Thursday, February 21, 2013

"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!


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