Book Review: The Case for Grace

Several months ago, I watched Lee Strobel's story played out in the movie "The Case for Christ." Strobel, a staunch atheist, was deeply disturbed by his wife's conversion to Christianity. He set out to prove to her logically that her beliefs were based on fantasies and fictions. Instead, the further he dug, the more convinced he became that the accounts of the Bible and the experiences of God's people are true. After a thorough examination of the evidence, Strobel accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior and began to plead "the case for Christ."

In this follow-up book, like other books in his Case series, Strobel explores grace as experienced in the lives of unlikely converts. Through interviews with a variety of desperate individuals, Strobel demonstrates the power of God's grace to transform lives. He talks with an abandoned Korean orphan, despised and rejected by others; a hardened drug addict; the rebellious son of an evangelist; a pastor caught in adultery; and others whose lives were changed when God stepped in. It was amazing to read of the forgiveness these individuals were able to give to the ones who harmed them and even to themselves. Throughout the stories and interviews, Strobel grapples with his own need to forgive his distant father (indeed, many atheists develop under a harsh, fractured father-child relationship). If God's grace could forgive Lee Strobel, then certainly Lee could come to forgive his own father.

If you are seeking evidence of God's grace in the lives of others. If you don't believe His grace could extend to the likes of you. Think again and read this book. Strobel's writing is clear and engaging. He extracts difficult truths with the skill of a heart-surgeon. Moreover, you can feel his own personal response to the grace demonstrated.  I was especially touched, near the end, by a story he shares about a personal failing he agonized over in shattering guilt. If Strobel can find a way to forgive himself for his perceived wrongs, then perhaps I can learn to forgive myself for the many ways I have failed others throughout my life. Only grace makes that possible and Strobel is just the journalist to present this case for grace.