Some time between the historical periods of the Church of Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7) and the Church of Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13), the church forgot what powered the original body of Christians that began on Pentecost. Chuck Swindoll (as he is affectionately known by millions who listen to his daily radio ministry) wrote a book, as others have done, to remind the church of where she has fallen from and return her to her first love: the close, intimate fellowship of Jesus Christ.
That fellowship is a gift the Father extends to all people and is made possible by the sacrifice Jesus gave on the cross, His life. The offer is a gift of God, was made possible by a gift of God, and is accepted through faith, which is also a gift of God. All three levels making this fellowship possible are outright gifts, or in the Greek, charis: grace. How Swindoll describes grace is much more than something said over food before eating.
In his preface, Swindoll discusses joy as a result of grace. The fact is, God doesn't leave his church at the point of salvation, but continues with each member on a personal basis. He wants each of His people to have His joy, which Swindoll points out is a result of living by grace (xi). The mystery, which Swindoll expresses wonder at throughout the book, is that so few members of Christ's church have that joy, and in fact, are angry when they see it in others, a response that one might think is were it not that the same joy is available to all.
And joy is important to the most crucial aspect of the Christian walk, witnessing. Essentially, to fulfill the great commission and make disciples of all the nations, one must possess something unique that others would want. The joy of the Lord is the only thing that cannot be found naturally, and Swindoll makes the point throughout the book that this joy comes from living under God's grace. Just as "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26) so Swindoll notes that "grace re...