Grace That Costs
Not so Cheap (Grace) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Cheap grace is the mortal enemy of the church. Our struggle today is for costly grace. -Bonhoeffer
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Justified here is a legal term, one that means to be set free or acquitted of a crime, to be found not guilty.
Prior to Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we had no peace with God.
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
“Introduction” “προσαγωγή prosagōgē”
The word used in this passage has two common usages:
1) a formal introduction as in being allowed to stand before a king, such as in Heb 4:16 “come boldly to the throne of grace”
2) A port/sheltered harbor (vikings/sailers harboring for the winter seas)
Stand
Faith is not some human act that turns on the switches of divine grace.
Instead, the divine act of grace calls a person to faith
Romans: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (1. A New Perspective 5:1–5)
After his dramatic conversion, Martin Luther often felt plagued by doubts and assaults on his spiritual life.
One of the ways he overcame these episodes of spiritual discouragement was to find a secluded place and there verbally address the Devil and the forces of evil with these words: “Satan, leave me. I am baptized!”
Whatever your view of the sacraments, you can still sense the power and significance of what Luther was saying.
I belong to you
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
We Boast or Rejoice in our tribulations, WHY?
It builds perseverance / endurance / patience
A word used for pressure, like that of a press squeezing the fluid from olives or grapes.
Here they are not the normal pressures of living, but the inevitable troubles that come to followers of Christ because of their relationship with Him.
this word refers to endurance, the ability to remain under tremendous weight and pressure without succumbing
Proven character.
The Gr. word simply means “proof.” It was used of testing metals to determine their purity. Here the proof is Christian character Christians can glory in tribulations because of what those troubles produce.
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
God has implanted within our hearts evidence that we belong to Him in that we love God and love others.
Is there enough to convict you being a disciple?
One should live a life that makes it obvious,
it should be obvious in our actions, our speech, and how we utilize out resources.
Here is the Cost of Grace paid for us.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Jesus paid a price for the Grace offered to us, it wasn't cheap.
Bonhoeffer Said:
Cheap grace is that grace which we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without repentance; it is baptism without the discipline of community; it is the Lord’s Supper without confession of sin; it is absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the living, incarnate Jesus Christ.
Costly grace is the hidden treasure in the field; for the sake of which people go and sell with joy everything they have. It is the costly pearl, for whose price the merchant sells all that he has; it is Christ’s sovereignty, for the sake of which you tear out an eye if it causes you to stumble. It is the call of Jesus Christ which causes a disciple to leave his nets and follow him …
It is costly because it calls to discipleship; it is grace, because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly, because it costs people their lives; it is grace, because it thereby makes them live. It is costly, because it condemns sin; it is grace, because it justifies the sinner. Above all, grace is costly, because it was costly to God, because it costs God the life of God’s Son—“you were bought with a price”—and because nothing can be cheap to us which is costly to God. Above all, it is grace because the life of God’s Son was not too costly for God to give in order to make us live. God did, indeed, give him up for us. Costly grace is the incarnation of God.
Take Home Question
What Does Grace Cost You?
