Book Review: Growing Your Faith

Book Review: Growing Your Faith

How do you review a book that is a compilation of an author’s other books? That’s what is happening with “Growing Your Faith” by Jerry Bridges (2004, NavPress: Colorado Springs). In the Acknowledgments (page 11) Bridges admits that chapters 2 through 4 and 6 through 14 are adapted from chapters of other books he has written. Only chapters 1 and 5 offer material that has not appeared in print before. In fact, in acknowledging this the author states: “Someone has said that we need to be reminded more than we need to be instructed. Therefore, I do not apologize for, so to speak “re-plowing old ground.” (page 9). Still, this book has much to offer since it offers some vital and necessary principles on spiritual growth in one volume.

The fourteen chapters of this book are divided into three sections: The Necessity of Spiritual Growth, The Means of Spiritual Growth and The Marks of Spiritual Growth. All three sections are built upon two key truths: the author’s definition of grace and the author’s belief that spiritual growth cannot happen apart from the righteousness of Christ and the power of Christ (pages 20-23).

Bridges makes some excellent observations regarding grace. Concerning wrong views of what grace is, he writes:

Perhaps the most common misconception of grace is captured in a statement I once read: Grace is the idea that we are loved and accepted by God just as we are and that God’s approval does not have to be earned; it is simply there. Here, God seems to be pictured as the proverbial, indulgent, divine grandfather in the sky who smiles down upon us regardless of our behavior and character. This seems to be typical of the average person’s understanding of God’s grace. (page 18)

To help us understand grace, Bridges gives us a better definition of grace than “God’s unmerited favor” (page 19): “Grace is God’s favor through Christ to people who deserve His disfavor.” Should this be the new definition of grace? While this is a true definition of peculiar grace, it does not take into consideration common grace (Psalm 144:9). Since Bridges is dealing with spiritual growth his definition works but he does a disservice to his readers by making them think that this is the only kind of grace God offers.

Second, Bridges states that,

If we are going to experience any success at all in putting on the shelf of our lives the various “books” of Christian growth, we must first set in place these two bookends. We must learn to depend on both the righteousness of Christ and the power of Christ. This is what it means to live by grace. (page 23)

Is this correct? The answer depends on what Bridges means by “righteousness of Christ and “power of Christ.” On pages 20-21 he explains that by righteousness he means justification. In other words, we can only be saved through the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to us. While this is true for salvation, what about spiritual growth? This aspect of righteousness (as seen in Psalm 19:9 and Ephesians 6:14) should have been mentioned here. Instead it is alluded to in chapters 6, Growing Through the Word of God. While it is true that we can’t genuinely grow unless we are genuinely saved, I believe that his bookend analogy needs to be reworked.

As for the power of Christ, Bridges gives an excellent and well stated description of what he means. He then states that he will elaborate further on this in chapter 7, The Key to Transforming, something he did not do for the righteousness of Christ. This also would have helped to avoid confusion.

This book has much to offer. Each chapter offers several valuable insights and truths to aid in spiritual growth. In chapter 2 he challenges us to be compelled by love. I especially appreciated his reference to “refined” sins: selfishness, pride, impatience, a critical attitude and a judgmental spirit (page 30) – something that churches who teach the doctrine of eradication of the sinful nature seem to conveniently overlook.

Chapter 3, Disciplined By Grace, reveals the teaching nature of grace from Titus 2:11-12. Chapter 5, Growing Through the Word of God, is valuable but may be confusing to spiritually younger readers. Bridges discusses the “imperatives and the indicatives” (pages 63-64). According to Bridges, the imperatives, “what God requires of us”, always follow the indicatives, “what God has done for us through Christ.” “We cannot successfully put the books of God’s imperatives on the shelves of our lives without first putting the bookends of His indicatives in place” (page 64). Say again?

Bridges does a great job in chapter 6, The Key to Transformation, in discussing and explaining conviction as determinative belief. “A belief is what you hold, but a conviction is what holds you. You may live contrary to your beliefs, but you cannot live contrary to your convictions” (page 71).

Another chapter of significance is chapter 8, Spiritual Fellowship. Quoting Packer, Bridges reminds us of the Puritans who asked God for one “bosom friend” (page 96). “We need to ask God for such a close friend. And then, after we find that friend, we need to be willing to open our lives to him or her.” (page 100)

Finally, I think Bridges touches on perhaps the most important principle of spiritual growth and transformation that few writers discuss – training ourselves to be godly. Pages 122-124 of chapter 10, The Pursuit of Holiness, discusses making right choices and training ourselves to move in the right direction.

This book is well worth reading and recommending. It offers basic and simple principles in an easy to read style. Even thought the book is directed to new Christians. I believe that Christians at all levels of maturity should read this book for edification and for self-examination.