I've been re-reading "The Cost of Discipleship" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I would certainly recommend it (especially along with a little study into the life of the author), but I wanted to post a few good quotes.
The quote below is from the very beginning of the book where he summarizes the rest of the book. It all deals with a proper definition of grace (costly vs. cheap) and the cost of discipleship.
"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 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 it the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock."
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1 comment:
Go Dietrich!
Sometimes I wonder if we have to be persecuted and/or become an "underground church" for this to really sink in. I'm taking a history class in Christian preaching, and it's interesting to read sermons from clergy in the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries basically saying this exact same thing. It seems after Christianity was tolerated and legalized (4th century) the church has been struggling with "cheap grace" ever since . . . some churches that is. I guess a lot of them don't really struggle with it since they advocate the antinomian heresy, but that's another rant.
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