Book Review: Putting a Face on Grace: Living a Life Worth Passing On by Richard Blackaby

There was a guy who owed a debt he could not repay. His life was ruined, his bondage. Yet, to his utter surprise, his creditor forgave the debt and set him free. Happily strolling down the street, the guy saw a man who owed him a small debt and demanded repayment. When his debtor cried for more time, the guy had him thrown in jail. What a hypocrite!

This summary of Matthew 18:21-35 reveals the unfortunate truth that those who have experienced God’s grace often fail to give grace to others. I once saw the results of a survey taken among waiters and waitresses that stated the shift they liked working the least was Sunday lunch. Those surveyed said that the customers were the most demanding, impatient, rude, and stingy with tips. Isn’t that when most Christians go out to eat after worship service?

In Putting a Face on Grace, Richard Blackaby reminds us that we have been forgiven a great debt and we should live like it. The book challenges followers of Jesus to bring life and grace to their relationships, family, other believers, and unbelievers. “Our natural tendency,” Blackaby writes, “is to be ever on the lookout for what will benefit us, not others” (p. 145). It is Jesus living in us and through us that lets us be grace-givers.

This book has caused me to stop and look at my actions, reactions, and conversations to see how they reflect the grace I have experienced. Am I blessing the lives of others or throwing them in jail at every offense? My daily prayer has expanded to include a request that God help me become a grace-giver.

Like so many of the books from the Blackaby family, this book is one that every believer should read. What I think will be most helpful are the study guides in the back of the book for both individual and group study. All who read this book will be challenged and pick up insights on how being forgiven is supposed to impact daily living.

Read the First Chapter

Steve Scudder, Director of Missions