermuda to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. I think it was the most relaxing vacation I’ve ever taken. No responsibilities. Nothing to cook. No concern about what a meal would cost. To top it all off, we received tremendous favor from the cruise staff. It’s really nice […]
The Problem with Grace
Grace is one of the things that makes Christianity unique from every other religion. It’s understandable then that the topic of grace creates problems. Admittedly, I prefer to steer clear of controversial issues, but the extreme importance of grace compels me to wade into the swirling waters of contention. One of the biggest mistakes people […]
Longing to Be a Progressive Christian
A “progressive” book publisher states that its focus is on, “progressive and mainline Christians who demand an open, inclusive, and culturally engaged exploration of faith . . .” I get what they’re trying to say, but have a very difficult time accepting the idea of what some are calling progressive Christianity. Some folks, it seems, are […]
Is Grace Like a Vacation?
Click. It wasn’t the click of a phone, but of a mouse button hitting send. At 10:29 on Halloween night, I was finally sending my finished copy of The Divine Progression of Grace to the printer. At that moment, “It is finished!” seemed particularly meaningful. It all honesty, writing, editing, and publishing this 300 page […]
What Makes Christianity Different?
All paths lead to God—or so I’ve been told. Through the eyes of our culture, it is both arrogant and narrow-minded to contend that any one belief system is superior to all others. If those who are Christians are going to proclaim salvation through Christ alone, they should have very good reasons to justify such […]
Putting Grace in Context
I don’t think there is any one key that enables us to live out the Christian faith, but at the same time, I cannot find a biblical concept as important as grace. Grace separates Christianity from the pack of world religions. Grace puts me in awe. To think that as a sinful human, I can […]
The Divine Progression of Grace
The most difficult part is finished! The Divine Progression of Grace manuscript is now in the hands of our editor. People often cringe when I tell them what I’m working on. “Writing a book is easy” I say, “it’s writing a good book that’s really difficult!” Not only is the writing process challenging, but grace […]
Can There Be Such a Thing as Hyper-Grace?
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear The hour I first believed. John Newton These now famous […]