Costly grace

This was the passage for reflection in the front of the bulletin at Redeemer on Sunday. Just thought I'd share.

"Cheap grace is the enemy of the church... Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance...grace without discipleship, grace without a cross...Costly grace is the gospel...it is costly because it costs a man his life, and 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 is cost God the life of his son...it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God...When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. That is why the rich young man was so loath to follow Jesus, for the cost of his following was the death of his will. In fact, every command of Jesus is a call to die, with all our affections and lusts." Dietrich Bonhoeffer from The Cost of DIscipleship (1937)

May we never forget the cost of the grace so freely given...