Chuck Swindoll: Reformation Revisionism

In his magnum opus, The Grace Awakening, Charles R. (Chuck) Swindoll presents himself as taking up “the torch of freedom” as brandished by protestant Reformers such as Martin Luther. In this he leads his readers to believe that by following him and his teaching in The Grace Awakening that they are being true to historical Reformation teaching on the doctrines of grace and faith alone. Consider:

Human achievement must accompany sincere faith before you can be certain of your salvation. We continue to hear that “different gospel” to this day and it is a lie. It is heresy. It is antithetical to the true message that lit the spark to the Reformation: Sola Fide - faith alone. (The Grace Awakening, p.86).

When the sixteenth-century Reformers wielded the torch of freedom …grace was the battle cry: salvation by grace alone a walk of faith without fear of eternal damnation (The Grace Awakening, p. xiv).

Dr. Swindoll is right, the “spark that lit the reformation,” was Sola Fide or faith alone. The Reformers, however, did not explain their terms as does Dr. Swindoll. You see, his understanding of grace insists, that “regardless of how you choose to live, you can’t live so bad that God says to you, ‘you’re no longer mine’” (Shedding Light On Our Dark Side, tape sld 1A). Swindoll’s preconception regarding the ultimate salvation of even the most profligate obligates him to eliminate the Reformation (and biblical) marriage of works to genuine faith.

In essence, Dr. Swindoll aligns himself with the Reformers and leaves the uninformed reader with the idea that his views on grace and faith are the same as those of the Reformers, which they are not. Contrary to Swindoll, Luther taught that works or “human achievement,” as Swindoll says, go hand in hand with genuine, saving faith. Consider Luther’s teaching:

“Faith must of course be sincere. It must be a faith that performs good works through love. If faith lacks love it is not true faith. Thus the Apostle bars the way of hypocrites to the kingdom of Christ on all sides…Idle faith is not justifying faith. In this terse manner Paul presents the whole life of a Christian. Inwardly it consists in faith towards God, outwardly in love towards our fellow-men” (Luther, Commentary On Galatians).

R.C. Sproul, in his book Faith Alone, wrote: “The Reformers saw saving faith as necessarily, inevitably, and immediately yielding the fruit of works. Martin Luther insisted that the faith that justifies is a fides viva, a vital and living faith that yields the fruit of works.” In spite of this, Chuck Swindoll believes it is heresy and a different gospel to teach that works must accompany sincere faith, and this he does under the banner of the Reformation!

Plainly, Chuck Swindoll leads the uninformed reader to view The Grace Awakening as book recovering the lost truths of the Reformation from the devious hands of present-day legalists who have corrupted them. When the truth is that Luther himself aggressively argued against the conception of grace and faith extolled in Swindoll’s book.

Like those who reinvent history to suit their own ends, Dr. Charles R. (Chuck) Swindoll has rewritten Reformation history. Does Swindoll insist that “the faith that justifies is a vital and living faith that yields the fruit of works” as did Luther? Does Swindoll insist that “whoever doesn’t do good works is without faith,” as did the Reformers? No he does not, rather, Chuck Swindoll teaches the opposite, namely, that there is no external proof of salvation or spirituality and that it is heresy to maintain that works must accompany faith. And this he does under the banner of restoring Reformation doctrine! Is this not dishonest? How is this anything other than historical revisionism?

The Lastest posts in Self Improvement

Running A Karaoke Business Can Be Easy If Done Correctly
With karaoke becoming one of the fastest new trends in amusement, it brings with...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/running-a-karaoke-business-can-be-easy-if-done-correctly-1243/

Acne Skin Care
Acne skin care is very important. Recently, acne sufferers can find the treatmen...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/acne-skin-care-1229/

Are You Interested In Better Health and Fitness?
My girlfriend is always after me about taking better care of myself. She's one ...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/are-you-interested-in-better-health-and-fitness-1227/

Things to do when you are sick of smoking
What would you do when your house is on fire? Would you sit and think, plan and ...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/things-to-do-when-you-are-sick-of-smoking-1225/

Buying The Right Format of Karaoke Discs For Your Player
When establishing your own karaoke library, there are a number of certain elemen...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/buying-the-right-format-of-karaoke-discs-for-your-player-1218/

Will Your Ex Girlfriend Fall In Love With You Again?
Is it impossible to win an ex girlfriend back? It may or may not be, but if you ...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/will-your-ex-girlfriend-fall-in-love-with-you-again-1217/

What You Never Knew About Karaoke - History
Karaoke has become a favorite amongst all age groups ,even though the ones that ...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/what-you-never-knew-about-karaoke-history-1210/

Bodybuilding Diets, How Alcohol Affects Your Muscle Gains
There actually are people who wonder whether alcohol negatively affects their mu...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/bodybuilding-diets-how-alcohol-affects-your-muscle-gains-1192/

Panic Attacks - 3 Tips To Prevent Them Controlling Your Life
For anyone who has panic attacks if they allow them to they will soon take over ...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/panic-attacks-3-tips-to-prevent-them-controlling-your-life-1171/

The Definitive Guide to Getting Him Back From Another Woman
It is not unusual for a man to get another girlfriend quickly after a break up. ...
http://www.bizarticlezone.com/self-improvement/the-definitive-guide-to-getting-him-back-from-another-woman-1161/