This book isn’t what you think, though it may likely be what you need. You would imagine that a witch hunt for who should be labeled a legalist would be what you would find, but that is not the case at all. No, what you have is what grace really is and what it could never be.
The tone is respectful throughout, but the issue is faced head on. He doesn’t try to ditch the Law of God, but use it as the Lord intends. Here is the irrefutable fact: Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness. Christ, of course, fulfills the Law, but He ends it as a source of righteousness for you and me.
Most Christians I know grasp that as it pertains to salvation. The problem is that we think the opposite when we try to live the Christian life. We try to earn God’s favor, we think we must be worthy of His love. The problem is that we are as in need of grace as before. As Mr. Prince so ably points out it can’t be both. You may get to the Lord through grace or the Law–it is one or the other, now and always!
Here is his definition of legalism: “the attempt to achieve righteousness with God by keeping a set of rules.” Well, that definition alone makes it folly. I once believed that legalism was a concept that only applied to salvation, but I was wrong. Like the foolish Galatians, I can go back as a believer and live as an ardent legalist!
The purpose of the Law is not for the purpose we use it. A teacher, yes; a deliverer, never. In fact, the Law only brings condemnation. Liberty comes from Christ.
He shows how when a Holiness lady, who may love the Lord, doesn’t wear makeup and holds that up as her approval with the Lord, she makes this error. (He kindly never mentions we Independent Baptists who have a few of these ourselves). He does show how this is exactly the same as the orthodox Jew who won’t eat ham.
What really makes this book so valuable is how Mr. Prince teaches in the latter chapters how to receive God’s grace in your life and how to apply it.
If you have been hearing all the debate about legalism and you are at a loss for how to process the debate, I highly recommend this book. If you just want to straighten out your own thinking, then I recommend it even more.
I received this book free from the publisher. 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 .
The Reagan Review 
I was steeped in legalism for 18 solid years and it is worse than being an alchoholic!! It takes over you life like a drug, it is not of God and is and can be all consuming, then after admitting to myself what a hypocrite I was religiously Jesus showed me the True Grace Gospel. For Salvation it is easy, read Romans 5. Instead of me having to feel condemnation after every time I missed the mark, the Holy Spirit revealed this easy truth. As Adam sinned and we were all made sinners, (this is easy for all Christians to believe), NOW PLEASE THIS NEXT PART. HERE IS THE FLIP SIDE – As Jesus DIED ONCE AND FOR ALL OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE SINS, WE ARE MADE PERFECT IN HIM FOR SALVATION. It is this easy, and now I can live Free for Him and my ministry of GRACE Bible studies has been Blessed. When you live the Grace way and not as a legalist, your life actually becomes more separated from the world , you want to please Jesus because of the GIFT of Grace He has given to you. There is so much more to say about this, but if your condemmed , please email me and I can show you biblically where verse are which will set you free. God never gives us the spirit of fear, here is a a perfect verse that is mis-interpreted. HEBREWS 10:26
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Do you know how many good meaning people used to preach this as TRUTH? There is a TRUTH to it, but not what you think, folks used to say to me, “man I keep lying and really have a problem with it, I think Jesus wont forgive me anymore”, what fear and error to put into someone?
The TRUTH of this verse is , (first context- who is the writer speaking to? Jews), What the Jewish new believers were doing was saying, ” I like this Jesus way and do believe, but then going back and practicing temple worship with bulls and goats, etc, What (I believe Paul wrote Hebrews) is saying is If you use animal sacrifice for your remission of sins, it wont count and there is no remission of sins in this vein.
When a scripture ever sounds conrtadictory, re: to Salvation, it needs to be looked at thru the Grace gospel. If anything in scripture makes it sound like you have to be involved for salvation,you are mis-interpreting.
GRACE- It becomes a way of LIFE, from Salvation, to provision, to the way we treat others, and it will change your walk with GOD!!
I always get this response from Legalist, well, that sound like EASY BELIVEISM to me? Does this mean I just go out and do whatever I want, No of course not, look at Romans 6, but what it does say is: Go out and enjoy being my son or daughter!! When you miss the mark, its covered, but you wont miss it near as much under HIS GRACE>
My Ministry right now of GRACE has taken off, and I will never turn back. God has lead me to get it out to people, take it from a real legalist. GRACE SAVES ALL!
Joe Geranio
Califronia
Thanks for sharing!
I was sucked into watching Derek Prince speak on TBN one late night, wanting to find something wrong with him and label him as yet another misguided speaker to those with “itching ears”…..and I was could not find one thing to criticize! I watched him again the next night, thinking surely he was not biblical somewhere (I mean, his suit was so modern and his fancy hairdo…… ;). ) He explained righteousness in those sermons….how we should stand and rely on God’s righteousness alone, not our own. And how understanding God’s righteousness will naturally affect our behaviour to change. It is not our own right behaviour that makes us righteous ….our standing with God is totally in His righteousness. A born again person is righteous before God because of Jesus, not because of himself. I am not used to agreeing with many preachers on TBN and felt almost guilty for watching (false guilt), but instead I now see it as God’s reminder that by (His) grace I am saved…..not by works (and I can’t maintain godliness or righteousness by works either!). I doubt I will join Pastor Prince’s Grace Revolution church, but I was glad to read your review of his book.
^^^^ and actually now I’m embarrassed because I am NOT talking about DEREK PRINCE whose book this is at all ….. Never mind all the above comment (I’m not sure how and if I can delete it).
In any case, i’ve learned about a NEW author/preacher I can pursue finding out about – who is probably NOT on TBN at all since he has passed away!!! 🙂
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