Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God's Unfailing Love
Jerry Bridges,
NavPress (1991),
207 pages

The author, on the staff of the Navigators since 1955, draws upon decades of serious Bible study to present in this, his fourth book, the doctrine of grace and how it applies to all of life, not merely to the initial work of conversion.

Demonstrating familiarity with the writings of the Reformers as well as contemporary works of evangelical and Reformed theologians and commentators, Bridges relates the doctrine of God's grace to many problems faced by struggling believers: e.g., legalism and good works, expectation of rewards for faithful service, unanswered prayer, confession of sin after repeated failures, etc.

In Chapter 8, titled, "Holiness: A Gift of God's Grace," the author relates grace to the work of sanctification. He writes, "To live by grace is to live solely by the merit of Jesus Christ." (p.101) "In every one of these views of sanctification we see the grace of God. God in His grace sees us as perfectly holy in Christ. God in His grace sends the Holy Spirit to create a new heart within us and to write His law on our hearts, thus changing our basic disposition. And God in His grace continues to work in us through His Spirit to transform us more and more into the likeness of His Son." (p. 117)

In drawing the reader into the riches of God's grace, Bridges spans the wide gulf between the heart of God and the needs of man. This book offers many helpful thoughts for preachers, but even more important, it presents a biblical prescription for understanding God's way of dealing with both the sinner and the saint.

This book is highly recommended, along with Bridges' three previous books, all still available from NavPress.