Critical Reading - Excerpt from “The Cost of Discipleship”
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was executed
at the Flossenbürg concentration camp in Nazi Germany, just 23 days before the
German surrender.
In conversation, an
orthodox Jewish friend of mine once commented on Christianity during one of our
many open theological conversations, calling it “cheap.” He said it a “free
ticket” - a license to live a life void of the sanctity required in Torah. He
was shocked when I hesitantly agreed, admitting that it often was so in
practice, but then added that Moses asked God to “kill” him rather than have to
deal with the incessant disobedience of God’s people – children whom he reminds
God, were not of his body. I told him that salvation, for Jew or Gentile, is
only attainable by God’s grace. It was then, and it is now – only by God’s
amazing grace.
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME
TO REFLECT ON THESE WORDS AS YOU READ THEM. Dietrich was a Christian who gave
up his life to save the millions of Jews who were being massacred at the hands
of the Nazis. His words reflect the soul of a man who would make such a
sacrifice. The thoughts represented by these words are critical to a proper
understanding of what we “gentiles” toss around as the concept of “grace.” In
these few words, Dietrich beautifully expresses the fact that true grace may be
free, but it most definitely is not cheap. Enjoy.
“CHEAP GRACE is the deadly enemy of our Church.
Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks'
wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion
are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church's
inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands,
without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost.
The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance;
and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the
cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite.
What would grace be if it were not cheap?
Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a
system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of
God taught as the Christian "conception" of God. An intellectual
assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of
sins. The Church which holds the correct doctrine of grace has, it is supposed,
ipso facto a part in that grace. In such a Church the world finds a cheap
covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to
be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the living
Word of God, in fact, a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God.
Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the
justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, they say, and so
everything can remain as it was before. "All for sin could not
atone."
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.
That was the heresy of the enthusiasts, the Anabaptists and
their kind. Let the Christian beware of rebelling against the free and
boundless grace of God and desecrating it. Let him not attempt to erect a new
religion of the letter by endeavoring to live a life of obedience to the commandments
of Jesus Christ. The world has been justified by grace. The Christian knows
that, and takes it seriously. He knows he must not strive against this
indispensable grace. Therefore--let him live like the rest of the world. Of
course he would like to go and do something extraordinary, and it does demand a
good deal of self-restraint to refrain from the attempt and content himself
with living as the world lives. Yet it is imperative for the Christian to
achieve renunciation, to practice self-effacement, to distinguish his life from
the life of the world. He must let grace be grace indeed, otherwise he will
destroy the world's faith in the free gift of grace.
Let the Christian rest content in his worldliness and with this renunciation of
any higher standard than the world. He is doing it for the sake of the world
rather than for the sake of grace. Let him be comforted and rest assured in his
possession of this grace--for grace alone does everything. Instead of following
Christ, let the Christian enjoy the consolations of his grace!
That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts
to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner
who departs from sin and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is not the kind of
forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is the
grace we bestow on ourselves.
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance,
baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution
without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace
without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
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 pearl of great price to buy which
the merchant will sell all his goods. 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.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which
must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it
calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life,
and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because
it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is
costly because 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. Above all, it
is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our
life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.
Costly grace is the sanctuary of God; it has to be protected from the world,
and not thrown to the dogs. It is therefore the living word, the Word of God,
which he speaks as it pleases him. Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call
to follow Jesus, it comes as a world of forgiveness to the broken spirit and
the contrite heart. Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the
yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: ‘My yoke is easy
and my burden is light.’’
Selah,
Luv ya,
From me2u
Pastor Mario
