I tend to focus more on grace when it comes to understanding the gospel. It’s easier for me to focus on how all my sins, infractions, and struggles are covered by the spread of the gospel’s cloak, rather than examining my continued need for grace. Because of Jesus, all my sins have been forgiven, but it seems I’m still looking for loopholes when it comes to actually living as a Christ-follower.
By nature, I’m a bit lazy and despise boundaries and constraints, unless they’re of my own making. So, I look for ways around, under, and over the call to Christian living, but rarely through because through is hard—and, well, I don’t like hard. This is why I like to focus on a grace mentality: I can fail hard, all my life, kicking against the pleasant boundaries God has set for me, because I’m still in, still covered by grace.
But this emphasis on forgiveness without much understanding or conviction of my continued need for Jesus, is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace.” This is, as Bonhoeffer put it, “forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.”
In other words, when I make the gospel solely about the grace offered to us and not about the ongoing work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I cheapen the work that has been accomplished on my behalf. I blur over my need to be discipled by Jesus, to learn from and follow His ways. I venture into another form of godlessness where it’s all about me, my performance rather than holiness.
In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul tells them, “We always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith” (2Thessalonians 1:11). Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians in their call of discipleship under Jesus Christ. It is God who compels and pursues us, guards and guides us, protects and provides for us. He completes the work of salvation by the power of the Spirit, through the work of the Son, and under the care of the Father. This work is by and for and with and about Him—not us. Even my wriggling out of the careful and pleasant boundaries He has laid for me point to His calling and His power (Psalm 16:5–6). We cannot make ourselves fit or worthy of this calling. Only God can do this.
Where are you omitting God from the gospel today? How are you making it simply about grace and your own work? Where are you forgetting the wonderful truth that you are both set free by the gospel and made for holy living? His calling, His work, and by His power. The gospel of grace was very good news for the Thessalonian church, as it is for us. This grace is not cheap. You and I were bought with a price (1Corinthians 6:19–20). But this grace is also entirely free by the work and hand of God—for you and for me.
How do we pray for people we hold dearly in our hearts but we are not near?
How do we pray for them when we know they are in difficult situations or under persecution? I find myself often without the right words. But here, we have an example.
(2 Thes. 1:3-12)Thank God for the good. Give Him the glory and honor for evidence of His work in them and in their lives. Respect that what they are going through is difficult, and remind them that God has them, yesterday, today, and in their tomorrows. Pray that they will never lose site that it is God who calls and empowers. May His will be transparent in our their heart’s desire for good and work produced in faith. (Isaiah 66:1-4) May humility, a contrite spirit, and respect be the foundation for God’s peace and comfort in their lives (Isaiah 66:12-16). For those He predestined-He called. Those called-He justified. And those justified will be glorified (Romans 8:30). May they live to bring glory to God. And may we live in that Truth as well, all the days He gives us. It starts with God. It is presently about God. It will always be, about God.
The gift of redemption and eternal life is free, but truly following Jesus will always cost us something.
This is a good word for today. Something to dig into and meditate on. Thanks!
@Kristina Mari I had a similar conversation with my teenage daughter a few days ago. She too was fearful. But God…I remind her that we are saved by grace. She does not need to be perfect. she is a lovely girl as I’m sure that you are as well Kristina.
Nope Grace was not cheap! We were all bought with the ultimate price through the blood of Jesus Christ. I do nothing on my own. I depend solely on my Jesus to do life.
We are kindred spirits, the way you described ducking the work, etc. That verse leaped out at me, too. I thought, “DO I desire to do good works produced by faith?” OUCH!! Oh Lord, show me what it truly means to walk in grace!!
The Thessalonians were undergoing severe persecution. You would think Paul would cut them a break about living holy under those conditions. Yet it is precisely in the trials and tribulations of this life when we need to lean harder into faith and proclaim His sovereignty all the more. Our witness in times of difficulty often speaks the loudest and is more readily heard by others. Let us live holy lives whether the sun is shining or darkness is drawing near. The Holy Spirit will empower us. We are not alone.
I confess I haven’t been steadfast in persevering and abiding with God. I have been relying on distractions for self-care, leading into laziness, rather than going to God for His rest and providence.
“In view of this, [let us] always pray for [us] that our God will make [us] worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill [our] every desire to do good and [our] work produced by faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by [us], and [us] by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess 1:11-12)