The Gospel of Grace: Tools for Building a Positive Understanding of the Bible

By Mark Wickstrom

Book Overview

This book is about the process of deciding how we determine our use of any particular biblical text. In essence, we are each the architect of our own biblical house. let's take an honest look at how we have designed our individual house.

In this inspired and engaging work, Mark Wickstrom shows how conflicting religious opinions derive not from contradictions in the Bible but from personal agendas that contradict the gospel of grace. he identifies the timeless truths, cultural norms, personal opinions, and random texts that suit personalagendas and may create divisions among the faithful. read the gospel of grace to discover how to create deeper understanding and unity in faith communities large and small.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592982328
• ISBN13: 9781592982325
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Beaver's Pond Press
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A Must Read!!!

Dr. Mark Wickstrom's lays out an informative, thought-provoking, well-researched, and challenging discourse on how we shape our own biblical and theological interpretations. Using the analogy of building a home, Dr. Mark addresses key and controversial issues in today's world - namely grace and who it extends to in regards to issues of homosexuality - and explains how different people can come to drastically different conclusions using the same book - the BIBLE or the Library, as he calls it. This book is a must-read because Dr. Mark gives readers like me a voice - people who believe that not ALL truth is HARD truth. So often, I have had discussions with people on issues like gay marriage, abortion, and inclusion and yet we continually go around and around in circles. Dr. Mark composes a work that explains how the Bible, God, and the Holy Spirit can lead people in drastically different ways. For Dr. Mark, this is okay with him. The issue at hand, he concludes, is how we build our walls of understanding. Do we place our meaning within the timeless truths of texts that denounce homosexuality or do we conclude our timeless truths to be the texts showing how ALL our reconciled to Christ, ALL are made clean, and even Peter can be led to do something totally drastic (by accepting Gentiles) by the Holy Spirit? Each "side" can use biblical texts to back up their arguments, Dr. Mark explains. So who is right and who is wrong? Maybe that's not worth fighting about, he suggests. What is worth fighting about is grace, inclusion, and love. How profound and deep is your Father's grace? Does it extend to just you? Does it extend to everyone? Who is it for? Do you have to earn it? How radical is the love and grace of God? That's up for you to decide, Dr. Mark concludes. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about being challenged by his or her biblical interpretations, for anyone who is having trouble giving voice to the issues that are so "controversial" (sadly so) in today's world, and for anyone who is longing to understand why so many CHRISTIANS can come to so many drastic conclusions.

The gospel of grace

Dr. Wickstrom does an amazing job of explaining how people can interpret the bible and it passages. My mind has been awakened by the exercises within the text which has allowed me to understand my perspectives more clearly, as well as understanding the perspectives of others. This is an amazing, thought provoking, text that brings a higher understanding of oneself, those around us, as well as the bible. My highlighter is practically running out of ink due to finding so many parts of the book worth remembering. A fantastic piece of work!