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!

A life of service, a life of self renunciation

Continued from yesterday - Self Denial-

'Strict exercise of self-control is an essential feature of the Christian's life.

Such customs have only one purpose-- to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done.

Fasting helps to DISCIPLINE the SELF-INDULGENT and SLOTHFUL WILL which is so reluctant to serve the Lord, and it helps to humiliate and chasten the flesh.

By practicing abstemiousness we show the world how different the Christian life is from its own.

If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ.

When the Flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation.

So the Christian needs to observe a strict exterior discipline.

But we are not to imagine that that alone will crush the will of the flesh or that there is any way of mortifying our old man other than by faith in Jesus.'

Sentence by sentence now--

1. 'Strict exercise of self-control is an essential feature of the Christian's life.'

This is Biblical. Just read through Matthew Chapters 5-7 and realize just how much a Christian is being told to control themselves by God's grace. We are not by God's grace, free to let our flesh rule us, our passions control us, our pleasures have free rein- there is NOTHING in our Savior's teachings that tells us to lose control over ourselves- to lose control of our emotions, our physical self. Yet so many up us get hung up on those two words-  SELF and CONTROL. As if by exacting self control we are no longer relying upon our Savior.  NONE of my self control will ever save me! I could have perfect control over myself- never losing control of my temper, my passions, my appetites and I still would NOT be saved if I didn't have my SAVIOR saving me under HIS power, none of mine. When we, as Christians, strive for self-control we are students endeavoring to follow our Master's teachings, not students seeking to become the Master. There is a HUGE difference. We could NEVER die and save ourselves, never! We will forever be in need of SAVING no matter how well we are able to follow our Savior's word and live as He tells us to live.  So, YES, 'STRICT EXERCISE OF SELF-CONTROL IS AN ESSENTIAL FEATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE.'   Say what you want, but it's truth and if you don't believe it then ask yourself why not, is it because you selfishly do not want to feel obligated to control yourself?

2. 'Such customs have only one purpose-- to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done. '

When we have our self under control we aren't being consumed by fulfilling selfish desires. Our purpose is NOT our own pleasures, our own needs, our own life.  Our purpose becomes the purpose that God has for us.  If our focus leaves our selfishness and takes of selflessness, we truly will be able to accomplish things that God wants to accomplish in us, through us. 

3. 'Fasting helps to DISCIPLINE the SELF-INDULGENT and SLOTHFUL WILL which is so reluctant to serve the Lord, and it helps to humiliate and chasten the flesh.'

Fasting. Going without food. I've been thinking a lot about food lately because of this study and I contemplate fasting, but I'm just not sure about it all. I don't want to fast just to say I fasted (even if it's only between God and I) and yet I want to fast because I've learned this is something God wants of us, something that Jesus honestly expected from us. Maybe I just need to take the plunge, choose a meal to miss.  Yes, I'm thinking that small right now because I don't want to attempt something huge and fail miserably. I think if I set my mind to a fast and prayed about it and then changed my mind, it wouldn't sit well with me at all. So maybe I will begin by skipping a meal, then two meals, and then three and so on.  I just need to pray on this more and hope I'd be doing it for the right reasons, in the right way. If fasting helps to DISCIPLINE the self indulgent and slothful will then I need it, because I believe I am far from where I should be in my walk with Christ.  To humiliate and chasten my flesh, to bring it into subjugation wouldn't this be a good thing? Granted that it would all be accomplished through the power of God,  by His grace. Does God mean more to me than I mean to myself? He should.

   4.    'By practicing abstemiousness we show the world how different the Christian life is from its

           own. '

For all that we aren't to go about mourning and sad, with ashes on our faces and a tearful expression so that others see and realize what we are doing, when we do fast we are to be cheerful about it. We are NOT to publicize what we are doing to others, taking glory to ourselves for our 'self-control'.  Our fasting truly should be between us and God. The world may notice and when it does hopefully what it will see is someone devoted to God more than someone devoted to selfishness, to self-serving.

5. 'If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ. 

The service of Christ is a call to SELF DENIAL and CROSS BEARING.  

If we DO NOT deny our flesh in any way and claim that we are blessed that we don't have to deny ourselves, then we are depriving ourselves of true service for Christ. IF we honestly believe that only some people have to deny themselves, then we are not in the service of Christ. Because we are blessed with so much that we aren't forced into a life of deprivation, we are even MORE accountable to deny ourselves than those who have so little to deprive themselves of. Do you want to be in the service of Christ? Then you have to follow His teachings and He has taught us that we are to deny ourselves and bear our crosses.  He did not tell us that we will be FORCED to deny ourselves and just accept that FORCED self-denial when it comes. If someone else is FORCING us, or if circumstances are forcing us to deny ourselves then it isn't truly SELF DENYING at all!  When the will to choose to deny self is taken away, it is no longer self denial at all. We are STRIVING to live as our Savior desires of us and this takes conscious thought, conscious action, not passiveness.

6. 'When the Flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation. '

How true. When we are content in our lives and not denying self, we are NOT in truth living our lives for CHRIST, but for OURSELVES. Satan loves to trick us in this way, He loves to manipulate us. He wants us to desire self contentment if not self pleasure and he wants this to be our standard for life, our goal to achieve. Satan does NOT want us to deprive ourselves, he does NOT want us to give us anything of our self because as long as we do NOT give up anything of ourselves the service we believe we are giving to Christ, isn't for Christ at all. Self service is what we are living for, not Christ service, unless we are truly willing to follow our Savior's teachings and they include self-denial. The richest of the rich to follow Christ, to be in Christ's service will have to deny self and carry a cross, and the richer find it harder, almost impossible to do.

Mat_19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

7. 'So the Christian needs to observe a strict exterior discipline.'

Truth. We will be tempted to follow the world in all its ways, but by the GRACE of God may we choose rather to follow CHRIST and His will, His ways!  Observing a strict exterior of discipline will not merit us a thing. We will not get a gold star by our name every day we discipline our selves. We will be blessed with a deeper more meaningful relationship with CHRIST in following HIS WILL and that alone is all we need.

8. 'But we are not to imagine that that alone will crush the will of the flesh or that there is any way of mortifying our old man other than by faith in Jesus.'

TRUTH!  Only through Jesus Christ can we LIVE a life devoted to HIM. If we are able to deny ourselves it will be through the power of CHRIST, all glory to HIM ALWAYS! 

Please Lord, help us to truly understand YOUR will for us! We would be in YOUR SERVICE! Help us to comprehend our NEED to deny our selves and pick up our cross, as Your love  for us, and our LOVE for YOU is realized in our lives and how we live.  All to YOU LORD, all for YOUR eyes only, YOUR GLORY not ours!

All praise, all glory, all honor unto YOU LORD! ALL IN YOUR GRACE and MERCY, YOUR LOVE!

Self Denial

More from the book 'The Cost of Discipleship' By Dietrich Bonheoffer.

Self denial.

Dietrich Bonheoffer has this to say -

'Chapter 16  The Hiddenness of the Devout Life.'

'Jesus takes it for granted that his disciple will observe the pious custom of fasting.'

*My take*

I never thought of it this way before reading that statement.

Mat 6:16  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:17  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

Mat 6:18  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Moreover WHEN ye fast…

When ye fast.  Not - Moreover *IF* ye fast, but WHEN.

When was the last time you fasted for religious reasons? Do you, or did you ever belong to a church that encouraged fasting for religious reasons? The Catholic church uses the period they call 'Lent' in which they give up certain things, fasting concerning certain things, but is that enough and is that the way Jesus wants us to fast?

Jesus  honestly DOES seem in this statement of His to take it for granted that those who follow Him WILL fast. He even goes on and tells us HOW we should fast.

More from Bonheoffer-

'Strict exercise of self-control is an essential feature of the Christian's life. Such customs have only one purpose-- to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done. Fasting helps to DISCIPLINE the SELF-INDULGENT and SLOTHFUL WILL which is so reluctant to serve the Lord, and it helps to humiliate and chasten the flesh. By practicing abstemiousness we show the world how different the Christian life is from its own.  If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ. When the Flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation.

So the Christian needs to observe a strict exterior discipline. But we are not to imagine that that alone will crush the will of the flesh or that there is any way of mortifying our old man other than by faith in Jesus.'

*Pausing here for my thoughts on all that--

'Strict exercise of self-control is an essential feature of the Christian's life.'  True or false?

So many people love to stand up at this point and firmly deny that they have to show any self-control because if they do, that means they are trying to WORK their way to salvation. Denying self means they believe by that action they are earning merit with Christ, which takes away salvation being only by grace and not of works. But it is CHRIST who spoke those words- 'When ye fast.' He DID say, NO LONGER FAST? No. But He said, 'WHEN YE FAST.'  He expects us to deny ourselves, for fasting IS denying yourself food, or drink, sometimes both. Christ expects this us to deny ourselves, tells us to deny ourselves.

Christ also said this-- 'Mat_16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.'

So we don't have a leg to stand on if we want to deny the fact that we should DENY ourselves, it is truth!

Bonheoffer said- 'Fasting helps to discipline the self indulgent and slothful will which is so reluctant to serve the Lord.' 

My thoughts- We are extremely self indulgent. As a culture here in the United States we are very self indulgent. We are more concerned with ourselves and our own desires than others. We want our ease of living and will stop at virtually nothing to make sure we have relaxed lives, that we aren't taxed too much, that we don't go too hungry or thirsty. Are we slothful? I have to say, yes. The evidence of our slothfulness exists all around us. I don't have to expound on what is plain to see.  Does fasting help to discipline us? Is our call to be a disciple of Christ's a call to self-renunciation?  Jesus said it is-

'Mat_16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.'

Not only DENYING ourselves, but PICKING UP OUR CROSS- all to follow CHRIST.

So, what does it mean when a person claims to be a follower of Christ and yet they NEVER deny themselves and they haven't picked up any cross at all?

We can imagine what it means to deny ourselves, there are a lot of things in our lives we can choose to give up IF we want to do that. We can deny ourselves various food stuffs, we can deny ourselves things that we do for amusement- tv, movies, games, etc. , we can deny ourselves wearing fancy clothing, jewelry, shoes, etc.  We have the ability to deny ourselves things and yet we do NOT want to believe that our God really wants us to do that. We'd much rather believe God wants us to indulge ourselves, that HE UNDERSTANDS!  WE want to believe that because then we don't have to sacrifice anything at all. We don't have to feel the pangs that come along when we deny ourselves things.  Sometimes we've been forced by circumstances to deny ourselves things, and we've moaned and groaned the whole while. The electricity goes out and we are instantly feeling deprived of all that it means to us. Tell me you haven't complained when you've lost electricity. Tell me when your food is served late you haven't grumbled. Tell me when a water main breaks and you have to boil water or get it elsewhere you don't complain. We can go on and on naming various situations where we've been denied things and we've despised having been denied.

Some people in very poor countries grow up denied so much, they live entire lives in what we call deprivation. The idea of living such an existence appalls us.

We are to deny ourselves and do so through our FAITH in Jesus. We are to deny ourselves NOT to gain salvation but because we have salvation already. We are to deny ourselves because our LORD has told us this is something we are to do.

More on all this tomorrow by the GRACE and MERCY, the LOVE of our SAVIOR Jesus Christ!

The Cost of Discipleship Pt 3 Excerpts & Thoughts

More from the book 'The Cost of Discipleship' By Dietrich Bonheoffer.

Continuing on with our study of our Treasures in Heaven, Not Earth as well as Being Anxious for Nothing.

Bonheoffer goes on to say, quoting Luther: '"Now mark ye, no beast worketh for his sustenance, but each hath his proper function, according to which he seeketh and findeth his own food. The bird doth fly and sing, she maketh nests and beareth young. That is her work, but yet she doth not nourish herself thereby. Oxen plough, horses draw carts and fight, sheep give wool, milk, and cheese, for it is their function so to do. But they do not nurture themselves thereby. Nay, the earth bringeth forth grass, and nurtureth them through God's blessing. Likewise it is man's bounden duty to work and do things, and yet withal to know that it is Another who nurtureth him: it is not his own work, but the bounteous blessing of God. It is true that the bird doth neither sow nor reap, yet would she die of hunger if she flew not in search of food. But that she fineth the same is not her work, but the goodness of God. For who put the food there, that she might find it? For where God hath put nought, none findeth, even though the whole world were to work itself to death in search thereof."' 

And Bonheoffer expounds:  'But if the Creator thus sustains the birds and lilies, should he not much more as a Father nourish his own children, who daily pray to him? Should he not be able to grant them the necessities of life, when all earthly goods belong to him, and when he can distribute them according to his pleasure?

Anxiety is characteristic of the Gentiles, for they rely on their own strength and work instead of relying on God. They do not know that the Father knows that we have need of all these things, and so they try to do for themselves what they do not expect from God. But the disciples know that the rule is "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Anxiety for food and clothing is clearly not the same thing as anxiety for the kingdom of God, however much we should like to persuade ourselves that when we are working for our families and concerning ourselves with bread and houses we are thereby building the kingdom, as though the kingdom could be realized only through our worldly cares. The kingdom of God and his righteousness are sharply distinguished from the gifts of the world which come our way. That kingdom is none other than the righteousness of Matt. 5 and 6, the righteousness of the cross and of following Christ beneath that cross. Fellowship with Jesus and obedience to his commandment come first, and all else follows. Worldly cares are not a part of our discipleship, but distinct and subordinate concerns. Before we start taking thought for our life, our food and clothing, our work and families, we must seek the righteousness of Christ. This is no more than an ultimate summing up of all that has been said before. Again we have here either a crushing burden, which holds out no hope for the poor and wretched, or else it is the quintessence of the gospel, which brings the promise of freedom and perfect joy. Jesus does not tell us what we ought to do but cannot; he tells us what God has given us and promises still to give. If Christ has given us, if we are called to his discipleship we are given all things, literally all things. He will see to it that they are added unto us. If we follow Jesus and look only to his righteousness, we are in his hands and under the protection of him and his Father. And if we are in communion with the Father, nought can harm us. We shall always be assured that he can feed his children and will not suffer them to hunger. God will help us in the hour of need, and he knows our needs.

After he has been following Christ for a long time, the disciple of Jesus will be asked "Lacked ye anything?" and he will answer "Nothing, Lord." How could he when he knows that DESPITE HUNGER, and NAKEDNESS, PERSECUTION and DANGER, the LORD is always at his side?'

*

My take:

I love the last bit because it is such TRUTH! 

Lacked ye anything? Nothing Lord.  How could he... how can WE say we lack ANYTHING when Jesus is at our side?  If we can say we lacked anything then we are in essence saying that Jesus and His Righteousness are NOT everything we need, that HIM first is NOT paramount, that our Savior is NOT enough!

Seek FIRST, not seek only, but seek FIRST the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness.

Mat_6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

And they'll be added unto us according as our Savior knows our need. If our need is to suffer hunger and cold, to suffer being poor and be persecuted then Christ KNOWS this and we will hunger and we will be cold, and we will be poor and we will be persecuted all to HIS GLORY and it will be for reasons we might not have a clue about.

I was relating to my daughter an experience I had many years ago, something I'd forgotten.  I'd been persecuted, bullied, name called (as an adult not a child) and the result was my emotional devastation. That emotional devastation led to my returning to the Lord and not only me but the Holy Spirit guiding one of my sister to Him as well.  I had NO clue at the time I was being emotionally tortured that the result would be so amazing, but now years later I can look back and see the Hand of God working in my life, all GLORY TO HIM! 

We can't know why our suffering, why our trials come, but our God is enough to see us through it all.

God FIRST, God's kingdom FIRST, and all else later.

We who do profess to believe in Christ as our very real Savior have to truly comprehend that we do rely on CHRIST for all things, and all glory belongs to Him whether or not we are experiencing goodness or trials. Truly those who are suffering can believe in Christ and His teachings. Even as they suffer they KNOW that Christ must come first, and HE really is ENOUGH. If we suffer unto death- it won't be because our Savior couldn't save us, but because He did SAVE US and His ways are far beyond ours.  If we can't realize our place in the grand scheme of things, that we are the creature with VERY limited comprehensions on the ways of God, then we are guilty of putting ourselves on level with God and wanting to be like the Most High, the very thing that Satan is guilty of.  We might suffer in many ways and through it all we must know that Christ loves us, has always loved us, and will always love us even to the end of the world, and into eternity with HIM.

Is the Kingdom of God real to us?! If it is then we can have faith in God that His will in our lives is DONE, no matter what we must endure.

All by HIS GRACE, HIS LOVE, HIS MERCY, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, HIS FORGIVENESS!

'The Cost of Discipleship' Pt. 2 Excerpts & Thoughts

More from the book 'The Cost of Discipleship' By Dietrich Bonheoffer.

'The way to misuse our possessions is to use them as an insurance against the morrow.'

Do you do this?  We are taught to do this. We are called brilliant if we have insurances against tomorrow. We set up huge retirement funds for many tomorrows that are still yet many, many tomorrows away.   It hasn't always been this way, in fact pensions and such in the United States didn't even really start until 1920 for civilians ( earlier for veterans). People DID NOT as a rule have retirement funds. 

Note this-

'In most countries, the idea of retirement is of recent origin, being introduced during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Previously, low life expectancy and the absence of pension arrangements meant that most workers continued to work until death. Germany was the first country to introduce retirement, in 1880.'

Pasted from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement>

People didn't plan the way we've been taught to plan. And the way we've been taught has been to put away lots for rainy days. If we don't do this then we are slackers, we are stupid, we are crazy, because when we get old or sick what then?  We are TAUGHT to worry about tomorrow?! The very contrary message of SCRIPTURE!   We are raised to be completely insecure if we don't have funds set aside to ensure we have something, anything to help us out when something goes horribly wrong and income stops coming in. We are FILLED with anxiety over the future because we have been TAUGHT to be filled with anxiety over the future.

To stop being filled with anxiety to some would mean we do NOT care about our futures and if we do not care about our futures we are seriously messed up.

If we told someone we weren't going to sink our money into savings for the future because we were going to trust God for our future needs, we'd be told we are being foolish, God wants us to provide for ourselves. 

What God wants is for us to TRUST HIM and NOT use our 'possessions as insurance against tomorrow'! 

No, we are NOT to throw our money away, not ever! We are not to be wasteful with our money! We are not to be bad stewards of our money! We are to wisely use our money for the things God directs us to- helping others.  When we hoard our money, or use our money to accumulate gross amounts of possessions, we are sinning whether we want to admit it or not.  Get angry, never read my blog again, hate every word I'm writing, I don't care because it is TRUTH! Our LORD told us where our treasures are to be, so if our treasures aren't where HE told us they should be, then we HAVE to comprehend the very real truth that we are sinning, we are going against our Lord's words! This is TRUTH.

We can talk till we're blue in a million different directions about kingdoms, palaces, jewels, riches in the Bible, but when it comes right down to our SAVIOR and HIS DISCIPLES did ANY of them live in a palace? Did any of them hoard riches? Did any of them make a point of garnering possessions? Jesus stripped away all the outer layers of humanity and got down to the bare bones of the truth with us, letting us know that things here on this earth mean NOTHING in comparison to ETERNITY with HIM. If we are born rich, if we are blessed with wealth, we are to use it for HIS GLORY not ours?! HIS GLORY!

We are NOT to use our possessions as insurance against tomorrow- this is very insightful stuff coming from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

He also says-- 'Anxiety is always directed to the morrow…'

We could also put it another way- anxiety is always directed at the future.

A future we FOOLISHLY think we have some kind of control over.

My hubby has had numerous surgeries over the last ten years or so and it's never ceased to amaze me how relaxed he is going into them. My mother too has had a few surgeries these last few years and she's the same way, relaxed.  To me the mere thought of surgery causes anxiety.  I know logically what happens - happens and there is little a person can do to change a lot of things. I know logically if I were to have surgery there is NOTHING my worrying could accomplish, nothing it could change. My worrying can't make the surgeon's hands steady, my worrying can't force surgery to go quickly.  My worrying occurs because I have some notion that I have a bit of control and I'm letting go of it.

I've confronted my hubby time and time again over his nonchalant attitude towards surgery and it's always the same- worrying wouldn't do any good.  He's right, I can't dispute Him, I can't point out his flawed view. I can only sit back and marvel that He is so ...RIGHT, and able to know that he's right and act on what He knows- something someone calls being logical about things, not emotional.

Anxiety is truly always directed at future happenstances.  Even if you did something awful in the past you are worried about the consequences that come in the future. We worry about the future.

Jesus was very clear about us NOT worrying about eating, drinking, clothing.

More from Bonhoeffer--

'Anxiety is always directed to the morrow, whereas goods are in the strictest sense meant to be used only for today. By trying to ensure for the next day we are only creating uncertainty today. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. The only way to win assurance is by leaving tomorrow entirely in the hands of God and by receiving from him all we need for today. If instead of receiving God's gifts for today we worry about tomorrow, we find ourselves helpless victims of infinite anxiety.   "Be not anxious  for the morrow": either that is cruel mockery for the poor and wretched the very people Jesus is talking to who, humanly speaking, really will starve if they do not make provision to day. Either it is an intolerable law, which men will reject with indignation; or it is the unique proclamation of the gospel of the glorious liberty of the children of God, who have a Father in heaven, a Father who has given his beloved Son. How shall not God with Him also freely give us all things?

"Be not anxious for the morrow." This is not to be take as a philosophy of life or a moral law: it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and only so can it be understood. Only those who follow Him and know Him can receive this word as a promise of the love of His Father and as a deliverance from the thraldom of material things. It is not the care that frees the disciples from care, but their faith in Jesus Christ. Only they know that we cannot be anxious (verse 27). The coming day, even the coming hour, are placed beyond our control ."

*

I'm pausing here because there is just so much he has to write on this that is amazing. I want to pause and just discuss what I've copied already.

'The only way to win assurance is by leaving tomorrow entirely in the hands of God and by receiving from him all we need for today.'   TRUTH or LIES?

Truth!

This doesn't mean we don't work! This doesn't mean we don't make shopping lists! This doesn't mean we don't make any appointments! This doesn't mean we don't talk about plans for future events!

We do all those things, only we KNOW that every single one of those things is done by the WILL of God and if things are changed it's not a cause for upset but an opportunity to TRUST.

The disciples worked- Paul was a tentmaker and was glad that he could use his skills to provide for himself. He didn't sit there expecting God to send a bird to drop food in his lap. He worked as God gave Him the ability to work and trusted in God in His work that it would be profitable for His needs.

When we LEAVE tomorrow entirely in the hands of God, we are choosing to TRUST the God will provide all we need to live tomorrow according to HIS will, not necessarily our own idea of what His will for us is. 

All we have received so far today has been provided for us. The work you believe provides you with things is still provided for by God because He made you able to work, and made work available to you. We can't escape God's providing. We can ignore it, we can refute it all we want but it is TRUTH.

' "Be not anxious  for the morrow": either that is cruel mockery for the poor and wretched the very people Jesus is talking to who, humanly speaking, really will starve if they do not make provision to day. Either it is an intolerable law, which men will reject with indignation; or it is the unique proclamation of the gospel of the glorious liberty of the children of God, who have a Father in heaven, a Father who has given his beloved Son. How shall not God with Him also freely give us all things? '

Were there poor among those listening to Jesus? Yes. Were there hungry? Yes. You have to wonder if you listened to Jesus' words about not being anxious, and His Father providing, all the while your stomach is aching, bloated with the need for food, your eyes sunken, your skin dry, your hair thin as you starve. You have to wonder if they felt mocked. I don't think they did, not at all.  They were hearing the precious words of life the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God's Only Begotten Son! And He was assuring ALL that their lots here on earth are temporary to eternity and belief in that was more important than life here and now, belief in HIM. They might suffer now but one day their suffering would end and they'd be rewarded in eternity. THIS IS TRUTH! There is no mockery at all when You stop looking at the temporary and trust in eternity through JESUS CHRIST our LORD who offers eternity this very day and every day until probation closes, and time is no more!

'"Be not anxious for the morrow." This is not to be take as a philosophy of life or a moral law: it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and only so can it be understood. Only those who follow Him and know Him can receive this word as a promise of the love of His Father and as a deliverance from the thraldom of material things. It is not the care that frees the disciples from care, but their faith in Jesus Christ. Only they know that we cannot be anxious (verse 27). The coming day, even the coming hour, are placed beyond our control ."'

TRUTH.

Please Lord, help us to know Your TRUTH!

If we truly are YOURS we will TRUST in YOU by YOUR GRACE and MERCY, through YOUR LOVE, YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, YOUR FAITH, in all things!

Cost of Discipleship Pt. I - Excerpts and Discussion

There is a book I've been reading called, The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  I'm about halfway through it and I have to tell you it has given me A LOT of food for thought. I haven't agreed with 100% of all this man has written, but I have to tell you He's delved into  A LOT of truth and expounded on it in very meaningful ways.

Because we've spent more than a month and a half reading about Jesus' teachings and this book has expounded upon A LOT of those.

I'd like to quote from the book a bit, taking from chapter 17, 'The Simplicity of the Carefree Life.'   (Matthew 6:19-24)

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Mat 6:22  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Mat 6:23  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

Mat 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

'The life of discipleship can only be maintained so long as nothing is allowed to come between Christ and ourselves-- neither the law, nor personal piety, nor even the world. The disciple always looks only to his master, never to Christ and the law. Christ and religion. Christ and the world. He avoids all such notions like the plague. Only by following Christ alone can he preserve a single eye. His eye rests wholly on the light that comes from Christ, and has no darkness or ambiguity in it. As the eye must be single, clear, and pure in order to keep light in the body, as hand and foot can receive light from no other source save the eye, as the foot stumbles and the hand misses its mark when the eye is dim, as the whole body is in darkness when the eye is blind; so the follower of Christ is in the light only so long as he looks simply to Christ and at nothing else in the world. Thus the heart of the disciple must be set upon Christ alone. If the eye sees an object which is not there, the whole body is deceived. If the heart is devoted to the mirage of the world, to the creature instead of the Creator, the disciple is lost.'

TRUTH.

Read it again, please.

NOTHING can be allowed to come between us and CHRIST and yet we allow so much to do just that, and not just occasionally but all the time. Our excuse…. we have to live don't we? And by 'live' we mean we have to deal with the law, personal piety, the world, religion. But Christ's truth is that HE and HE alone must be looked to FIRST and foremost and everything else looked to only AFTER Christ.  If we follow Christ FIRST He will be in all we do.  If we try and follow other things with Christ as an afterthought and not a forethought our eye is far from single. Yes, we have to live our lives that includes- work, laws, people, all sorts of situations, but we MUST NOT put anything BEFORE or on PAR with CHRIST.  We look to our jobs, our friends and family, our traditions, our pleasure, our contentment, our own physical, mental, emotional needs- FIRST-  all too often and we sneak Christ in there asking perhaps for His help with our lives, all the while NOT choosing Him first at all!  Our eyes are far from single and Christ is trying to teach us that HE comes first because the truth is, all things - all our needs, all true contentment, all true pleasure, all true love, all the true dealings that we can possibly have can ONLY come from Him and everything else is in TRUTH a figment of our imagination, a life we've created that isn't real in many, many ways, but rather lies we've tried to make into truth.

Bonhoeffer has this to say-

'Worldly possession tend to turn the hearts of the disciples away from Jesus. What are we really devoted to? That is the question. Are our hearts set on earthly goods? Do we try to combine devotion to them with loyalty to Christ? Or are we devoted exclusively to him? The light of the body is the eye, and the light of the Christian is his heart. If the eye be dark how great is the darkness of the body! But the heart is dark when it clings to earthly goods, for then, however urgently Jesus may call us, his call fails to find access to our hearts. Our hearts are closed, for they have already been given to another. As the light cannot penetrate the body when the eye is evil, so the word of Jesus cannot penetrate the disciple's heart so long as it is closed against it. The word is choked like the seed which was sown among thorns, choked "with cares and riches and pleasure of this life" (Luke 8:14).'

Bonhoeffer went on to say-

'The singleness of eye and heart corresponds to that "hiddenness" which knows nothing but the call and word of Christ, and which consists in perfect fellowship with him. How can the disciple have dealings with earthly goods and yet preserve this singleness of heart? Jesus does not forbid the possession of property in itself. He was man, he ate and drank like his disciples, and thereby sanctified the good things of life. These necessities, which are consumed in use and which meet the legitimate requirements of the body, are to be used by the disciple with thankfulness.

Earthly goods are given to be used, not to be collected.

Hoarding is idolatry.

But where are we to draw the line between legitimate use and unlawful accumulation? Let us reverse the word of Jesus and our question is answered: "Where thy heart is, there shall thy treasure be also."  Our treasure may of course be small and inconspicuous, but its size is immaterial; it all depends on the heart, on ourselves. And if we ask how we are to know where our hearts are, the answer is just as simple-- everything which hinders us from loving God above all things and acts as a barrier between ourselves and our obedience  to Jesus is our treasure, and the place where our heart is.

But Jesus knows that the heart of man hankers after a treasure and so it is his will that he should have one. But this treasure is to be sought in heaven, NOT ON EARTH. Earthly treasures soon fade, but a treasure in heaven lasts for ever.

Our hearts have room only for one all embracing devotion, and we can only cleave to one Lord. Every competitor to that devotion must be hated. As Jesus says, there is no alternative-- either we love God or we hate him. We are confronted by an "either--or": either we love God, or we love earthly goods. If we love God, we hate the world and if we love the world, we hate God.

We shall indignantly repudiate the suggestion that we hate God, and will be firmly convinced that we love him, whereas by trying to combine love for him with love for the world, we are turning our love for him into hatred. And then we have lost the single eyes, and our heart is no longer in fellowship with Jesus. Our deliberate intentions make no difference to the inevitable result: Ye cannot serve two masters, if ye be followers of Jesus Christ.' 

*

My take-

This man's insight is amazing.

I really like this-- 'Earthly goods are given to be used, NOT to be collected.'   And this- 'Hoarding is idolatry.'  And before we shake our heads and claim that we aren't hoarders simply because we've been exposed to television shows about the EXTREME hoarders, take a look at your closets, your storage places, your attics, your garages, your shelves, your cupboards and cabinets.  Look closely at all those things and ask yourself are you using, or collecting? Often when we collect we do so with the idea that we'll use things someday. Sometimes when we collect we do so because we are making investments in the future, keeping things for a bit of security should times ever get hard for us and we need to sell them. This reveals LACK of faith in God.  We collect things because they're pretty and hold some sort of attraction for us, and not everything collected has to be valuable. If we are putting our affections in THINGS it is taking our affection from CHRIST.  We have choices to make and we make them every day. Do we make the choice to put Christ first or ourselves?

Truth-

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

And it is true turned around- where our heart is, that's where are treasure is.

Is there ANYTHING you possess that you would hate to lose? It's easy for us to say yes to that, because we hold our possessions dear. Now we have to ask ourselves how dear are we holding things. Things we've COLLECTED.  The earthly good we have been given.

I really do believe it is true - 'Earthly good are given to be used, not to be collected.'

'hoard  

/hôrd/

Noun A store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded.

Verb Amass (money or valued objects) and hide or store away.

Pasted from <https://www.google.com/search?q=hoard&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a> '

And that our keeping store of our money and objects, guarded or secret is IDOLATRY, and we all know how God feels about idolatry.

Please LORD help us to learn, help us to have a deeper comprehension of Your word. Help us LORD, we would have YOU to be our all in all. We want our treasure in HEAVEN, not here in anything on earth. We don't want to be caught up in idolatry. We don't want to be collecting and not using!

Help us LORD.

Save us LORD.

Forgive us LORD.