"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." Luke 9:23-24
There is nothing about the above verses in Luke that is appealing or part of any human inclination. Certainly we like the idea of following Christ and of having eternal life in heaven rather than spending eternity in hell with Satan.
I have been reading The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and I think it is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. If you have never read it please take the time to read this one! Just as powerful is the story of Bonhoeffer himself, written by Eric Metaxas. He wrote Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy in 2010.
"Cheap Grace," according to Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who stood up to the Nazi regime, is the forgivness of our sins through what Christ did for us on the cross. But without more, the outspoken theologian says, it merely means justification of the sin without the justification of the sinner. We begin to believe that since we are forever forgiven-past, present, and future-we're covered. Nothing needs to change. Life goes on as it always has, but we're secure.
But then Bonhoeffer presents the uncomfortable idea, the part about taking up our cross daily. That's the part that not many people like or want to hear about. That part sounds a little too much like the sacrifice that Christ made when He was nailed to the cross. Does He really want us to hang there with Him?
Bonhoeffer says that is the "costly grace" that we don't talk about too much. It's the part of the relationship with Christ, through His free gift of eternal life bought with His blood on the cross, that requires complete obiedence at all costs. That means in all times in our lives, with all the aspects of our lives-including all of our time, talent, and treasures.
It's the costly part of grace that we try and avoid thinking and talking about. Mainly because it means going all the way! Giving everything we have!
Bonhoeffer was willing to do that. He stood defiantly against the Nazis for his faith and the freedom of others, and he paid for it with his life. What is God calling and asking you to do?
There is nothing about the above verses in Luke that is appealing or part of any human inclination. Certainly we like the idea of following Christ and of having eternal life in heaven rather than spending eternity in hell with Satan.
I have been reading The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and I think it is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. If you have never read it please take the time to read this one! Just as powerful is the story of Bonhoeffer himself, written by Eric Metaxas. He wrote Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy in 2010.
"Cheap Grace," according to Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who stood up to the Nazi regime, is the forgivness of our sins through what Christ did for us on the cross. But without more, the outspoken theologian says, it merely means justification of the sin without the justification of the sinner. We begin to believe that since we are forever forgiven-past, present, and future-we're covered. Nothing needs to change. Life goes on as it always has, but we're secure.
But then Bonhoeffer presents the uncomfortable idea, the part about taking up our cross daily. That's the part that not many people like or want to hear about. That part sounds a little too much like the sacrifice that Christ made when He was nailed to the cross. Does He really want us to hang there with Him?
Bonhoeffer says that is the "costly grace" that we don't talk about too much. It's the part of the relationship with Christ, through His free gift of eternal life bought with His blood on the cross, that requires complete obiedence at all costs. That means in all times in our lives, with all the aspects of our lives-including all of our time, talent, and treasures.
It's the costly part of grace that we try and avoid thinking and talking about. Mainly because it means going all the way! Giving everything we have!
Bonhoeffer was willing to do that. He stood defiantly against the Nazis for his faith and the freedom of others, and he paid for it with his life. What is God calling and asking you to do?
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