March 06, 2006

grace...part ii

(smg...this one is for you)

Boenhoffer writes about cheap vs costly grace. Here's small sampling.

Cheap grace...
...means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system
...means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs
...the grace we bestow upon ourselves
...preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, communion without confession,
...grace without discipleship

Costly grace...
...the gospel which must be sought again and again
...the gift that must be asked for over and over
...costly because it calls us to follow, grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ
....costly because it costs man his life, grace because it gives man true life
...costly because it condemns sin and grace because it justifies the sinner
...Above all--costly because it cost God the life of his Son and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.

The truth is that most of the time I enter the holy of holies with nothing but cheap grace on. I have an odd system of checks and balances for myself and if I feel like I'm worthy enough I make my requests known...this can't even be considered grace because I'm still basing it on my merit, my thought life, my actions. I'd love to be able to blame it all on the fact I grew up in a church that had more emphasis on rules than relationship, but I haven't lived at home for 10 years now and that's an excuse. I've known the difference but choose to live in whatever grace I decided to give myself for a day.

It's hard to accept so costly a gift. If it's not clouded with guilt and shame, then my stubborn pride creeps in....and so the cycle goes. Yet in stubborn spite of my stubborn spite I am loved nonetheless and loved all the more because I exist.

So how does one walk in costly grace? And how does one bestow costly grace to another? Is it even ours to give? Maybe just ours to extend?

Grace...it's the name of a girl. It's a thought that changed the world...u2

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

GREAT POST!! Way to really make people think about what ought truly to matter.
We'll have to catch up soon, but let me get through this week of insanity first. :)
Love ya!
Your "fav" WI girl. :)