Holiness

by

Grace

Delighting in the Joy That Is Our Strength

Bryan Chapell

Crossway Books

A Division of
Good News Publishers
Wheaton, Illinois

Holiness by Grace

Copyright © 2001 by Bryan Chapell

Published by Crossway Books
a division of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Josh Dennis

Cover photo: Ric Ergenbright

Scripture is from the Holy Bible: New International Version.® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The “NIV” and “New International Version” trademarks are registered in the
United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society.
Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

Names of individuals and occasional specifics are changed in some accounts appearing in this book to respect the concerns and wishes of those involved. My debt is great to those who have taught me the gospel of grace by the testimony of their lives.

Table of Contents

Introduction: My Soul’s Delight

Part One: Principles of Grace

1 The Power of Joy

2 United for Life

Part Two: Practices of Faith

3 Repentance That Sings

4 Escape from Temptation

5 Constrained by the Law of Freedom

6 Fighting with All His Might

Part Three: Motives of Love

7 What’s Discipline Got to Do with It?

8 The Power of Mercy

9 Works That Really Matter

10 That’s Not Fair

Discussion Questions

Bibliography

General Index

Introduction

My Soul’s Delight

“God says, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ ” The young preacher quoted the words of Leviticus with such fervor that I had little doubt he really expected us to live up to this command for untarnished righteousness. Yet, as my eyes scanned those seated between the pulpit and my pew, I wondered if he recognized the true challenge in his words:

• On the front row were two sisters, both divorced in the past year. One had recently confided to friends that her loneliness since her marriage had driven her into sinful relationships with other men. The second sister had found more frequent solace in alcohol that trapped her in a horrid cycle of depression that made her treat her kids cruelly, making her feel guilty, and causing her to drink again to escape her guilt.

• Behind the sisters was a successful businessman and long-term elder who had engineered the ouster of the previous pastor with ...