SAFE SIN, CHEAP GRACE, OR HOOKED – Part 4

More About Cheap Grace

Luke 14:25-33

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sister, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. . . So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (vs. 26, 33 ESV)

So often today the whole concept of evangelism and revival is cheapened to the point where it is practically meaningless; and very little of right-about-face, life-changing, sin-killing conversion takes place.  Even the very terminology so popular today is twisted out of Biblical context and loses its God-given meaning.  Everything is so self-centered.  I decided, I accepted, I feel good, and I will decide what is right or wrong!  What a perverted travesty of God’s great plan of redemption, and it all is intended to accomplish.  The three Rs of Redemption are mostly forgotten.  They are REPENTANCE, RESTITUTION, AND REORIENTATION.  The prodigal Son made his decision alright, but the Father did not take a step toward him until he put legs on his decision, climbed over the hog-pen fence, and left it for good.  He had a lengthy speech of repentance all rehearsed, but he only got about half of it out, for the Father, who can read our hearts, knew it was real and complete, so he just threw his arms around him and forgave him completely.  Then there was a genuine cleansing, and a brand new Robe of Righteousness for him, and a Ring of Commitment on his finger.  Talk about reoriented!  One good feast on fatted calf ruined that boy for any more garbage with the hogs!

No, there is no “Cheap Grace”.  It took the very best Heaven had to purchase it for us, and it demands our very best, and our all, to accept and maintain a saved and sanctified relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Contemplate our scripture for today a few moments.  You see I did not exaggerate at all when I said it costs absolutely everything we have or are if we are going to be and do what God demands of us. Tomorrow we will talk about the “HOOK” we mentioned.  Are you really “Hooked”, or just nibbling on the bait?

Rev. John F. Kunkle