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!