By Grace Alone by Sinclair Ferguson, with the subtitle, How The Grace of God Amazes Me was such a good read. It is the author's thoughts on a poem by the African pastor Emmanuel T. Sibomana, and both are backed up with Scripture time and time again.
The poem has seven verses, and Sinclair Ferguson takes each verse and highlights the beauty and richness of what Christ did for us on Calvary. The book is only seven chapters long, with the author's insight and wisdom that helps us grow in our relationship with Jesus.
Here is a link to the words of the poem and I do hope that you will take the time to read it because it will definitely create a desire in you to read the book.
Chapter One of the book, "My Chains Fell Off", deals with how Jesus breaks our bondage from sin and brings us into freedom by His grace.
Chapter Two, "Unconditional Love" (my favorite chapter) deals with the beautiful parables concerning lost things, with a great emphasis on the parable of the Prodigal Son. The author brings more than just the two sons into view, he presents the third Son...the Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapter Three, "At God's Expense" is a very sobering look at Jesus' suffering and crucifixion, focusing on how great His grace was to us.
Chapter Four, "A Great Exchange" goes into an explanation of "the basic problem, the exchange, the release, and the transformation" that brings us to salvation.
Chapter Five, "Guaranteed Security" deals with how Christ has become our shield and buckler as He protects us when Satan throws his darts at us.
Chapter Six, "Delivered from Evil" takes us into the company of Job and his "friends". This chapter was very helpful to me as it dealt with our thoughts and how we are equipped to deal with the fiery darts.
Chapter Seven, "True Freedom" reminds us of who we were in Adam and who we are now in Christ, if we are truly a Christian.
Would I recommend this book? Definitely! Sinclair Ferguson is such a gentle and kind personality, and it comes through in his writing. Reading these chapters in correlation with the poem by Pastor Emmanuel Sibomana was a blessing, to say the least.
I have this book on my bookshelf. I definitely must read it. Thank you for the review and the link to the poem.
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome, my friend. I know you would enjoy it.
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ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandi, for dropping by. xx
DeleteI'm intrigued. I will check this out tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI know you would enjoy it, Ellen. xx
Deleteand I am currently singing "My chains are gone, I've been set free". Interesting how he dissects the poem for his readers to get the full depth and richness of the poem. Thanks for sharing .
ReplyDeleteYou are quite welcome, Shug! You have a lovely voice! xx
DeleteI love how each chapter unpacks different aspects of grace—especially the reminder of our true freedom in Christ. Definitely adding this to my reading list!
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Melody, thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. It truly was a book that I enjoyed, but then, I enjoy most anything by Sinclair Ferguson, the Scotsman.
DeleteI remember reading this book a few years back and finding it valuable. While I can't remember any of the specific points, I do recall the feeling of generosity of spirit and humble attitude in Ferguson's words. Thanks for prompting this memory, Dianna.
ReplyDeleteYes, the generosity of spirit and humble attitude describe Sinclair Ferguson perfectly. Thanks for stopping by and sharing that, my friend! xx
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