The Romance of Grace

by Jim McNeely III

What if God sees us the way a man sees a woman he is infatuated with, and His main question is not how to make us moral but rather how to get us to fall in love with Him? In The Romance of Grace, Jim McNeely explores Bible passages that tell us what God really wants for us and what His love means. This is the love of a God who chose to give His life for ours, even carefully retaining His scars into the throne room of heaven and telling us in His very body, "I have gone to great lengths and great costs to say that I forsook all comforts for the love of you." Join Jim in his exploration of life in God's unconditional, redeeming, amazing grace. Endorsements: So often we turn our faith in Christ into a forcing mechanism, which doesn't work in any event; and if anything, produces disillusionment or hypocrisy. The Romance of Grace is a prophetic book. I believe that unless we heed its call, to put grace absolutely without condition and frontally as the be-all and end-all of the Good News, we will lose completely, and not just in "the eyes of the world" but in the failure of well-intentioned religious lives that tried to love and never knew how. -Paul F. M. Zahl, author of Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life It is time, as Robert Farrar Capon put it, to get drunk on grace. Two hundred-proof, defiant grace. That's what you get here in Jim's book. You won't see a list of qualifications, and you'll get no "footnotes." What you'll encounter is grace unmeasured, vast and free. It will frighten you and free you at the same time. -Tullian Tchividjian, Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and author of Jesus + Nothing = Everything In The Romance of Grace we are confronted with a truth that we may have previously rejected. It seemed too easy to embrace. It lacked obligation on our part and contradicted accusations we have given credence to for the majority of our lives on earth. Yet herein lies the truth-"Not that we loved God, but that God loved us." This book will help to right the plumb line in your life. -David Collins, author of Out of the Box, founder of Canadian Food for the Hungry International The radical, scandalous, real grace of Jesus Christ shines from this book. McNeely drills down to the core of Christian living and finds the incredible love of a God who alone is good. The Gospel in our lives is not only a treasure experienced at conversion but a gift for daily living, altering desires and restoring hearts. Grounded in Scripture and rich in contemporary illustrations, grace is revealed as bringing assurance and restoration and relationship. How refreshing, true, and needed in a Christian culture that has lost the romance of grace. Take in this book to breathe the air that love breathes, and rejoice with grateful freedom in the wonder of grace. -Dax Swanson, Pastor of Grace Church Bellingham in Bellingham, WA McNeely's ideas in The Romance of Grace are inspired, and the way he makes the point creative. One technique in particular stands out-at times, the book almost seems like it's enacting a Law-Gospel dialectic. He speaks unflinchingly about our need or duty to do something as humans, and the language of these sections is always quite demanding, such as the idea that God wants ALL of us, and we must surrender to Him. Then he immediately makes the point that we can't do it ourselves, that it's not about us, and that God loves us unconditionally. Exploring how a theology of grace relates to love, beauty, and aesthetics is a wonderful enterprise, and The Romance of Grace is a serious contribution both to Protestant thought as a whole and, for us, to the way we approach Christianity. -David Zahl, Mockingbird Ministries, editor of The Mockingbird Blog

Genres: Nonfiction

148 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you ever have a hate and love relationship? I discovered my hate and love relationship with grace. I did'nt realize I had it until I was challenged in this read.

Two things stuck out for me in this read, one is my own ideal of justice and the other is looking at grace as a gift. We all know the verse that by grace we have been saved, it is a gift from God. However, do we practice that grace as a gift. The law shows our sin against a holy God, but the gift of grace shows the love of God. How do we balance that? McNeely reminds with scripture the power of that gift to transform our hearts that as Jesus himself said that He did not come to abolish the law but to fufill the law. Grace is what changes the heart. Us trying to live morally does not. Grace keeps us connected to God the giver of our grace. Grace gives us a sense of wonder of the awesomeness of God in creation and salvation. The gift was costly and I loved the way it was expressed. We tend to think that why and how would it be so costly for a God that creates, is the Alpha and Omega. My heart was grieved in this understanding of how much it cost. This cost we should be reminded of because it reveals God's sacrifice and love for us. He points us to the scripture about the Merchant and the Lost pearl. I will not give this insight away, because I could not do it justice, however, this seems to be his key verse in the Romance of Grace.

Grace is the work of the trinity as well. I loved this quote...The Father is God The Son is God The Holy Spirit is God. The Son is not the Father The Son is not the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is not the Father The Holy Spirit is not the Son. The work of grace is in the trinity is that it is a choice. Love is a choice. God choose to send His Son, His Son choose to die on the cross for our sins, and The Holy Spirit choose to continue the work of salvation and redemption.

The only fault I find in this study of grace is that was not mentioned in the study but is very significant because I think it can cause misunderstanding. God gives grace to all in the way of his gift of that the world is held by his word and hand. Look at creation and how each day ends and begins. We also have the grace of salvation that is given by God that we respond to.

Grace was revealed to us thru God's son on the cross. Grace is freedom from our own justice, freedom to love without walls, freedom to rejoice and to mourn, grace is not from us but to us. Live in grace today. That is the good news.





A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Harold Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What if God sees us the way a man sees a woman he is infatuated with, and His main question is not how to make us moral but rather how to get us to fall in love with Him? In The Romance of Grace, Jim McNeely explores Bible passages that tell us what God really wants for us and what His love means. This is the love of a God who chose to give His life for ours, even carefully retaining His scars into the throne room of heaven and telling us in His very body, "I have gone to great lengths and great costs to say that I forsook all comforts for the love of you." Join Jim in his exploration of life in God's unconditional, redeeming, amazing grace.” (From Jim McNeely's Blog, www.thereforenow.com)

About the Author: Jim McNeely III is a teaching pastor and elder at Dakota Creek Christian Center in Blaine, Washington, where he lives with his wife, Betty, and their four sons. Formerly president of New Century Data, with Clients such as Lockheed Martin and American Airlines, he now works as a programmer and database administrator in the health care industry.

My Thoughts About the Book: If you are longing to dive into the ocean of God’s grace, no longer being content to merely stand on the shore and watch others enjoy their grace-washed lives, then the book The Romance of Grace by Jim McNeely will help surely bless and edify you. Yes, if you have grown sick and tired of your same old “Christian religion” and the legalistic keeping of religious/spiritual disciplines, trying to always DO better and BE better, you need to read this book and then dive headlong into the pure and unending ocean of God’s grace and enjoy the romance of grace and your relationship with God. Author McNeeley in his book reveals just how you can do that in your life if you truly want to.

With numerous scripture references and golden nuggets of Biblical insight and truth pastor and author McNeely guides you carefully along the shoreline of the ocean of God’s grace encouraging that if you will only believe the Word of God as he shares it with you, allow Christ to live in you and through you experiencing as an undeserving recipient all of his grace and divine favor, at some point you will just throw off everything that has hindered you and jump all in too. And when you finally do I can absolutely assure you that you will LOVE it. The water is more than “fine” but you personally have to take the plunge before you can ever experience just how good and sweet grace really is. Another aspect of the book I like is that it allows you to interact with the insights of the book by considering and responding to a few questions at the end of each chapter.

So my friends, have you ever stopped to consider that your grace based relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ is like a “romance?” Have you felt or are you now feeling that you desperately want and need more in your relationship with Christ because the same old same old is just not working? Do you long to experience and enjoy more grace and be free of the bondage engendering law and law practices that keep you spiritually entangled and not enjoying the grace, freedom and abundant life that Christ so freely offers? Then buy The Romance of Grace and prayerfully and thoughtfully (with Bible and heart both open) read it, meditate on what you read and ask God to help you receive and apply the truth to your life. If you do I promise you, you will never feel or be the same again.

Material Disclosure: I received the book at no cost from the Cross Focused Reviews for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

[Dave Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grace of God is the power of God to save, sanctify, and glorify the people of God. The grace of God calls sinners to Himself by calling them to turn from being rebels and sinners to saints and servants of the Most High God. In his new book The Romance of Grace, Jim McNeely, a teaching pastor and elder at Dakota Creek Christian Center in Blaine, Washington writes to explore what the Bible teaches about what God really wants for us and what His love means.

The book has ten chapters each of which explores God’s unconditional, redeeming, and amazing grace. The book began at a men’s group at Jim’s church where they came together to study the grace of God in Scripture. This book he says is a “testimony of that grace and of our incredibly God who so freely gives it” (8).

The one thing I appreciate about this book is not only its comprehensive examination of the grace of God, but also its clarity. The author demonstrates throughout the book that he has thought through not only what grace is, but also how grace should impact our lives. This integrated approach to not just knowing the right information in order to answer questions, but knowing the right answers to experience the grace of God is what makes this book worth not just reading, but truly enjoying.

It’s been said that a good book will make you think, but a great book will change the way you think. This book will not only make you think but also cause you to make some very serious choices about what you think about the grace of God and how it’s affecting your life. This book is a good Christian book in the best sense of the word—one that seeks to be faithful to the Word of God, is Gospel-centered and seeks to lift up the eyes of the reader to the throne of our Great God, Redeemer, and High Priest Jesus Christ.

This book will challenge you but unlike a self-help book it won’t point you to more self-help nonsense, or legalism, but to the One in Jesus who truly desires to meet with us and grow us in His likeness. This book will challenge the religious to see that grace is not just a word worth knowing but truly worth knowing and experiencing in order to make much of Jesus. While many people today struggle with grace either through not understanding it or abusing it, Jim rightly points people to the Word and helpfully lifts up people’s eyes to the One in Jesus who now reigns over His Throne of Grace as our exalted High Priest.

In this book what you will encounter is the grace of God in full measure from His Word. For some of you that will scare you, or scandalize you, but I pray it will lead you into greater intimacy and delight of Jesus whose grace has saved you, whose grace is sanctifying you and who One day will glorify you. Don’t just love the word “grace” but rather get to know the One who has given us this great grace, Jesus Christ so that you may make much of Him in your growth and ministry for Him. Wherever you are in your walk with God this book will encourage you from the Word of God, challenge to look up to Jesus and empower you to serve God in the power of His unconditional, redeeming and amazing grace, for His glory.

[Roger Leonhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book I did know what to expect. It was a little bit of a surprise and a pleasant one at that.

There was much more depth than is many modern books. It is not a list of ten things you can do to have a better marriage or how to manage you money.

It was a good read. The discussion of two types of "good" was worth the whole book.

Here is one quote from that section.

"When someone goes to the dentist complaining of a toothache, the first thing the dentist does is pull out an evil-looking, sharp metal probe and start to poke around. “Does this hurt? How about this?” Is the dentist some kind of sadistic monster? I've always thought so. However, we all know that the dentist pokes around the mouth not for the purpose of inflicting pain but rather to find the problem tooth in order to heal it. The programmer tests his code, seeking to break it, so that he can fix the bugs. Jesus preaches a stringent moral code to fish out this inward division—to diagnose us as sick—so that He can bring us to a place of healing and transformation."

Wow, what great analogies! It sounds almost like a modern day Bunyan. It reminds me of Pilgrims Progress when Bunyan relates the Law to sweeping a dirt floor. It doesn't clean it just makes the dirt visible.

He uses this illustrations to show that it is not God's desire for us to be divided in our desires of doing right. God wants our desire and our morals to coincide. We have to be transformed to the point that both "goods" become one.

He spends a great amount of time speaking of the law and it's effects. The law not only tells us what we should do, it actually stirs up the sinful nature. Have you ever came across a sign that says, "Keep off the Grass!" ? What is the first thing we want to do? Walk on the grass! That is one use of the law. Paul says the law stirs up sin. We are back to the illustration of the broom in Bunyan's Progress.

There is nothing wrong with the Law. It is righteous. Our own sinfulness is to blame. The Law can not give us the power to live the commands of the Law. Grace is sufficient. Grace not only forgives sin, it also gives us the will to do righteousness.

That is the main theme of this book. Grace gives us the motive and desire to do the things of the Law, not through coercion or begrudgingly, but by the Grace of God. It is not a chore but a romantic gesture - The romance of Grace.

I enjoyed this book, There were a few spots where I disagreed. He is not Reformed. But I try to use the watermelon method when reading - eat the good part and spit out the seeds.

I recommend this book with some light discernment but give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book free of charge from Cross Focused Reviews and Libertary Company in exchange for an honest Review

[Joana Arteaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I want to start off by saying that I don't consider myself religious but I do believe in God. What I loved the most about this book is that it was about God but not about any specific religion. This is a beautiful and inspiring book.I learned so much from it and agreed with a lot of what the author said. This book explains how God loves us and wants us to love him back but not by forcing us but because we choose to. I loved that the author kept making the point that grace is not about our love for God but God's love for us "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10". Grace is God's love for us. Not because we deserve it but because he chooses to bless us. I was reminded that even though I am a sinner God loves me just the way I am and all I have to do is accept God's love and grace. I loved it and recommend this book to everyone!

[Jodi Woody · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every Christian. I have to admit the first bit I read stepped on my toes and I even got a little offended. Thankfully I persevered and continued reading. A look at Grace that frees us from the law, but doesn't give us license to sin. I loved it! I give it five stars. Great for teen and up.

[Shelly Hendley · Rating 5 out of 5]

a true paradigm shift for me.

[Debra Hamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Romance of GraceThe Romance of Grace

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and insightful look at the importance of grace! In the parable of the merchant searching for the pearl of great value, we are the pearl that God desires so much that He sacrifices all He has. He's passionate about us like a bridegroom for his bride. He wants us to choose to love Him back, so He gives us free will. He points out that there are two meanings of good that have been at odds with each other since sin entered the world. This is an amazing chapter.

Some of the topics are the law, the nature of love, joy, extending grace to others, and how predestination and grace co-exist. He has some interesting examples from movies, including starting the book discussing the Princess Bride! There are questions at the end of each chapter that really make you think and would be great for discussion in a group. I enjoyed the way he explained things and pointed out possible objections and then answered them. This book made me look at grace in a new way. I definitely recommend it!

I received this book free from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review.

[Lori Hi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful exposition of God's Love for us, examining Scriptures that clearly tell us how He views each of us -- as a pearl of great value. I particularly loved this section:
"He wanted to make it clear that we were important enough to empty Himself, to sell all, to forsake all other comforts....He is forever the One who impoverished Himself to gain the great object of His desire--the church, His bride. When He was resurrected, He could have been healed of His wounds. Instead, He carefully retains them into the very throne room of heaven. He stands marked with scars, saying in His very body, 'I have gone to great lengths and great costs to say that I forsake all comforts for the love of you.'"
Jim provides overwhelming Scriptural evidence of God's love and helps the reader to see what it is that God truly desires from us--not primarily a resolution to be more "moral" but rather our very hearts...the hearts of people who have finally understood how much we have first been loved by Him.

[Brendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. one of the best books I've read this year. good news on every page. love how McNeely illuminates the parable of the pearl.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I needed to read right now to help me better understand God's amazing grace and love for us.