Cheap Grace
Isaiah 55:1-7
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (vs. 6, 7 ESV)
“Safe Sin” always has a constant companion whose name is “Cheap Grace”. These two are wedded and they cannot get a divorce! We can never, by any means and all our strength “pay” for God’s saving, sanctifying grace. The fact remains however that we can neither obtain nor maintain these realities in our hearts and lives without it costing absolutely all we have or are. Every promise in the Book carries a price tag, and every one of them has a hook in it! If you will carefully, prayerfully look, you can find the price tag and the hook. Either in the verses involved, or in the context, just before or after, you will see them. We just read some marvelous promises from Isaiah 55. It all sounds so free and easy to the casual hearer, but the price tag and the hook are there in plain view. Check out verse 3, and you get a glimpse of the price tag. Verses 6 and 7 are the clinchers for sure. We do not get saved or sanctified just any old time we decide to do so. It is when, and only while the Holy Spirit is wooing and speaking to our hearts. Not at any other time. It is while He may be found, and when He is near. Here is the hook so often avoided; “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord.” Only then will the Lord have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon. So an ego-centered decision on my part about what I will or will not do will not save me. But thank God for that old-fashioned mourner’s bench where I repented of my sins and found God’s gracious voice saying, “I have made MY DECISION; thou art MY son, this day have I BEGOTTEN thee.” It was well that I made a decision on that day, a good step in the right direction. But the all-important decision was when God decided to accept me!
Rev. John F. Kunkle
Pure in Heart Ministries 