cheap grace

Grace. It’s been on my mind for, well, a lot of months.  As it should for those who believe… God’s grace is very simply - God loving me, the unlovable.

‘Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues.’ John Stott

The world preaches and teaches that you get what you deserve. Grace stands tall and in a powerfully booming voice communicates that you get what you don’t deserve – unmerited favor – because of what Christ did on the cross. Grace is the core of Christian faith.

I understand that grace, because I exist in it. I have received and continue to receive that grace. (Because - Jesus. Not because of Sara.)

But what about grace that we are called to give?

Granted we are called to extend God’s grace, yes. So it should be rather simple, eh? He perfectly loves us and has forgiven us and called us to forgive, becoming an extension of His love to others by giving grace. But we are human and therefore sinful and that complicates things. We are unable to do grace perfectly like God does grace perfectly. We have taken His flawless grace and messed it up.

Grace is unmerited favor, but God isn’t just the big guy in the sky slinging blessings who turns His head the other way to sin. His grace does not eliminate His judgment. He is willing, ready and able to forgive when we are unforgivable because of the cross, yes. But after receiving grace, we are still left to deal with the consequences of our sin. 

So what does that mean for us when we are extending grace?

This is my take on it:

There is the grace of God born of God’s unending love through the sacrificial blood of a perfect Savior on the brutal cross that we are called to give

and

there is a sinful, watered down or souped up, repulsive version of grace that I have labeled - cheap grace.

Cheap grace is granted when it’s “too” hard or time consuming to deal with the reality.

Cheap grace looks the other way and pretends the situation isn’t what it is.

Cheap grace turns a blind eye because the truth of a situation or person is painful or inconvenient.

Cheap grace attempts to hide or cover up.

Cheap grace is centered in self rather than Christ.

Cheap grace defies the authority of God.

Cheap grace builds division.

Cheap grace attempts to justify immorality.

Cheap grace bears no fruit.

Cheap grace is dangerous and at some point or another we are all guilty of it… and often, Lord please forgive us, in the name of a bogus and sickening version of God’s love.

Paul warns us about abusing grace in Romans 6:15 “Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? By no means!” and Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather serve another humbly in love.” But I think it’s really important to remember that we cheapen grace when we add to it. I love this analogy by Platt and Merida:

“Think about it: If you were about to drink a glass of clean water, and then someone added a drop of poison to it, would you still drink it? It’s close to pure, right? No, it’s totally contaminated and undrinkable as soon as the drop of poison hits the water. It’s the same way with the gospel. If you tamper with and add anything to grace, you lose the whole gospel… We don’t need Christ plus this or Christ plus that. We need Christ, period. ”

I have been going over these things in my head for months. I’ve prayed for revelation and searched the Word for answers on grace and God’s character and how He has called us to give grace in loving others in hard things. I am even reading a book (!!) about grace to try and figure it out. I can’t work it out completely, in my head or on paper. And for now I think it’s okay that I am a little stuck. Perhaps that is where I am the most aware? Here, searching.

“Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.” Jude 23 MSG

“Grace is not cheap. The cost of grace is a cross, where Jesus gave Himself for our sins.” Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Galatians