dailywordofdestiny

Cheap grace is a grace without price, a grace without cost. The very essence of grace is that the account has been paid in advance and because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Forgiveness of sins is proclaimed as an intellectual truth. The ‘love of God’ is seen as sufficient to secure remission of sins. No ‘true, godly repentance’ (2Corinthians 7: 9, 10) is required, nor a real desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace is the idea that grace did it all for me so I do not need to change my lifestyle; I can live like the rest of the world. Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance (no expectation of turning away from past sin in your life, no accountability); it is a grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, and grace without Jesus. ‘Cheap grace,’ rather than having been given by God, is the grace we have given to ourselves.

When we give the ‘flu vaccine’ it has a very small amount of the actual virus as part of the serum. Once you receive it through injection, your own immune system builds up antibodies to fight against the ‘flu’ if you come in contact with it. Cheap grace is like a vaccination; we have gotten just enough of Jesus to prevent us from acquiring the ‘real thing’. As a result, we begin to feel secure even in the midst of godless living and moral decay. We become unaware of our disobedience and this cheap grace gives us a sense of ‘strength’ (really pride); for after all, we are told that our salvation has already been accomplished by the grace of God.

Costly grace is the grace of Christian discipleship. It is costly because it calls us to follow Jesus and it costs our very lives. Some of the costs of following Jesus are in SERVICE (Luke 14:26), serving Him before any others; SACRIFICE (Luke 14:27) through putting the interests of Christ before our own; SELF-ASSESSMENT (Luke 14: 28-30) in knowing who we are and how Christ has equipped and empowered us to do what He asks. Costly grace condemns sin but justifies the sinner. It is the ‘sanctuary of God’ and it has to be protected from the world; not thrown to the dogs (Matthew 15:26). Above all it is GRACE because it COST God the life of His Son: ‘you were bought at a price’ (1Corinthians 7:22, 23).

When we are called to follow Christ, we are summoned to an attachment to His person. Discipleship without Jesus Christ is a way of our OWN CHOOSING, but is devoid of all promise. Happy are they who know that discipleship simply means a life which springs forth from grace, and that grace simply means discipleship.

“… Follow Me …” (Mark 2: 14).