Max Lucado

In the
Grip of
Grace

W. Publishing Group
www.wpublishinggroup.com

A Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
www.ThomasNelson.com

w publishing group

1996

Copyright © 1996 by Max Lucado. All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical,
photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed
reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations used in this
book are from the Holy Bible, New Century Version, copyright © 1987, 1988,
1991 by W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville,
Tennessee 37214. Used by permission.
Other Scripture references are from the following sources: The Holy Bible,
New International Version (niv). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International
Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

The King James Version of the Bible (kjv). The Living Bible (tlb),
copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. Used by permission.

The Message (msg), copyright © 1993. Used by permission of
NavPress Publishing Group. The New King James Version (nkjv),
copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1992, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publisher.
J. B. Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition (phillips).
Copyright © J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan
Publishing Co., Inc. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible (rsv).
Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.
Used by permission. The Jerusalem Bible (tjb). Copyright © 1968 by Darton,
Longman, & Todd, Ltd., and Doubleday & Co., Inc. The New
English Bible (neb). Copyright © 1961, 1970 by the delegates of the Oxford
University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press.
Reprinted by permission.

Book design by Mark McGarry

Set in Goudy & Goudy Sans

library of congress cataloging-in-publication data

In the grip of grace / Max Lucado

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ).

isbn 0–8499-1143–5

1. Christian life. 2. Grace (Theology) I. Title

BV4501.2.l821 1996 96–9078

248.4—dc20

cip

Dedicated to my editor,

Liz Heaney,

in celebration of ten years
of words and wonder.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Greatest Discovery of My Life

1. The Parable of the River

Part One: What a Mess!

2. God’s Gracious Anger

3. Godless Living

4. Godless Judging

5. Godless Religion

Part Two: What a God!

6. Calling the Corpses

7. Where Love and Justice Meet

8. Credit Where Credit Is Not Due

9. Major League Grace

10. The Privilege of Paupers

Part Three: What a Difference!

11. Grace Works

12. Turning Yourself In

13. Sufficient Grace

14. The Civil War of the Soul

15. The Heaviness of Hatred

16. Life Aboard the Fellow-Ship

17. What We Really Want to Know

Conclusion: “Don’t Forget to Look ...