Grace Intervention: Understanding God’s Beautiful Gift of Grace. By Bill Giovannetti. Uhrichsville, OH: Shiloh Run Press, 2015. 250 pp. Paper, $14.99.
The title of this book caught my eye. Giovannetti is a pastor and has a heart for what is going on in Christian churches. He says that legalism is the biggest and most destructive problem we have (pp. 12-14).
Giovannetti writes this book for the layman. He wants to show how to live and relate to one another with grace. The book is easy to read, and he uses many illustrations the reader can relate to.
Since the book magnifies the grace of God, there is much to appreciate about it. For example, it says that the problem with Christians being like the world is legalistic practices. That happens when Christians do not understand the grace of God. Instead, they need to focus on Christ and knowing Him (pp. 104-106). While some may conclude that some of the examples of legalism Giovannetti uses are actually sinful, these examples will cause the reader to think about his own views on these matters.
Probably the two chapters of the book that the readers of the JOTGES would be most interested in are the ones entitled “Lordship” (chap. 3) and “Assurance” (chap. 13). In the Lordship chapter, the author directly discusses the Free Grace versus Lordship Salvation controversy. He points out that the controversy did not start with GES or Dallas Seminary in the 1980s. John Stott and Everett Harrison debated the issue in the late 1950s. It even dates back to the very beginning of the Reformation (pp. 49-50).
Giovannetti directly says that he is Free Grace. Works have nothing to do with faith. Works are a part of discipleship and when we equate faith and obedience, our words become meaningless (p. 51). This is a great discussion.
He also points out that attacks on the Free Grace position are wrong. He includes the teachings of A. W. Tozer about the topic, as well as misunderstandings by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (pp. 54-61).
Giovannetti, however, does not see the Free Grace issue as being as important as many others do. He says that the Free Grace Alliance and GES are basically teaching the same thing. He also feels that both groups, as well as Lordship adherents, are “on the same team.” They all hold to the essentials of the faith. The Christian in the pew does not see the distinctions between the teachings and does not care. The battle between Free Grace and Lordship teachers did not have a winner, even though scholars believe the Lordship side won. Both sides teach that Jesus is Savior and Lord (pp. 51-53).
We see the same ideas in the chapter on assurance. The chapter starts off with a quote from the 1800s about the importance of assurance. Immediately after the quote, Giovannetti says that he has absolute certainty that he is going to heaven. He bases this assurance on the promises of the Bible, not on his good works (p. 193).
Giovannetti rejects the idea of perseverance of the saints as a means of gaining assurance (p. 194). This reviewer strongly agrees with the author up to this point. However, in the rest of the chapter, Giovannetti says that when he was saved, he did not have assurance. Assurance came about ten years later when God gave it to him as a gift. He specifically says that he was saved before he had assurance (pp. 195-96). Giovannetti does not think that assurance is of the essence of saving faith. He views assurance as a sanctification issue.
For Giovannetti, the proof of assurance is found in the promises of the Bible. This is outstanding. However, he goes on to explain that two further evidences can “buttress” assurance. He says these are the inward testimony of the Spirit (Rom 8:16) and the fruit of holiness in our lives (pp. 199-203). Even if we live sinful lives and do not experience these “evidences,” we are still saved. This discussion can be confusing.
Free Grace people will find themselves saying a hearty “amen” to much of what Giovannetti says. However, they will groan when he says that the issues of assurance and the definition of faith are in-house arguments. Many in the Free Grace Alliance, GES, and Lordship camps would disagree. Even though this is not an exegetical book, it is full of stories about grace and warnings about the dangers of legalism. It also gives a little history about the Free Grace movement. For these reasons, I recommend the book.
Kenneth W. Yates
Editor
Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society
