Are You Craving Grace?

[Be sure to enter the Free Book Giveaway below: “Craving Grace” by Ruthie Delk.]

Jerry Bridges is one of our favorite guest speakers. He comes to our church often, and he even dedicated one of his books to us! We love Jerry Bridges and his teaching. 

And one thing we will always remember about Jerry Bridges is what he constantly tells us: “Preach the Gospel to yourself every day.”

But how? If it’s that important, how do we do it?

In the book Craving Grace, Ruthie Delk shows us how. She grew up with Jerry Bridges’ teaching. She loved his books and even attended a class he taught when her husband was in seminary.

She was raised in a missionary home. Knew the gospel. Knew it was important to everyday life.

But she still found herself asking these everyday questions:

•        If I believed God’s love was unconditional, why did I feel loved on the days I ‘got it right’ and feel abandoned on the days I ‘got it wrong’?

•        If I really believed God was in control, why was I so fearful?

•        If I really believed He was with me, why did I feel so alone?

•        If I really believed His grace saved and forgave me, why couldn’t I extend that same grace to others? (p. 11)

She often wondered why the gospel wasn’t making a difference in her everyday life.

In a diagram she calls “The Gospel Eight,” Ruthie Delk shows that we live in one of two camps:

We live like spiritual orphans.

Or we live like God’s child. 

We define ourselves by our past and our circumstances.

Or we find our identity in Christ.

We resist the gospel through self-reliance, blame, and propping ourselves up with false gods, like approval and good works.

Or we rest in the finished work of Christ and find restoration and freedom in the Cross.

Reading this book, you will discover which camp you fall in.

The place we find ourselves in is an indication of where we are in relation to the Gospel.

Like me, you may discover you’re craving grace. 

The Gospel is grace embodied in a message we need every day.

A message of identity—a message that identifies us with Christ who dealt with our sin forever, accomplished what we could never perform, loves us more than we comprehend, and offers grace to those who are craving it.

Preaching the Gospel to ourselves is running to Christ and the cross. Running there, not wallowing in the camp of mis-identity.

Find the pathway of the Gospel through Craving Grace.

“In repentance and rest is your salvation;

In quietness and trust is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)

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