Chuck Swindoll Misquotes John Wesley and The Great Awakenening.

Chuck Swindoll, the world renowned Christian author, is known for his writing and teaching on the evangelical doctrine of grace. Dr. Swindoll's magnum opus in this regard is The Grace Awakening. Though Swindoll's teaching is popular most Christians do not know that he titled this book after the famous revival known as "The Great Awakening." Early in the introduction of The Grace Awakening Chuck Swindoll wrote:

When the eighteenth-and early nineteenth-century revival spread across Great Britain and into America, preached fervently by John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and a handful of other risk-taking spokesmen for God, it was again grace that led the way. And again there was strong resistance from those who frowned upon their message of freedom in Christ. Interestingly, that sweeping movement came to be known as "The Great Awakening." What I am sensing these days is yet another awakening in the genre of those history-making movements. Perhaps it is best defined as "The Grace Awakening," a message whose time has come (The Grace Awakening, p. xiv, xv).

Aligning The Grace Awakening with John Wesley and The Great Awakening surely bolsters the message of Swindoll's book. Though historians might consider Swindoll's comparison self-serving such doctrinal consistency is notable if it is a fact, but is it a fact?

Though John Wesley has written volumes Chuck Swindoll offers not a single quote to substantiate his supposed harmony with Wesley. Why? Because John Wesley never taught the biblical themes of grace or freedom in Christ as Chuck Swindoll does.

Dr. Swindoll writes that The Grace Awakening is a book stressing the full extent of grace (The Grace Awakening p. xv). To Swindoll this means that no human "work" of any kind or degree ever has any bearing on whether or not a person is finally saved or enters the eternal kingdom of God. The following are a fraction of what is available from Chuck Swindoll on the foundational topic of what constitutes grace and saving faith:

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, audiotape sld 1a).

In other words, salvation is not by faith alone... [ellipsis in original] it requires works. 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 (The Grace Awakening).

Presenting John Wesley as Swindoll's forerunner regarding biblical grace is not even close to the truth. Even so, Chuck Swindoll surely helps his book by linking it to Mr. Wesley and The Great Awakening. Though Swindoll is free to define "grace" any way he pleases to present it as if Wesley agreed is simply not true. Consider John Wesley on the inevitable union of works and saving faith:

I testify unto you, that if you still continue in sin, Christ shall profit you nothing; that Christ is no Savior to you, unless he saves you from your sins; and that unless it purify your heart, faith shall profit you nothing (A Blow At The Root p.4).

The nature of the covenant of grace gives you no ground, no encouragement at all, to set aside any instance or degree of obedience; any part or measure of holiness (Sermon: The Law Established Through Faith).

Chuck Swindoll teaches that it is heresy and a lie to teach that works or fruit must accompany sincere faith. Yet, John Wesley, a man Swindoll presents as agreeing with him on these foundational doctrines, boldly preaches this heresy and lie. Still, Chuck Swindoll aligns himself with Wesley leaving the uninformed reader with the mistaken idea that The Grace Awakening and The Great Awakening are synonymous. If Swindoll wants to teach that "grace" means that a Christian's behavior has no bearing on his eternal home he should not do it in the good name of John Wesley or The Great Awakening.

COPYRIGHT/REPRODUCTION LIMITATIONS: This date file may be reproduced/distributed/published only in its entirety and without charge. Reproductions of this file must contain the copyright notice: “Copyright © 2008 by Daniel LaLond Jr., Grayslake, Illinois.” This data file may not be used for the enhancement/promotion of any other product sold. This includes all of its content with the exception of a few brief quotations. Please give source credit: “Copyright © 2008 by Daniel LaLond Jr., Grayslake, Illinois-www.defendingthegospel.org.”