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Rewriting Reformation History and Chuck Swindoll

by: DanielLaLondJr.
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Chuck Swindoll, in his defining work, The Grace Awakening, believes he is wielding "the torch of freedom" as formerly held by protestant Reformers such as Martin Luther. In this Swindoll leads his readers to think that by following him and his Grace Awakening doctrines that they're being faithful to the Reformation doctrines of faith alone and grace. Chuck Swindoll says:

"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 sixteenth-century European Reformers raised the torch of freedom and withstood the religious legalists of their era, grace was the battle cry: salvation by grace alone a walk of faith without fear of eternal damnation" (The Grace Awakening, p. xiv).

True, the "spark that lit the reformation," as Swindoll states, was Sola Fide or faith alone. However, the Reformers did not understand their theological terms as Chuck Swindoll does. Swindoll's understanding of grace maintains, "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 confidence in the inevitable salvation of even the most corrupt necessitates his elimination of the biblical and Reformation joining 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" (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." Contrary to this, Chuck Swindoll believes it is a lie and another gospel to insist that works must accompany genuine faith. And he does this as though he were speaking for the Reformers!

Plainly, Chuck Swindoll leads the uninformed reader to believe that The Grace Awakening is a book recovering the lost truths of the Reformation from the insidious hands of contemporary legalists who have perverted them. In truth, however, Luther himself tenaciously fought against the understanding of grace and faith presented in Swindoll's book.

Like those who invent history to buttress to their agenda, Chuck Swindoll has revised Reformation history. Does Swindoll believe that "the faith that justifies is a living faith that always 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? Rather, Chuck Swindoll teaches the opposite: that it is heresy to maintain that works must accompany faith. And he does this as if he accurately represents the Reformation! Is this not dishonest? How can this be anything other than revising history?

About the Author

Daniel LaLond Jr. is a Christian, a seminary graduate and a pastor. His book, The Lying Promise, tests the teaching of Chuck Swindoll. The Lying Promise also debunks false teaching inside the Christian church.

Rewriting Reformation History and Chuck Swindoll

About the Author

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