Book Review: Grace Walk
I just finished reading a book recommended to me called “Grace Walk“. It deals largely with the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. The back cover describes it this way, “Nothing you have ever done, nothing you could ever do, will match the incomparable joy of letting Jesus live His life through you. It is what makes the fire of passion burn so brightly in new believers. And it is what causes the light of contentment to dance in the eyes of mature believers who have learned the secret of the Grace Walk.”
The first chapter starts with the author in a place of absolute brokenness and is what God used in his life to bring him to a place where he no longer relied on himself but on the Holy Spirit to live through him. The rest of the book describes this for us. In Chapter 2, he writes, “God’s purpose in the breaking process is to bring you to the end of your own resources so that you will be ready to understand that He is the only resource you need in life.”
Chapter 3 deals with our new identity in Christ when we were saved. The take-away is to act like who we are, not who we were when we were dead in our trespasses and sins. This is the lie of Satan. Chapter 4 describes what happened to our old nature. “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” Romans 2-3, 6-8.
Chapter 5 shows us that Christ is our life! “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30. The author encourages us not to find fulfillment through self-effort but to let Christ live through us. Chapter’s 6 and 7 explain our freedom in Christ and God’s promise to give us the victory. “When our focus is on the things we ought to do, we find ourselves struggling to be obedient. We feel bound to do certain things. When we begin to experience Christ as our life on a daily basis, all the matters of Christian living which before were law now become a natural expression and an overflow of His life.” He explains that we will want to do the right things, not out of a sense of obligation but out of our love for our Saviour. The author also states, “As we abide in Christ and allow Him to live His life through us, we live in victory.”
I could go on but you get the point of the book I think. Our pastor has been preaching on the the Holy Spirit as well so it was a great time to read this book to go alongside that. Below is one of his sermons on the topic from a couple months ago.
The Gospel, Freedom, and the Spirit, Part 1