Costly Grace
My thoughts after these days (apart from dreaming of rest)?
Its difficult to follow Jesus.
It has being difficult for Mic, and I admire his courage to go to difficult places (in every sense of the word), I felt wonderfully uncomfortable at the challenge he laid down. It was awesome hanging with the dairy farmers and their families in the Wirarapa, was struck with how broken they were, and was glad that I do not have to wrestle with the wealth the they have in that area. And its difficult for my friends (and I lump myself in here) at blueprint to follow Jesus at an age and stage where there is so much screaming for attention, so many attractive distractions. Sy's talk on "staying clean in a dirty world" was one that was filled with practical ways of accessing the grace of God.
I keep coming back to this concept of grace, and am realising more and more that without it, I am screwed. I am so aware that parts of my life may be walking down the "narrow road" that Jesus talked about, and yet there is so much of my life (scarily a lot that I am probably unaware of) that is walking down the "wide road".
So I am hanging on for grace to come through. And am wanting to more and more live a life that reflects a deep understanding of this grace.
My favourite quote of the last couple of years is by Dietrich Bonhoeffer from his book "The cost of Discipleship". It tears me to the core every time I read it, and every time I quote it I get choked up.
Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and 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 is the gospel which must be Sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “We were brought at a price”, and what has cost God so much cannot be cheap for us. Above all it is grace because God did not reckon His Son to dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.
This entry was posted by Sam, on
Monday, August 27, 2007.
You can leave your response.
28 August 2007 at 5:07:00 pm NZST
I know someone who keeps talking about Grace Costley...