Cheap Grace

It’s really hit me recently that I’ve been treating God as a transaction. I’ve been bartering my behavior for grace and expecting no grace when I mess up. Since I have realized this, I have made an effort not to view my quiet time and personal Bible study as a to-do. It has helped some, but now I fear that I’m starting to treat God’s love as cheap grace. Grace without discipleship. 

I’ve looked a lot into discipleship, especially discipleship relationships that we are called to enter into, and it’s anything but cheap. It requires: 

• Transformation and Repentance, making God my priority (Mark 8:34-38)

• Learning the written Word of God and living by it with commitment (John 8:31-32)

• Focusing on living righteously, being fruitful (John 15:7-10, Galatians 5:22)

• Loving, edifying, and serving others as God leads (1 John 3:11-16)

• Accountability with godly authority (Hebrews 13:17)

So I need to come to a better balance. I know that grace calls for obedience, but my obedience does not earn me that grace. I cannot become apathetic about the Gospel. I cannot lose sight of the cost. Jesus deserves my obedience because I didn’t deserve His grace. 

So: what can that look like?

Lord, set my soul on fire again. I never want the flame to go out. 

Because all I want is all you are. Will you meet me here again? 

Show me what a relationship with you is supposed to look like. For what you’ve done willingly for me, you deserve far more than I could ever give you. I want to prostrate myself before you. 

Show me what it means to feed on every word that comes from your mouth. Sustain me and remind me constantly that you are. I am nothing without you.

Written October 2019.