Dark Glass Ponderings

Title: Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love



Author: Jerry Bridges


Publisher: NavPress


Publication Date: 1991



Rating: 5/5



**Special thanks to Stephanie Chalfant at NavPress for providing a copy of this book for review.**

I almost hate to write reviews for Jerry Bridges books, as I feel there is nothing more beneficial I could do than just provide quote after quote. His writing has been so life changing for me, I am determined to read everything Jerry Bridges has written.

As someone who struggles with “the performance treadmill” I was so blessed by Bridges’ gracious words, and most of all, his humility. Recently, I have been writing a series on the fruit of the Spirit in Christian fiction. I wrote that I had difficulty finding characters that demonstrated the fruit of gentleness and meekness. What is refreshing to me about Jerry’s work is that he willingly admits his sins and struggles. He has a humility and meekness in his writing that make his words even more beautiful. Bridges is in the trenches with us, working out his salvation with fear and trembling, yet always ultimately looking to God’s grace.

Bridges defines the Christian experience into three distinct phases: justification, sanctification, and glorification. He goes on to show the reader how essential grace is in all elements of the Christian walk. He starts off by giving an illustration of our complete bankruptcy showing how foolish it is to depend on works. Bridges took passages I was very familiar with: such as the generous landowner and the widow of Zarephath and enabled me to gain new insights from these passages.

Here are a few quotes that blessed me:

“So he (God) supplies perfectly measured grace to meet the needs of the godly. For daily needs there is daily grace; for sudden needs, sudden grace; for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace. God’s grace is given wonderfully, but not wastefully; freely but not foolishly; bountifully, but not blindly.” (John Blanchard, 176)



“The Word, stored in your heart, provides a mental depository for the Holy Spirit to use to mediate His grace to us, whatever our need for grace might be.” (220)



“The Spirit of God is sovereign in His working, and we cannot squeeze Him into the mold of our spiritual formulas.” (221)



Thought some of the writers here might appreciate Charles Swindoll’s thoughts on the writing process. He describes it as, “blood, sweat, tears, sleepless nights, lengthy stares at blank sheets of paper, unproductive days when everything gets dumped into the trash, and periodic moments when inspiration and insight flow.” (187)


In short, if you are looking for a theologically sound book that will impact the way you live your life…if you want to be encouraged in your growth…I most definitely recommend Transforming Grace.


Disclosure: I was provided this book by NavPress in exchange for a review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.