Neil T. Anderson - Grace That Breaks the Chains: Freedom from Guilt, Shame, and Trying Too Hard

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

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This book contains stories in which the authors have changed peoples names and minor details of their situations in order to protect their privacy. Such individuals have granted the authors and the publisher the right to use their names, stories, and/or facts of their lives.

GRACE THAT BREAKS THE CHAINS

Copyright 2003 by Neil T. Anderson, Rich Miller, Paul Travis

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Anderson, Neil T., 1942-

[Breaking the bondage of legalism]

Grace that breaks the chains / Neil T. Anderson, Rich Miller, Paul Travis.

pages cm

Rev. ed. of: Breaking the bondage of legalism. c2003.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-7369-5575-1 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-5576-8 (eBook)

1. Spiritual warfare. I. Title.

BV4509.5.A5232 2014

241.5dc23

201304354

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How can we ever give thanks enough to our loving heavenly Father for giving us the gift of our wonderful wivesJoanne, Shirley, and Joyce? In addition to all that they are and do every day, they also stood with us steadfastly in prayer, love, encouragement, and service as we researched and wrote this book. It was not easy for them.

It is a very small token of our great love for them, but we dedicate this book to these three precious ladies, to the praise of Gods glorious grace in Christ Jesus.

Neil, Rich, and Paul

First, we want to thank our friends at Harvest House Publishers for their love for Jesus and for us. They have all been a great encouragement through the process of birthing this book. We want to especially thank Paul Gossard for his kindness, patience, and efficiency in editing. He is a true servant.

We also want to thank our dear friend Sally Jenkins for her special support and meaningful suggestions, most of which are included in this book.

We are also deeply grateful for David and Vickie Dort, who were waiting with a cup of cold water at each mile marker of this marathon project. Their encouragement and prayers gave us strength to keep going and to finish strong.

Finally, we want to say thank you to the many people who shared their journeys out of legalism with us. Though there was not room in the book for everyones story, each one touched us personally. We trust that this book will shine light on your path as you continue moving from law into gracefrom performance into freedom in Christ.

CONTENTS

T he National Prisoner of War Museum located at the Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia is a monument to pain and suffering. My (Richs) trip there was sobering. My friends and I mostly walked around in silence, reflecting on the nightmare of life and death in that place. Only this nightmare was real. Having watched the film Andersonville , I was somewhat acquainted with the horrors of this Civil War prison. But that had been in the safety of my living room. There was something deeply disturbing about being there in person.

During the 14 months of its operation, the Andersonville military prison (which was designed for 10,000 men at a maximum) saw nearly 50,000 Union soldiers incarcerated there during the war. At one point, 33,000 were crammed into the 27-acre camp. As a result of poor medical care, malnutrition, lack of sanitation, overcrowding, and exposure to the elements, more than 13,000 men perished there.

A surgeon testifying at the postwar trial of camp commandant Henry Wirz said, The haggard, distressed countenances of these miserable, complaining, dejected, living skeletonsformed a picture of helpless, hopeless misery which it would be impossible to portray by words or by brush.

The horrific conditions within the camp brought out both the best and the worst in the prisoners. Some reached out with love and mercy. But others betrayed one another, stealing from each other, even killing fellow soldiers.

After an hour or so of walking through the camp and reading the stories of what took place there, I started feeling physically ill (as did my companions). We got in our cars, prayed, and left quickly. Though our bodies felt better almost immediately, the memories have been much slower to fade.

As cruel and heartless as physical bondage can be, spiritual bondage is worse. And for that reason, in this book we want to throw open the doors of another kind of prisoner-of-war campone that is not so physically repulsive, but which is spiritually deadly. It is a camp where joy is stolen, faith is sometimes killed, and hope is often destroyed.

It is called legalism .

Only one thingone Person, reallycan free people from legalisms camp. Thats why weve titled this book Grace That Breaks the Chains . Although that phrase is clear enough, the full meaning of the word legalism may not be clear to you yet, so well explore it further in chapter 1. However, the books subtitle Freedom from Guilt, Shame, and Trying Too Hard probably strikes the strongest chord of recognition in your heart. It may very well be why youre reading this book. Who doesnt want to be free from guilt and shame? Who doesnt want freedom from trying, trying, trying to live the Christian lifeand never having it work out?

This subtitle reminds us of the epitaph on the tombstone of a certain newspaper journalist: I tried my best, but it wasnt good enough. And unfortunately, that could be the heart cry of countless believers in Christ across this nationa silent heart cry that only God hears. Maybe thats the condition you find yourself in today. Perhaps its a loved one of yours who is suffering. If so, we want to bring you hope. First of all, we want to tell you that you are not alonenot by a long shot. On the pages of this book you will read the stories of many different people who have suffered in a variety of ways from legalistic systems.