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.
Though John Wesley’s views on grace and freedom in Christ are readily available to anyone who is interested Chuck Swindoll offers not even one quote to substantiate his alleged agreement with Mr. Wesley. Why? Because John Wesley never taught these foundational, biblical themes as Chuck Swindoll defines them.
The Grace Awakening, says Dr. Swindoll, is his attempt at spotlighting the “full extent of grace” (The Grace Awakening p. xv). Certainly there is nothing wrong with such an emphasis depending the meaning assigned to the word “grace.” Throughout his book Chuck Swindoll insists that “grace” means that human “works” (of any kind or degree) never impact final salvation. The following are but a sample from Chuck Swindoll on grace and it’s relation to 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).
Christ’s blood has cleansed us from our sin, we are gloriously free - free to please Him. But we don’t have toThe Grace Awakening p. 140).
Presenting John Wesley as Swindoll’s forerunner regarding biblical grace is not even close to the truth. Even so, Chuck Swindoll surely helps his book by linking it to Mr. Wesley and The Great Awakening. Though Swindoll is free to define “grace” any way he pleases to present it as if Wesley agreed is simply not true. Consider John Wesley on the inevitable union of works and saving faith:
I testify unto you, that if you still continue in sin, Christ shall profit you nothing; that Christ is no saviour to you, unless he saves you from your sins; and that unless it purify your heart, faith shall profit you nothing. O when will ye understand, that to oppose either inward or outward holiness, under colour of exalting Christ, is directly to act the part of Judas (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).
Swindoll believes that it is heresy and a lie to teach that good works must accompany saving faith. John Wesley, however, plainly asserts this very heresy and lie. Still, Swindoll uses Wesley to establish his mistaken notions leaving the inexperienced reader with the idea that The Grace Awakening and The Great Awakening are built on the same doctrinal foundation-which they are not. Chuck Swindoll is free to teach grace any way he so desires, but to do so in the good name of John Wesley or The Great Awakening is dishonest.
Tags: christianity