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!