Cheap Grace

Last updated on: April 25, 2012 at 8:51 am by Steve Austin

Cheap Grace 2012-04-25T08:51:23-05:00 Steve Austin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

My Uncle called me yesterday. It made my day. Each of your comments are precious to me and I treasure the dialogue that this platform gives us, but hearing “thanks” from a family member–someone I know personally and admire–is just a bit sweeter.

During our conversation, we talked about how the older we get, the more we realize different things that really matter in life. I was holding the phone, talking to a guy who tragically lost his wife, the love of his life, the mother of his two young sons. A guy who appears to not only be surviving, but THRIVING. That’s a different kind of grace, the grace to hold on. It is still messy…and wonderful…and unique…and beautiful.

Later in our chat, we got on the topic of “Cheap Grace” and how so many people think that my non-conservative theological bent cheapens the work that Jesus Christ did on the Cross. Folks who haven’t had the same realization that Uncle Pete and I have had. Folks who still think that unless they beat themselves up and judge and criticize everyone else when failure happens, they aren’t living for the “high calling”. Folks who think that perfection is attainable and that it’s the goal.

Newsflash: perfection is NOT attainable and is NOT the goal.

Regarding “Cheap Grace”, my view is just the opposite! I think that if we do not take hold of grace every single time we mess up, it is then that we cheapen His work on the Cross. Jesus Christ didn’t die so that we could reach perfection on this side of eternity. He died the death of a criminal. Almighty God humbled Himself to human form and was tortured and ripped apart for one reason: reconciliation. His ultimate goal was re-connecting with the children He is so passionately in love with. He died so that every single time we fail…AND WE WILL FAIL…that we can simply say the name “Jesus” and He will save us. He saves us from our sins, our anguish, anxiety, fears, hurts, and every struggle that we’ll ever face. And that salvation never runs out. Ever.

It doesn’t mean that we don’t try. We should try our best, every moment of every day. But we will never ALWAYS succeed at this walk toward Christ. There are potholes, hairpin turns, and traffic jams along the way. But don’t worry about those things–the only step Christ Jesus wants you to be concerned with right now is the one step that He has placed before you today.

When we focus more on goodness than grace, we get it all wrong. It’s not about our goodness. There is no one good. It is all about His grace.

The Bible is clear that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.

His grace wasn’t cheap, and I don’t want to ignore it by trying to clean myself up.

Remember: the only step Christ Jesus wants you to be concerned with right now is the one step that He has placed before you today. And that is a step toward His wonderful, beautiful, messy grace.

Previous Post

April 23, 2012

He hurts when we hurt.

Next Post

April 26, 2012 Holding Hands

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Anxiety Best of Messy Grace Current Events Depression Faith Family Featured Fiction lgbtq Marriage Mental Health Messy Grace Millennials Parenting Recovery Recovery from a Suicide Attempt Recovery from Abuse Recovery from Porn Addiction Religious Recovery Self Care The Struggle With Church This is My Story (series) Uncategorized Writing Help

Select a Month January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 June 2015 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 June 2013 April 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 September 2011 August 2011 May 2011 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the ecumenical council where Roman Catholicism addressed modernization in the 1960s?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Council of Nicaea Ephesus Trent Vatican II