Fix our eyes on the Word.

Chapter 2 - The Call to Discipleship  (continued)

Please read the following excerpts slowly, contemplatively.  If you need to (like I usually do) read them more than once.  We are trying to discern TRUTH from these words. This isn't God's word, it's not set in stone, it is subject to error and by the grace of God may we be able to glean the truth out of what is written and grow in Christ, grow in the knowledge of our Savior even more!

*******

Bonhoeffer-  '...only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.' 

'...we must never lose sight of their essential unity. For faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience.'

'Only the obedient believe. If we are to believe, we must obey a concrete command. Without this preliminary step of obedience, our faith will only be pious humbug, and lead us to the grace which is not costly. Everything depends on the first step. It has a unique quality of its own. The first step of obedience makes Peter leave his nets, and later get out of the ship, it calls upon the young man to leave his riches. Only this new existence, created through obedience, can make faith possible.'

'This first step must be regarded to start with as an external work, which effects the change from one existence to another. It is a step within everybody's capacity, for it lies within the limits of human freedom. It is an act within the sphere of the natural law (justitia civilis) and in that sphere man is free. Although Peter cannot achieve his own conversion, he can leave his nets.  In the gospels the very first step a man must take is an act which radically affects his whole existence.'

'Once we are sure of this point, we must add at once that this step is, and can never be more than, a purely external act and a dead work of the law, which can never of itself bring a man to Christ. As an external act the new existence is no better than the old. Even at the highest estimate it can only achieve a new law of life, a new way of living which is poles apart from the new life with Christ. If the drunkard signs the pledge, or a rich man gives all his money away, they are both of them freeing themselves from their slavery to alcohol or riches, but not from their bondage to themselves. They are still moving in their own little orbit, perhaps even more than they were before. They are still subject to the commandment of works, still as submerged in the death of the old life as they were before. Of course, the work has to be done, but of itself it can never deliver them from death, disobedience and ungodliness. If we are already judged by our work, and entirely excluded from grace. Hence the term "external work" includes everything we are accustomed to call "disposition" or "good intention,"…'

'Nevertheless the external work must be done, for we still have to find our way into the situation where faith is possible. We must take a definite step. What does this mean? It means that we can only take this step aright if we fix our eyes not on the work we do, but on the word with which Jesus calls us to do it.  Peter knows he dare not climb out of the ship in his own strength-- his very first step  would be his undoing. And so he cries, "Lord, bid me come unto thee upon the waters," and Jesus answers: "Come."  Christ must first call him, for the step can only be taken at his word. This call is his grace, which calls him out of death into the new life of obedience. But when once Christ has called him, Peter has no alternative-- he must leave the ship and come to him. In the end, the first step of obedience proves to be an act of faith in the word of Christ. But we should completely misunderstand the nature of grace if we were to suppose that there was no need to take the first step, because faith was already there. Against that we must boldly assert that the step of obedience must be taken before faith can be possible. Unless he obeys, a man cannot believe.'

My thoughts-

'We can only take this step aright if we fix our eyes NOT on the WORK we do, but on the WORD with which Jesus calls us to do it.'  TRUTH.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

'The step can only be taken at his word.'

'This CALL is His GRACE'  

We truly are being called out of death and into a new life that is a call to obey our SAVIOR.

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Shall we continue to sin? No. God forbid!

And we know this--Jas_4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

So if we KNOW what actions are approved by God as good acts, and what actions are not approved by God as good acts then it stands to reason that we sin when we choose NOT to ACT in a way approved by God.  Obey God, obeying His commands is NOT sinning.

1Jn_3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

We are CALLED by grace.

We must die to sin by living in Christ.

We are buried with Christ by baptism.

We are raised up from that death like Christ, by the glory of the Father.

Because we are called by our Savior we truly do have to walk in NEWNESS of life.

We cannot serve sin. We are NOT called by Christ to serve sin, not ever!

The Costly grace is costly because it cost our Savior His life! If we are called by our Savior and accept His sacrifice for us, we are called to obey Him all through FAITH, all through BELIEVING in HIM and all He's done for us!

Bonhoeffer is explaining the truth that there is MORE to following Christ than willfully living our lives in our old sins while trying to claim Christ's grace.  We must obey, and this is where so many fall short choosing to disobey rather than obey. They claim they no longer are obligated to obey, but NO where are we told by our SAVIOR to not listen and do what He tells us to do. Our Savior did not spend three years ministering, teaching, just so we can ignore all He said.

Please LORD, help us as we struggle to learn more about our call to discipleship, our call to follow YOU in pure LOVE.

Bless us LORD, keep us IN YOU and ONLY in YOU- not in ourselves, not in any other, only YOU.

'The road to faith passes through obedience to the call of Jesus.

Chapter 2 - The Call to Discipleship  (continued)

Bonhoeffer - 'Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.'

'In such a religion there is trust in God, but no following of Christ. Because the Son of God became Man, because he is the Mediator, for that reason alone the only true relation we can have with him is to follow him. Discipleship is bound to Christ as the Mediator, and where it is properly understood, it necessarily implies faith in the Son of God as the Mediator. Only the Mediator, the God-Man, can call men to follow him.'

My thoughts-

There is such a thing as Christianity without the living Christ. It sounds preposterous but it's true.  People all over believe Christ died for them, that He forgives them their sins, that His grace covers them. They believe that Christ is in their Christianity but they don't believe He is in it as a living Christ who calls them to discipleship.  This statement- 'In such a religion there is trust in God, but no following of Christ.' IS TRUE!

Christ is a living Mediator between us and God. Christ calls for us to LIVE OUR LIVES with HIM as a REALITY, a real part of our lives, and the only way Christ can be a real part of our lives is if we are His DISCIPLES in much more than mere word.

Bonhoeffer- ' Discipleship without Jesus Christ is a way of our own choosing. It may be the ideal way. It may even lead to martyrdom, but it is devoid of all promise. Jesus will certainly reject it. '

My thoughts- Discipleship without Jesus Christ- in these last days there will be a multitude of so called disciples following a false Christ- one of their OWN choosing that allows them to do what they please, that allows them to satisfy themselves without denying themselves or picking up a cross. 

Luk 9:57  And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Luk 9:58  And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Luk 9:59  And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Luk 9:60  Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Luk 9:61  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Excuses.  Jesus KNEW even as He walked the earth that most people would make a show of following Him, but it would be little more than that.

The enthusiasm- 'Lord, I will follow thee wherever you go!'   

The realization- It will be very HARD, you will suffer.

The desire quenched by obligations- 'I will follow thee, but first let me take care of my family obligations.'

The realization- The dead bury the dead, not those who are alive to Christ.

A show of desire, nothing more- 'I will follow you, but let me say goodbye to my loved ones.'

The realization-  Pretending to be a disciple, pretending to want to follow Christ, saying you desire this but all the while you truly just want to continue on in your life the same as always. 

Jesus KNEW.

How many people SAY they desire to be a disciple of Christ's, but it stops there at the desire with NO realization?  Our desire to want to follow Christ will NOT be the same as truly following Christ.

Bonhoeffer- 'If we would follow Jesus we must take certain definite steps. The first step, which follows the call, cuts the disciple off from his previous existence. The call to follow at once produces a new situation. To stay in the old situation makes discipleship impossible.  Levi must leave the receipt of custom and Peter his nets in order to follow Jesus. One would have thought that nothing so drastic was necessary at such an early stage. Could not Jesus have initiated the publican into some new religious experience, and leave them as they were before? He could have done so, had he not been the incarnate Son of God. But since he is the Christ, he must make it clear from the start that his word is not an abstract doctrine, but the re-creation of the whole life of man. The only right and proper way is quite literally to go with Jesus. The call to follow implies that there is only one way of believing on Jesus Christ, and that is by leaving all and going with the incarnate Son of God.'

'Until that day, everything had been different. They could remain in obscurity, pursuing their work as the quiet in the land, observing the law and waiting for the coming of the Messiah. But now he has come, and his call goes forth. Faith can no longer mean sitting still and waiting-- they must rise and follow him. The call frees them from all earthly ties, and bind them to Jesus Christ alone. They must burn their boats and plunge into absolute insecurity in order to learn the demand and the gift of Christ. Had Levi stayed at his post, Jesus might have been his present help in trouble, but not the Lord of his whole life. In other words Levi would never have learnt to believe.'

'The road to faith passes through obedience to the call of Jesus. Unless a definite step is demanded, the call vanishes into thin air, and if men imagine that they can follow Jesus without taking this step, they are deluding themselves like fanatics.'

'Discipleship is not an offer man makes to Christ. It is only the call which creates the situation.'

My thoughts-

At this point how many people read this and begin to get worried that they are being told that they - like Peter, like Levi, like others - must LEAVE EVERYTHING?  How many are thinking that and simultaneously questioning where would they go, Jesus is not walking the earth and asking us to follow Him as the Apostles, as the disciples of His day. 

Bonhoeffer isn't telling us to drop everything and run off after some cult following. If we did that we'd be in great danger of once again following a path of our OWN deluded thinking and choosing, not that of Christ's!

This isn't a call to leave your current life and run off after some imagined life, but it is a call to realize the SELF sacrificing of our Savior, and what He calls His disciples to. 

We are NOT called to serve ourselves first and Christ second but that is exactly what many do.

Bonhoeffer has a LOT more to say on all this and it'll be slow going for us so please, if anyone is reading this, do not jump to any conclusions about what this man is trying to say based on my excerpts in part.  Once this whole series of excerpts are done if there is confusion and such, please, go out an buy the book and pray that as you study it that what you are reading is truly truth coming from the word of GOD, His Bible, not some made up nonsense.  It's my prayer that God guide us with His Holy Spirit so we are not caught up in any lies, but only HIS TRUTH.

Bonhoeffer so far has shown us some of the differences between Cheap Grace and Costly Grace, and now He is trying to explain the 'Call to Discipleship' to us.  This may take more than one or two blogs, so please, be patience. If I botch it all up I hope God will straighten us out.  All by HIS GRACE and HIS LOVE!

More tomorrow if He wills!

The Call to Discipleship

Bonhoeffer- Chapter 1 - Costly Grace.   (This chapter finished)

Chapter 2 - The Call to Discipleship (Begun)

'It has becoming clear every day that the most urgent problem besetting our church is this: How can we live the Christian life in the modern world?'

My thoughts-  This is an urgent problem besetting ALL of us, isn't it? Seriously, we all look so much like the world that we are definitely not set apart from it, and if we look like the rest of the world does that mean we've conformed to the worldly ways and accepted CHEAP grace rather than COSTLY grace? Bonhoeffer asks this question many years ago and it's still relevant for us right now, in fact, more relevant than ever before as the world calls evil good in so many, many ways.

'Happy are they who have reached the end of the road we seek to tread, who are astonished to discover the by no means self-evident truth that grace is costly just because it is the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Happy are the simple followers of Jesus Christ who have been overcome by his grace, and are able to sing the praises of the all-sufficient grace of Christ with humbleness of heart. Happy are they who, knowing that grace, can live in the world without being of it, who by following Jesus Christ, are so assured of their heavenly citizenship that they are truly free to live their lives in this world. Happy are they who know that discipleship simply means the life which springs from grace, and that grace simply means discipleship.  Happy are they who have become Christians in this sense of the word. For them the word of grace has proved a fount of mercy.'

My thoughts- Truth.

Chapter 2 - 'The Call to Discipleship.'

Mar 2:14  And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

'Because Jesus is the Christ, he has the authority to call and to demand obedience to his word.'

'The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity (that is, in truth, into the absolute security and safety of the fellowship of Jesus), from a life which is observable and calculable (it is, in fact, quite incalculable) into a life where everything is unobservable and fortuitous (that is, into one which is necessary and calculable), out of the realm of finite (which is the one liberating reality). Again it is no universal law. Rather it is the exact opposite of all legality. It is nothing else than bondage to Jesus Christ alone, completely breaking through every programme, every ideal, every set of laws. No other significance is possible, since Jesus is the only significance. Beside Jesus nothing has any significance. He alone matters. When we are called to follow Christ, we are summoned to an exclusive attachment to his person.'

My thoughts-

Jesus is the only significance.  TRUTH!  Yet we spend countless number of hours believing so much else in life is significant. We are actually raised to believe that we- outside of Jesus- are significant. We are told we are special. We are raised believing just because we exist we have rights. We are told that we deserve to be treated with respect no matter who we are, and we tell others the same. We build people up and make them believe that no matter what they are important all on their own.  It's not true, but instantly doesn't that statement want to make you contend that it is true?  We are NOT important in and of ourselves. We are important ONLY because God loves us, and for no other reason. Our significance exists ONLY because our SAVIOR, our CREATOR exists.  Without our Creator we would not exist at all but people have gone to great lengths to deny that we even have a Creator. Unfortunately, tragically even, many people believe those who would tell them they have no Creator, no God who created them, who spoke them into being.  They believe that since we propagate ourselves that there is no Creator creating us. That the fact GOD created the first of us and gave us the ability to propagate is merely false, the first of us simple came into being out of nature with also just came into being all on its own some how. They believe that TIME itself creates things, given enough time everything and anything is impossible. Put a rock on a shelf and over millions and trillions of year it'll make life all on its own, this is what people who do not believe in a Creator, believe. Nothing sprang from nothing and then it was something. Logic alone defies all that sort of thinking but there are millions caught up in it because they do NOT want to believe they have a Creator that they owe their very lives to. They do not want to believe that their significance only exists because God, their Creator, created them and in doing so gave them significance. Our Savior deemed us worthy enough to save from certain nothingness, from ultimate non-existence. The significance lies within our Savior, not in us. We didn't do anything special to make ourselves worthy.  Jesus is the only significance this is TRUTH.

'When we are called to follow Christ, we are summoned to an exclusive attachment to his person.' - We want to believe we've been called to follow Christ and indeed we have been, all of us have been called. And it is truth that when Jesus calls us to follow HIM, He wants us be a part of HIM.

Jesus said-- Joh_15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Bonhoeffer goes on to say--

'Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship.' 

My thoughts--

I watched this show where this girl escaped from a cult where her parents had raised her and she went back after many years to see her parents and they believed she'd come back hoping to once more become a part of the cult, a disciple to their cult.  When we think of modern day disciples we rarely think of that word, that term, in connection with ourselves. Why? Because cheap grace has destroyed our sense of being disciples. That word disciple isn't used widely, not for the average everyday person who calls themselves a Christian. That word has more meaning to those SPECIAL people who join cults, or who become monks and such, those who have a higher calling than any average Christian.  If you told someone you are a disciple of Christ do you know that word alone would stop and make them wonder if you weren't meaning some special religion- or a member of a church called Disciple of Christ.  Whatever their thought, it wouldn't be one that is common at all, it wouldn't be one of instant understanding and acceptance, because Christ's followers have forgotten they are truly HIS DISCIPLES.

More on this tomorrow by the GRACE of GOD.

We are Christ's disciples! Please Lord help us to be YOUR disciples in TRUTH.

Cheap grace is disastrous to our spiritual lives.

Bonhoeffer- Chapter 1 - Costly Grace.   (Continued)

'But the call to follow Jesus in the narrow way was hardly ever heard.' 

My thoughts- This is as TRUE today as it was back when this was written.  To truly follow Jesus in the NARROW way isn't something people want to hear, and certainly not do.

'Where were those truths which impelled the early Church to institute the catechumenate,

((Catechumenate- 1. One who is being taught the principles of Christianity. 2. One who is being instructed in a subject at an elementary level.

Pasted from <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/catechumen> ))

...which enabled a strict watch to be kept over the frontier between the Church and the world, and afforded adequate protection for costly grace? What had happened to all those warnings of Luther's against preaching the gospel in such a manner as to make men rest secure in their ungodly living? Was there ever a more terrible or disastrous instance of the Christianizing of the world than this? What are those three thousands Saxons put to death by Charlemagne compared with the millions of spiritual corpses in our country to-day? With us it has been abundantly proved that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generations. Cheap grace has turned out to be utterly merciless to our Evangelical Church.

This cheap grace has been no less disastrous to our own spiritual lives. Instead of opening up the way to Christ it has closed it. Instead of calling us to follow Christ, it has hardened us in our disobedience. Perhaps we had once heard the gracious call to follow him, and had at this command even taken the first few steps along the path of discipleship in the discipline of obedience, only to find ourselves confronted by the word of cheap grace. Was that not merciless and hard? The only effect that such a word could have on us was to bar our way to progress, and seduce us to the mediocre level of the world, quenching the joy of discipleship by telling us that we were following a way of our own choosing, that we were spending our strength and disciplining ourselves in vain-- all of which was not merely useless, but extremely dangerous. After all, we were told, our salvation had already been accomplished by the grace of God. The smoking flax was mercilessly extinguished. It was unkind to speak to men like this, for such a cheap offer could only leave them bewildered and tempt them from the way to which they had been called by Christ. Having laid hold on cheap grace, they were barred for ever from the knowledge of costly grace. Deceived and weakened, men felt that they were strong now that they were in possession of this cheap grace -- whereas they had in fact lost the power to live the life of discipleship and obedience. The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works.'

My thoughts--

'What had happened to all those warnings of Luther's against preaching the gospel in such a manner as to make men rest secure in their ungodly living?'  -- They were obviously done away with, all those warnings tossed away as proven by today's church mindset.  Millions of people go to church secure in their salvation as well as their ungodly living and they are deceived! Millions of people who go to church live no differently than the ungodly.  They have the same interests as those who profess to not even believe in God. They have the same hobbies, the same way of living so that you can't tell them apart and yet one professes to be a Disciple of Jesus, a Follower of Jesus. How did this happen? Men became secure in their ungodly living and grabbed a hold of cheap grace and now live by cheap grace rather than have anything to do with costly grace.

'This cheap grace has been no less disastrous to our own spiritual lives. Instead of opening up the way to Christ it has closed it. ' - TRUTH.

'Instead of calling us to follow Christ, it has hardened us in our disobedience.' - TRUTH.

'Perhaps we had once heard the gracious call to follow him, and had at this command even taken the first few steps along the path of discipleship in the discipline of obedience, only to find ourselves confronted by the word of cheap grace.' - TRUTH.

Cheap grace- the destroyer.

Before any of us believe that we are immune to this, that we haven't been touched by cheap grace we need to really think again. We are far from where we should be, aren't we? Far from separate from the world, far from hating the world and worldly ways. Far, far from denying our selves and picking up our cross.  We have to be honest, to be anything other than honest here is DECEPTION and CHRIST WILL NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH DECEIVERS! Christ will not know us if we are liars, deceivers, among those who are caught up in the trap of cheap grace.

'The only effect that such a word could have on us was to bar our way to progress,'  -TRUTH.

'...and seduce us to the mediocre level of the world,' - TRUTH.

'...quenching the joy of discipleship by telling us that we were following a way of our own choosing, that we were spending our strength and disciplining ourselves in vain-- all of which was not merely useless, but extremely dangerous.'  - TRUTH.

'Disciplining ourselves in vain' -- Cheap grace wants us to believe this! Cheap grace wants us to believe that all we are doing is being done in vain when we choose to take our Savior at His word and live life as He has told us He wants us to live it.  The words from HIS mouth were these--

Mar_8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

But cheap grace will NOT let us take up any cross and it will not let us deny ourselves, so HOW can we follow our Savior as He wants us too?

'Having laid hold on cheap grace, they were barred for ever from the knowledge of costly grace. Deceived and weakened, men felt that they were strong now that they were in possession of this cheap grace -- whereas they had in fact lost the power to live the life of discipleship and obedience. The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works.' -- TRUTH.

'The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works!'  TRUTH!

Please, we have to look at our lives, we have to examine ourselves --

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

2Co 13:6  But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

2Co 13:7  Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.

2Co 13:8  For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

Examine ourselves.

Prove ourselves.

Know ourselves.

Do no evil - NOT that we should appear approved- BUT that we should do that which is HONEST.

For we can do NOTHING against the TRUTH, but for the TRUTH.

We have to choose, and know that when we choose to be true followers of Christ that is will mean sacrifice, it will mean NOT aligning with the world and its ways but separating ourselves from them, it will mean denying ourselves and selfishness, and selfish ways, and yes, it means picking up our cross.

And before you begin to DESPAIR and ever hope to be a true follower of our Savior, you have to… WE have to remember that it is HIS righteousness we cling to! It is HIS forgiveness we cling to! Remember yesterday's study? We admit that we ARE sinners and we repent, seeking forgiveness ALWAYS!

Please Lord, please, help us LORD, SAVE us, TEACH us, LOVE US, KNOW US, FORGIVE US!

We long to be YOURS!

Sin Boldly

Bonhoeffer- Chapter 1 - Costly Grace.   (Continued)

The following bit from the book kind of threw me off a bit, but read through it and it falls more into place. I'm not copying the entire book here, just taking excerpts here and there, a few paragraphs every so often. If anyone wants this book in its entirety they can get it from Amazon . com, it's fairly cheap.

So please, read through this next bit even though it's going to seem strange at first.

Bonhoeffer excerpt--

'Take courage and confess your sin, says Luther, do not try to run away from it, but believe more boldly still. You are a sinner, so be a sinner, and don't try to become what you are not. Yes, and become a sinner again and again every day, and be bold about it. But to whom can such words be addressed, except to those who from the bottom of their hearts make a daily renunciation of sin and every barrier which hinders them from following Christ, but who nevertheless are troubled by their daily faithlessness and sin? Who can hear these words without endangering his faith but he who hears their consolation as a renewed summons to follow Christ? Interpreted in this way, these words of Luther become a testimony to the costliness of grace, the only genuine kind of grace there is.

Grace interpreted as a principle, pecca fortiter ((sin boldly)) as a principle, grace at a low cost, is in the last resort simply a new law, which bring neither help nor freedom. Grace as a living word, pecca fortiter ((sin boldly)) as our comfort in tribulation and as a summons to discipleship, costly grace is the only pure grace, which really forgives sins and gives freedom to the sinner.'

My thoughts--

Now you know what I mean about seeming strange.  Everything in my being shouts out it's wrong to ever say the words - 'SIN BOLDLY' ((pecca fortiter)).  And of course it would be wrong if I am actually meaning that we should go and SIN outrageously. If I'm using those words to ENCOURAGE SIN then I am definitely using them wrongly! If, however, I say those words in order to accept the FACT, the stone cold fact that I am a SINNER and I can either be a FORGIVEN sinner or an UNFORGIVEN sinner, nothing more, then I'm not misusing them.

It's true isn't it- we are ALL SINNERS.

Rom_3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

Rom_5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned

We are sinners, we will forever be sinners,  but we have a chance, the choice to be redeemed by our SAVIOR.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

We do NOT become innocent of sin and then have Christ die for us? ONLY HE was ever innocent of sin. No man under Adam will ever be anything but a sinner-  albeit some will, by God's Grace, be FORGIVEN SINNERS.

If we EVER try to attain sinlessness in and of ourselves we are lying to ourselves, we are deceiving ourselves.

With these thoughts in mind reread what Bonhoeffer wrote, quoted above.

'Take courage and confess your sin, says Luther, do not try to run away from it, but believe more boldly still. You are a sinner, so be a sinner, and don't try to become what you are not. Yes, and become a sinner again and again every day, and be bold about it. But to whom can such words be addressed, except to those who from the bottom of their hearts make a daily renunciation of sin and every barrier which hinders them from following Christ, but who nevertheless are troubled by their daily faithlessness and sin? Who can hear these words without endangering his faith but he who hears their consolation as a renewed summons to follow Christ? Interpreted in this way, these words of Luther become a testimony to the costliness of grace, the only genuine kind of grace there is.

Grace interpreted as a principle, pecca fortiter ((sin boldly)) as a principle, grace at a low cost, is in the last resort simply a new law, which bring neither help nor freedom. Grace as a living word, pecca fortiter ((sin boldly)) as our comfort in tribulation and as a summons to discipleship, costly grace is the only pure grace, which really forgives sins and gives freedom to the sinner.'

My Thoughts-

'Take courage and confess your sin'    ALWAYS.

'Do not try to run away from it (our sins) but believe more boldly still.'  IF we try to run from the fact we are sinners, that we NEED forgiveness, we are trying to take on the status of sinlessness that we can never attain. We will forever need to have a REDEEMER.  In Heaven with Christ, in the New World with Christ we will live with our REDEEMER always knowing that HE saved us from sin and the death sin warranted. We will NOT be in heaven or in the new earth ever going about believing we have saved ourselves. We will be sinless, redeemed from the moment Christ pronounces us so, and when we meet Him in the air and when we live in the new earth with Him we will be sinless but NEVER because we did NOT sin, but because we are FORGIVEN SINNERS, REDEEMED by JESUS CHRIST.  We cannot ever make the mistake here and now that we are sinless, that we are to ever have the idea that we haven't sinned and we don't need forgiveness. We can't have this idea EVER! Not for a second can we believe we aren't in need of forgiveness.  And if Luther via Bonhoeffer means - SIN BOLDLY ((pecca fortiter)) in this way then it is TRUTH. 

'You are a sinner, so be a sinner.'  DO NOT try to pretend in any way that you are NOT a sinner this makes God a liar and Jesus' sacrifice in vain!

'Yes, and become a sinner again and again every day, and be bold about it.'  TRUTH. Admitting to our need for forgiveness EVERY day, again and again, is something we HAVE TO DO! We depend upon our SAVIOR in all things! We are in danger of forgetting this if we for a single day do NOT recognize our sinner state, and seek forgiveness!

We tend to want to HIDE from the fact we are sinners, we can't do this! We can't HIDE our sinner status! We must proclaim it if we truly desire FORGIVENESS for being what we are- sinners!

'But to whom can such words be addressed, except to those who from the bottom of their hearts make a daily renunciation of sin and every barrier which hinders them from following Christ, but who nevertheless are troubled by their daily faithlessness and sin?'   TRUTH!

'Who can hear these words without endangering his faith but he who hears their consolation as a renewed summons to follow Christ? Interpreted in this way, these words of Luther become a testimony to the costliness of grace, the only genuine kind of grace there is.'  TRUTH!

'Grace interpreted as a principle, pecca fortiter ((sin boldly)) as a principle, grace at a low cost, is in the last resort simply a new law, which bring neither help nor freedom. Grace as a living word, pecca fortiter ((sin boldly)) as our comfort in tribulation and as a summons to discipleship, costly grace is the only pure grace, which really forgives sins and gives freedom to the sinner.'

Costly grace!

TRUTH!

Please LORD help us to NEVER forget we are SINNERS in need of YOUR FORGIVENESS!  Help us to NEVER try to HIDE our sinfulness from ourselves and believe for a moment that we aren't sinners. Please precious LORD help us always look to YOU for forgiveness, for righteousness, for redemption!

Help us Lord, save us, have mercy on us!

I Jesus' loving name always! AMEN!

Grace is the answer-- we cannot for a MOMENT dispense with following Christ!

Bonhoeffer- Chapter 1 - Costly Grace.   (Continued)

"If grace is God's answer, the gift of Christian life, then we cannot for a moment dispense with following Christ.

But if grace is the data for my Christian life, it means that I set out to live the Christian life in the world with all my sins justified beforehand. I can go and sin as much as I like, and rely on this grace to forgive me, for after all the world is justified in principle by grace. I can therefore cling to my bourgeois secular existence, and remain as I was before, but with the added assurance that the grace of God will cover me. It is under the influence of this kind of "grace" that the world has been made "Christian," but at the cost of secularizing the Christian religion as never before.

The antithesis between the Christian life and the life of bourgeois respectability is at an end. The Christian life comes to mean nothing more than living in the world and as the world, in being no different from the world, in fact, in begin prohibited from being different from the world for the sake of grace. The upshot of it all is that my only duty as a Christian is to leave the world for an hour or so on a Sunday morning and go to church to be assured that my sins are all forgiven. I need no longer try to follow Christ, for cheap grace, the bitterest for of discipleship, which true discipleship must loathe and detest, has freed me from that. Grace as the data for our calculations means grace at the cheapest price, but grace as the answer to the sum means costly grace. It is terrifying to realize what use can be made of a genuine evangelical doctrine. In both cases we have the identical formula-- "justification by faith alone." Yet the misuse of the formula leads to the complete destruction of its very essence.

The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ. Such a man knows that the call to discipleship is a gift of grace, and that the call is inseparable from the grace. But those who try to use this grace as a dispensation from following Christ are simply deceiving themselves.'

My thoughts--

This here- 'The Christian life comes to mean nothing more than living in the world and as the world, in being NO different from the world, in fact, in being prohibited from being different from the world for the sake of grace.' 

This is truth! It is very true that this is the sort of lie people have fallen victim too.  We can scarcely tell a Christian from a worldly person any more.  Shouldn't it be inevitable that a person following Jesus Christ will be markedly different than those following Satan? I'm not saying markedly different in putting on AIRS as the Pharisees and scribes and such. Jesus tells us to not appear as if we are fasting when we fast but He does not tell us to blend in with the world in all ways, never does He say that! When we pray we are to pray in secret as well, so Jesus isn't telling us to go about SHOWING by prayer and fasting that we are His.  Jesus gave us three chapters worth of teachings in Matthew (5,6,7) and those teachings were all about FOLLOWING Him, all about being HIS DISCIPLE in our every action and interaction. 

So many people just love to throw this saying out there- 'A Christian is a sinner, but a forgiven sinner.'  And they use this saying so they can pacify themselves for sinning. They shout to the world that YES they sin, but they're forgiven for sinning.  But how does that look to the world when that person blatantly sins over and over and over and over never striving to keep from sinning, even joking that the sin is something they'll never be able to stop? Is that what Christ told us would happen? No. Being a Christian isn't a joke, it isn't something to wave about while sinning. We need to be truly contrite, truly REPENTANT when we sin, not ACCEPTING it at all! When we get to the place of accepting sin and making excuses for it, such as we'll never be good enough, strong enough to stop that sin, then we are DENYING CHRIST because it is CHRIST who will work in us to keep us from sinning.  We aren't supposed to be strong enough, we are supposed to be surrendered enough. That surrendering will reveal the weight of the sins we have and we must repent of them! We aren't to become accepting of their evil weight upon us. Satan wants us to accept our sins as a part of who we are because he knows as soon as we do that then we are denying our Savior's power.

We CANNOT accept being like the world, we have to detest being like the world.  We have to grasp hold of COSTLY GRACE and become a TRUE DISCIPLE of the LORD'S!  A true disciple comprehends that their life will NOT be easy at all, but a constant struggle mainly with ourselves and that part of us that Satan will exploit at every opportunity. Satan does NOT want us to deny ourselves and take up a cross to follow Jesus. Satan loves us right where we are living our "normal" worldly lives, being no different from the world, telling ourselves it's our duty NOT to appear different, if we do these things then we will fall under the great deception called CHEAP GRACE.

This--'But those who try to use this grace as a dispensation from following Christ are simply deceiving themselves'

--  is true as well.  If we DARE to use grace as the reason we do not have to truly follow Christ in the way He commands us to, then we are deceiving ourselves!

Satan would have us despair of ever being 'good enough' because then he's trapped us in one of many cages he uses to snare us. If we are caught up in despair then we are denying Christ is good enough for us. Despair leaves us no hope, not even in Christ.  But right next to that trap is another one that has us caught up in believing we do not have to do anything at all, we can sin as much as we want because Jesus only is good enough and doesn’t expect us to even try to be good enough, that'd be blasphemy.  There are many variations of these traps and the doors to them are constantly open to catch us all.   Jesus wants us to believe that HE died for us and by HIS grace which cost so much we are given SALVATION, we are forgiven of our sins. Jesus also wants us to believe Him when He tells us to 'go and sin no more', and when He gives a sermon with instruction after instruction teaching us, that we will LEARN from Him and FOLLOW HIM, trusting in HIM when we do falter, but all the while striving not to falter.

All by HIS GRACE!

In HIS LOVE forever and ever!

"Following Christ...the divine command for all Christians without distinction."

Bonhoeffer- Chapter 1 - Costly Grace.   (Continued)

'By and large, the fatal error of monasticism lay not so much in its rigorism (though even here there was a good deal of misunderstanding of the precise content of the will of Jesus) as in the extent to which it departed from genuine Christianity  by setting up itself as the individual achievement of a select few, and so claiming a special merit of its own.'

My thoughts- 

These are very honest words from Bonhoeffer.  Setting up monasteries and entering the monastic lifestyle truly is setting up an organization where only a select few of the millions and billions of people alive can achieve. If we believe that God has called ONLY those who enter those monasteries to follow Christ by living a life of costly grace then we are in BIG trouble! And as the author of this book said- even living the life of a monk has been perverted the will of Jesus.  The idea that a few are called to a special kind of following Christ isn't truly Biblical. Yes, like I mentioned yesterday some are called to be preachers, some to evangelistic life, some to prophecy, some to teach and so on.  But all are called to follow Christ and the person who is called to be a wife and mother can follow Christ as fully as one who is called to preach the gospel.  To say that one has to live a certain superior way in following Christ is wrong! Jesus was talking to all when He preached His gospel! Jesus didn't separate people into different classes- all the mothers over in this group, all the tentmakers over here, all the fishermen in the next group, all the fieldworkers go line up there- Jesus didn't do that! He didn't say that only the tentmakers are to take of their crosses. He didn't say only the bakers are to deny themselves.  He didn't say only the preachers are to give to the poor.  It is man who has perverted God's word twisting it around to suit their own selfishness in so many ways.

More from Bonhoeffer- talking about Martin Luther of the Reformation-

'But God, shattered all his hopes. He showed him through the Scriptures that the following of Christ is not the achievement or merit of a select few, but the divine command to all Christians without distinction. Monasticism had transformed the humble work of  discipleship into the meritorious activity of the saints, and the self-renunciation of discipleship into the flagrant spiritual self-assertion of the "religious." '

My thoughts-  I love this - '... the following of Christ is NOT the achievement or merit of a select few, but the divine command to ALL Christians WITHOUT DISTINCTION.' 

TRUTH!

There is NO distinction between any of us! We are ALL called to follow our SAVIOR equally!  Even Christ had this to say when questioned about who was the greatest among the Apostles.

Mar 9:33  And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

Mar 9:34  But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

Mar 9:35  And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Christ's idea of being the greatest and man's idea are entirely different! We think that being the greatest is something we even need to contemplate when it's NOT.

It's no wonder we as a people have tried to manipulate Christ's word to suit our selfishness rather than hold ourselves to the true COSTLINESS of true GRACE!

Continuing with Bonhoeffer-

'The bottom having thus been knocked out of the religious life, Luther laid hold upon grace. Just as the whole world of monasticism was crashing about him in ruins, he saw God in Christ stretching forth his hand to save. He grasped that hand in faith, believing that "after all, nothing we can do is of any avail, however good a life we live."  The grace which gave itself to him was a costly grace, and it shattered his whole existence. Once more he must leave his nets and follow. The first time was when he entered the monastery, when he had left everything behind except his pious self. This time even that was taken from him. He obeyed the call, not through any merit of his own, but simply through the grace of God. Luther did not hear the word: "Of course you have sinned, but now everything is forgiven, so you can stay as you are and enjoy the consolations of forgiveness."  No, Luther had to leave the cloister and go back to the world, not because the world in itself was good and holy, but because even the cloister was only a part of the world.

Luther's return from the cloister to the world was the worst blow the world had suffered since the days of early Christianity. The renunciation he made when he became a monk was child's play compared with that which he had to make when he returned to the world. Now came the frontal assault. The only way to follow Jesus was by living in the world. Hitherto the Christian life had been the achievement of a few choice spirits under the exceptionally favorable conditions of monasticism; now it is a duty laid on every Christian living in the world. The commandment of Jesus must be accorded perfect obedience in one's daily vocation of life.  The conflict between the life of the Christian and the life of the world was thus thrown into the sharpest possible relief. It was a hand to hand conflict between the Christian and the world.'

My thoughts-

'The only way to follow Jesus was by living in the world.' TRUTH.

'The commandment of Jesus must be accorded perfect obedience in one's daily vocation of life.' TRUTH.

We have NO excuses! We can use NOTHING as an excuse as to why we do not follow our Savior's teachings. When we are faced with choices and choose the one that self serves we are accountable for that choice. We have NO excuses.  We cannot console ourselves by saying we aren't pastors, we aren't nuns, we aren't prophets so of course we're not going to be like they strive to be, we aren't going to be THAT close to Christ. LIES! We have to be as close to Christ as any other human being can be, we are all called to follow HIM equally! If we believe any differently then we are saying that Christ has made it impossible for people to follow Him, the average person just cannot do it.  Christ NEVER said that. Christ has made it POSSIBLE for ALL to follow Him...you, me, those all around us! It is a call to COSTLY GRACE, not cheap grace that lets us make up our own truths, we must believe Christ's truths and ONLY Christ's truths.

More tomorrow by the GRACE of God. Through HIS MERCY, HIS LOVE!  Please LORD help us, teach us, save us with your COSTLY GRACE. Teach us the cost of true discipleship in YOU.

All in YOUR LOVE always!

Costly Grace Pt. 2

Bonhoeffer- Chapter 1 - Costly Grace.   (Continued)

'As Christianity spread, and the church became more secularized, this realization of the costliness of grace gradually faded. The world was Christianized, and grace became its common property. It was to be had at low cost.'

'...monasticism became a living protest against the secularization of Christianity and the cheapening of grace. But the church was wise enough to tolerate this protest, and to prevent it from developing to its logical conclusion. It thus succeeded in relativizing it, even using it in order to justify the secularization of its own life.

Monasticism was represented as an individual achievement which the mass of the laity could not be expected to emulate. By thus limiting the application of the commandments of Jesus to a restricted group of specialist, the church evolved the fatal conception of the double standard -- a maximum and a minimum standard of Christian obedience.'

My thoughts so far--

Becoming a monk, entering the monastic life, has truly even today been something that is set aside for only a few compared to the masses. There are monks of many sorts, taken from many religions- Eastern religions, Western, Catholic, Protestant religions. When you hear the word monk, what do you think of? What is the first thing that comes to mind?  For me is it a long robed, shaved bald on the top of the head only man, that is what comes to my mind. My thoughts about this monk are that he lives with a bunch of others like him and they strive to deprive themselves of worldly things even speaking if needed and they live to help others all the while their thoughts are on God and living for Him.

It is TRUE that I hold the misconception that this sort of life is only for special people, not for the common believer. In fact, I often wished there were protestant nuns (of my faith), thinking I would have joined them if there had been.  But there weren't and aren't any nuns of my faith and so I'm left to figure out how to live a life with this COSTLY GRACE, all the while fighting against the world and the worldliness that is in my life.

I believe these words of Bonhoeffer- they ring true because they come straight from our SAVIOR.  It is us who have twisted them to mean things different than they do so we can placate ourselves and indulge our worldliness, our selfishness, not denying ourselves and shunning any true cross.

That last bit I copied of his up there- 'Monasticism was represented as an individual achievement which the mass of the laity could not be expected to emulate. By thus limiting the application of the commandments of Jesus to a restricted group of specialist, the church evolved the fatal conception of the double standard -- a maximum and a minimum standard of Christian obedience.'

This is how it is truly viewed today!  We aren't expected to be like monks, or ministers, or pastors, or priests, or nuns, or any such people who have a SPECIAL CALLING. We are the average people and as average people we won't be expected to be as religious as those others. This is what we've been taught! This is what we've grown up on! We've made following Christ into an occupation that NOT everyone is truly called to. We've put labels on the levels and our Christ following. Do you go to church every week? You're devout. Do you pray every day? You're devout. Do you study your Bible every day? You're devout. If you don't do those things, you're not that devout but that doesn't mean you aren't following Christ you're just doing it in your own way.

I'm a firm believer in people following Christ as they are convicted to follow Him. I don't go to any organizational church at all, no church near me believes in the word of God as I've been convicted to believe. However this does NOT mean I'm at liberty to attach myself to CHEAP GRACE and not study and pray to understand the true COSTLY GRACE of our Savior!

Way too many people have done this, their lives exist around CHEAP GRACE and they believe this is normal, this is expected of them, because they weren't called in any special way to become something more. The truth is we are ALL called to COSTLY GRACE, every single follower of CHRIST.

More on this tomorrow all by the GRACE and MERCY of our SAVIOR! All through the LOVE Of CHRIST. Help us to truly FOLLOW YOU! Save us!

Costly Grace vs. Cheap Grace

Going back to the beginning of this book- probably where I should have started rather than jump in at the 17th chapter where I was currently reading. Ah, well.

Bonhoeffer- Chapter 1 - Costly Grace.

'Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks' wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church's inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending  it are infinite. What would grace be if it were not cheap?

Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as Christian "conception" of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins. The church which holds the correct doctrine of grace, has it is supposed, ipso facto a part in that grace. In such a church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin.  Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the living Word of God, in fact, a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God.

Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. "All for sin could not atone."  The world goes on in the same old way, and we are still sinners "even in the best life" as Luther said.'

'Instead of following Christ, let the Christian enjoy the consolations of his grace! That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts to justification of sin with the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves.

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. 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 cost 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: "ye were bought at a price." and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Costly grace is the sanctuary of God; it has to be protected from the world, and not thrown to the dogs. It is therefore the living world, the Word of God, which he speaks at is pleases him. Costly grace confronts us as a gracious call to follow Jesus, it comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. Grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."'

*

My thoughts so far…

I think the above is worth reading a few times to let it really sink in.

Cheap grace or costly grace, which applies to you?

Cheap grace tells us we do NOT have to pick up a cross or deny self at all.

Costly grace tell us we must pick up our cross and deny self.

Costly grace comes from the mouth of our Savior who desires true followers. Cheap grace gains Him millions of false followers and we know what He is going to say to them in that day of reckoning--

Mat_7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Please LORD help us to comprehend the difference between cheap grace and costly grace and through the Holy Spirit please guide us down the path of costly grace in so much as that means we will be known by You as Your true followers.

All in YOU!