Charles R (Chuck) Swindoll, the popular Christian author and pastor, is famous for his teaching on the evangelical, Christian doctrine of grace. The Grace Awakening is Dr. Swindoll's magnum opus on the topic. As popular as Dr Swindoll is, however, many Christians do not know that he named this work after the famed revival referred to as "The Great Awakening." In the introduction of The Grace Awakening Dr. Swindoll wrote:
When the eighteenth-and early nineteenth-century revival spread across Great Britain and into America, preached fervently by John Wesley...and a handful of other risk-taking spokesmen for God, it was again grace that led the way. And again there was strong opposition from those who frowned upon their message of freedom in Christ. Interestingly, that sweeping movement came to be known as "The Great Awakening." What I am sensing these days is another awakening in the genre of those history-making movements. Perhaps it is best defined as "The Grace Awakening," a message whose time has come (The Grace Awakening, p. xiv, xv).
By aligning The Grace Awakening with John Wesley and The Great Awakening Dr. Swindoll surely buttresses the message of his book. Some may view this alignment as a bit inflated, but such doctrinal consistency is striking-if it is true.
In the over 300 pages that fill The Grace Awakening Chuck Swindoll offers not a single quote to validate his claims. Furthermore, anyone even vaguely familiar with the views of John Wesley knows that he absolutely did not understand or teach the biblical themes of grace and freedom in Christ as Swindoll does in his book.
Chuck Swindoll says that The Grace Awakening is a book emphasizing the "full extent of grace" (The Grace Awakening p. xv). According to Chuck Swindoll, however, "grace" means that no human "work" (good or bad) ever has any bearing on whether or not a professing Christian finally enters the eternal kingdom of God. The following are a mere fraction of what is readily available from Dr. Swindoll on grace and saving faith:
In other words, salvation is not by faith alone... [ellipsis in original] it requires works. Human achievement must accompany sincere faith before you can be certain of your salvation. We continue to hear that "different gospel" to this day and it is a lie. It is heresy (The Grace Awakening).
Regardless of how you choose to live, you can't live so bad that God says to you, 'you're no longer mine (Shedding Light on Our Dark Side, audiotape sld 1a).
To say that John Wesley never taught anything close to what Swindoll believes to be a sound understanding of grace and saving faith would be an understatement. Yet, Chuck Swindoll bolsters his teaching in The Grace Awakening by dropping John Wesley's name. Now, either Dr. Swindoll has never read Wesley or he is purposely misusing his good name-you decide. Here is but a sample from John Wesley whom Dr. Swindoll dubs a "risk-taking spokesman for God:"
I testify unto you, that if you still continue in sin, Christ shall profit you nothing; that Christ is no Savior to you, unless he saves you from your sins; and that unless it purify your heart, faith shall profit you nothing (A Blow At The Root p.4).
The nature of the covenant of grace gives you no ground, no encouragement at all, to set aside any instance or degree of obedience; any part or measure of holiness (Sermon: The Law Established Through Faith).
Charles R. Swindoll insists that it is heresy and a lie to teach that works must accompany sincere faith. Yet, John Wesley, whom Swindoll inaccurately presents as being his doctrinal forerunner, plainly proclaims this heresy and lie. Still, Swindoll uses Wesley to bolster his notions leaving the uninformed reader with the erroneous notion that The Grace Awakening and The Great Awakening are interchangeable. Chuck Swindoll may misrepresent grace in any way he so desires, but he should not do it in the respected name of John Wesley or The Great Awakening.
When the eighteenth-and early nineteenth-century revival spread across Great Britain and into America, preached fervently by John Wesley...and a handful of other risk-taking spokesmen for God, it was again grace that led the way. And again there was strong opposition from those who frowned upon their message of freedom in Christ. Interestingly, that sweeping movement came to be known as "The Great Awakening." What I am sensing these days is another awakening in the genre of those history-making movements. Perhaps it is best defined as "The Grace Awakening," a message whose time has come (The Grace Awakening, p. xiv, xv).
By aligning The Grace Awakening with John Wesley and The Great Awakening Dr. Swindoll surely buttresses the message of his book. Some may view this alignment as a bit inflated, but such doctrinal consistency is striking-if it is true.
In the over 300 pages that fill The Grace Awakening Chuck Swindoll offers not a single quote to validate his claims. Furthermore, anyone even vaguely familiar with the views of John Wesley knows that he absolutely did not understand or teach the biblical themes of grace and freedom in Christ as Swindoll does in his book.
Chuck Swindoll says that The Grace Awakening is a book emphasizing the "full extent of grace" (The Grace Awakening p. xv). According to Chuck Swindoll, however, "grace" means that no human "work" (good or bad) ever has any bearing on whether or not a professing Christian finally enters the eternal kingdom of God. The following are a mere fraction of what is readily available from Dr. Swindoll on grace and saving faith:
In other words, salvation is not by faith alone... [ellipsis in original] it requires works. Human achievement must accompany sincere faith before you can be certain of your salvation. We continue to hear that "different gospel" to this day and it is a lie. It is heresy (The Grace Awakening).
Regardless of how you choose to live, you can't live so bad that God says to you, 'you're no longer mine (Shedding Light on Our Dark Side, audiotape sld 1a).
To say that John Wesley never taught anything close to what Swindoll believes to be a sound understanding of grace and saving faith would be an understatement. Yet, Chuck Swindoll bolsters his teaching in The Grace Awakening by dropping John Wesley's name. Now, either Dr. Swindoll has never read Wesley or he is purposely misusing his good name-you decide. Here is but a sample from John Wesley whom Dr. Swindoll dubs a "risk-taking spokesman for God:"
I testify unto you, that if you still continue in sin, Christ shall profit you nothing; that Christ is no Savior to you, unless he saves you from your sins; and that unless it purify your heart, faith shall profit you nothing (A Blow At The Root p.4).
The nature of the covenant of grace gives you no ground, no encouragement at all, to set aside any instance or degree of obedience; any part or measure of holiness (Sermon: The Law Established Through Faith).
Charles R. Swindoll insists that it is heresy and a lie to teach that works must accompany sincere faith. Yet, John Wesley, whom Swindoll inaccurately presents as being his doctrinal forerunner, plainly proclaims this heresy and lie. Still, Swindoll uses Wesley to bolster his notions leaving the uninformed reader with the erroneous notion that The Grace Awakening and The Great Awakening are interchangeable. Chuck Swindoll may misrepresent grace in any way he so desires, but he should not do it in the respected name of John Wesley or The Great Awakening.
About the Author:
Daniel LaLond Jr's book, The Lying Promise, tests in detail the popular doctrine of Chuck Swindoll. The Lying Promise also completely deflates modern, faulty teachings on grace, eternal security, imputed righteousness and saving faith.
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