A Taste of Grace: Christianity Without the Religion
by Greg Albrecht Plain Truth Ministries
Pub November 2012
The title grabs both traditional Christians as well as those disenchanted by the church and religiosity: Christianity? Without the religion? What new heresy / hope is this?
Greg Albrecht starts his small book with a metaphor that grabbed my attention: God's grace ... flows to low places, responding favorably to the spiritual gravitational pull of humility.
The Forward to this book was compelling: The kingdom of God is impervious to all our works and wiles to win acceptance. The author correctly and wisely contrasted "the kingdom of religion" where God is trying to fix us, with the kingdom of God where our Creator's purpose is our complete transformation.
The problem came in the first chapter, though, when Albrecht argued convincingly that only God's work can make us acceptable. Then he interpreted a passage of Scripture (Matt. 22:14), saying that few are chosen means "few choose to respond to the invitation, and thus many are not chosen."The kingdom of religion is all about paying your dues and making your own way. It's all about earning and getting what you deserve. Christianity without the religion is all about God's unmerited favor-- it's called grace!
What? In that passage Christ clearly says that God chooses man, not the other way around. But Albrecht's interpretation of those words stated that man's own volition to "choose" God is a required part of being in the kingdom: the very antithesis of the author's argument.
It can't be both ways: either God chooses his children, or men are able to choose (or not) Him. Albrecht's take on this issue represents a centuries-old division, as well as a significant divergence from historical Christian thought.
There were other similar moments in the book when Albrecht interpreted Scripture slightly differently from the clear meaning of the Bible's words. Usually when this happens, an author explains the paradox or the conflict, but Albrecht made no notice of the juxtaposition.
What's different about this book
The overwhelming impression of this book is its strong claim for God's sovereignty and man's inability to earn acceptance. It is a strong voice that I believe God honors and which is not commonly found. I was encouraged and strengthened by reading it. However it contains doctrinal strands that do not align with traditional Christian thought. What I'll do now that I've read this book
This book provides a valuable perspective on the exigency of God's grace. We need to hear these truths, and many who are resistant to or confused by religiosity will be moved forward by reading this book. But a librarian's purchasing and adding a title to a collection is a tacit approval of that book. This will be a title I recommend, in situations that merit it, rather than something I add to our library.
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