cheap grace v. costly grace
I've been worried lately about a trend in the Church where people are flaunting their rights to sin. They talk about it with pride or sometimes with indifference...whether it's getting drunk or sleeping around. I fear that in trying to get away from the rules list that seemed to rear it's head so often in the modern Church, we've swung to the opposite side of no rules, live as you like, but stand on grace. Claim grace and do whatever you want and call it freedom. But I don't think that's freedom either. It's not what we were called to. It's doesn't bring real life. So I've been having these thoughts in the back of my head as I see leaders in the Church falling down continually and being okay with it. And last night realized I've probably taken part in this, if not openly then by theory.
A friend of mine recently showed me a book that talked about just this thing and it's awesome. I think it has a lot to offer the Church today. It's The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a young German pastor in the late 30's and early 40's. He spoke out against the Third Reich and was imprisoned for it. He was eventually hanged in a concentration camp with the Russian army in site, 3 days before the camp was overthrown. (actually another report I heard was 3 weeks before the Americans came and took it). Either way they killed him out of spite. He was a hero, but that's another entry entirely.
This is what he says about cheap grace and costly grace:
"Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting to-day for costly grace.
...Grace is represented as the Church's enexhaustinble treasury, from which she showers blessing with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. ..bc it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. ...Such a world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. ...Well then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world's standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin. This was the heresy of the enthusiasts..
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. ...It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. ...It is costly bc it calls us to follow, and it is grace bc it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly bc it costs a man his life, and it is grace bc it gives a man the only true life. ...Above all, it is costly bc it cost God the life of his Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us." --Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It's sooooo good. Totally what I've needed to hear. One thing that came together in my head is that it's just another way of following the system, but not having the heart changed...we take grace bc we know it's a part of the gospel, the Word, but if we do not let it truly do its work then it is just another religious right or external thing we do bc we're "Christians". Like we pray, we go to church, we read our Bibles, we sin and take our grace. It can be system just like anything else if it's not really taken as the call to follow Jesus. To be for real about it, not just use it for our own purposes. ...this is what I see today.
A friend of mine recently showed me a book that talked about just this thing and it's awesome. I think it has a lot to offer the Church today. It's The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a young German pastor in the late 30's and early 40's. He spoke out against the Third Reich and was imprisoned for it. He was eventually hanged in a concentration camp with the Russian army in site, 3 days before the camp was overthrown. (actually another report I heard was 3 weeks before the Americans came and took it). Either way they killed him out of spite. He was a hero, but that's another entry entirely.
This is what he says about cheap grace and costly grace:
"Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting to-day for costly grace.
...Grace is represented as the Church's enexhaustinble treasury, from which she showers blessing with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. ..bc it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. ...Such a world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. ...Well then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world's standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin. This was the heresy of the enthusiasts..
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. ...It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him. ...It is costly bc it calls us to follow, and it is grace bc it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly bc it costs a man his life, and it is grace bc it gives a man the only true life. ...Above all, it is costly bc it cost God the life of his Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us." --Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It's sooooo good. Totally what I've needed to hear. One thing that came together in my head is that it's just another way of following the system, but not having the heart changed...we take grace bc we know it's a part of the gospel, the Word, but if we do not let it truly do its work then it is just another religious right or external thing we do bc we're "Christians". Like we pray, we go to church, we read our Bibles, we sin and take our grace. It can be system just like anything else if it's not really taken as the call to follow Jesus. To be for real about it, not just use it for our own purposes. ...this is what I see today.
posted by Libby at 8:16 AM
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