Cheap Grace

April 23, 2015

A friend recently sent me a manuscript, asking for my opinion. Apparently, being a pastor qualifies one to critique a book on Christian discipleship, which is what this particular book is about. His basic premise is that we of the Christian West have watered down the Gospel, diluting it to the point where it would be almost unrecognizable to the Biblical writers. In the 1940's, Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book "The Cost of Discipleship," wrote of cheap grace that has the outward appearance of the Gospel, but is devoid of its power. Sadly, there is much cheap grace being bandied about these days, and my friend is deeply and rightly concerned about it.

Just the other day in a conversation in which we talked of some people who had recently professed faith in Christ. They prayed "the sinner's prayer," but of those three people, to my knowledge, only one has followed up their profession by showing up at worship. This is unfortunately, more of a pattern than we would like to admit. With media preachers spewing a prosperity gospel that essentially tells people what they want to hear, viz. that God wants us all prosperous, the demands of Jesus to take up our cross and follow him sound unattractive by comparison. And yet, that is exactly what Jesus commands. He is clear that being his follower will sooner or later bring trouble our way.

Discipleship...REAL discipleship is only possible when we walk through the door of repentance, recognizing the breadth of the breach between us and God that our sin has caused, and turning our backs on the course of life that only widens that gulf. It is founded upon the realization that sin is so heinous and ruinous that the only remedy was the sacrifice of God's only Son. And it is only when we understand this that grace and forgiveness can do its work in us. After all, if I don't see the need for grace, it won't be valued or trusted for what it is; the expression of the heart of God.

Tonight, I am grateful for this reminder that grace isn't cheap, that our salvation was won at an enormous price which was payable only by Jesus' divine sacrifice of himself for love of us. "The one who is forgiven much, loves much," Jesus said. Knowing the enormity of our sin enables us to experience the vastness of grace...and to give thanks.