The Cost of Cheap Grace

I've been reading a lot of Dietrich Bonhoeffer these days. It's been good for my soul. Dietrich doesn't have to justify himself: he's serving God against the darkest force in his universe (he referred to Hitler as The Antichrist on several occasions) and died a martyr for his cause in a concentration camp. He's not trying to make Protestant folk feel good about their lifestyles of fast cars and big houses (That's right, I'm looking at you, prosperity doctrine). His job is to explain the suffering of real Christians and convince unreal ones to trade their comfortable lives for persecution.

His diagnosis of the problem of modern Christianity is simple: we sell our grace cheap to people who neither want it or understand it. We promise salvation for some quick words and mental assent to a few basic propositions (Jesus is my savior, Bible is the Word of God, Amen.) We baptize, confirm, and church untold millions, and the majority are uninspired to live any better than their pagan ancestors. Myself included. The scenario he describes--a Christian who feels a weak connection to God and no motivation to do good deeds--is my life, my scenario. His life and suffering are what I needed to see that his solution really is my cure for cheap grace.

Christians need to realize two things to be proper disciples of Christ. First is what all evangelicals believe: that only those who believe can obey. Any Calvinist could tell you that. We're depraved, sinful folk, only God can save us, and so forth. Dietrich shows that only holding this belief is a surefire way to forget Christ: it begs for a lazy faith. We can't do anything, so why do anything? To act as a counterweight, Dietrich shows the second principle of true discipleship: only those who obey can have faith.

Being the good Protestant he is, Dietrich lays out that this is not works righteousness. He's not saying that you have to obey to be saved. He is saying that, without obeying, you cannot follow Christ. Consider Peter. How could he follow Christ and keep fishing? Consider Levi. How can he follow Christ and still sit behind his customs table? Consider the rich young man. He was called to sell all his possessions. It is only by this act of obedience that he can truly follow his Lord.

This is something I need to answer to. My faith is weak and the true reason for this weakness is not that God has not given enough to me. It is because I have not followed God's call to me.