Cheap Grace.

I have begun leading a small group for my Church where we are studying the book of 1 John. Reading and taking the text for its face value puts a lot of cracks in my traditional understanding of "saved by grace". One could consult a myriad of various texts to build the "magic" formula for salvation. Is it a prayer? is it a lifestyle? or somewhere in between? My Calvinist bend pushes me in the direction of saying its a null issue due to God's predestination of our hearts, since he is in complete control its not our job to worry, he does all the judging right? The problem then lies with the issue of maturing in our faith and in discipleship. I can say I "repented" and accepted Jesus when I was 11 at some church gathering.... but if I'm 22 and living in sin, with my life for the most part unaffected by the Gospel... then what exactly am I buying into as a faith system...fire insurance?? After all Christ commands us to pick up our cross and follow him... There will be sacrifice on the way, and one thing is for sure... HIS sacrifice was not cheap. So this idea of cheap grace almost seems offensive.

Martin Luther is one of my favorite Church fathers. Luther Struggled with the book of James because of its "works based" nature claiming that faith without works is dead. Luther went as far as calling James "the book of straw" wanting to throw it out of Biblical cannon. Its hard to accept the idea we need to DO something for our grace. The protestant Church as we have branched out from the reformation has shy'd very far away from the works based salvation idea... but too far perhaps?

When someone professes in something, their belief is always backed up by a behavior. I get out of bed in the morning and set my feet on the ground because I understand and believe in gravity to keep me there. Jesus is inviting us into a relationship of experience. Not a revival gathering "spiritual high" experience. But one that matures as we choose to put faith and trust in him everyday we get out of bed. One that tests him and allows him to show himself to you in your life. When was the last time you allowed God to show himself in your life? When was the last time you were willing to lay down your life for him? Following is an action, and Jesus claimed to be the way. So maybe its just one of those healthy paradoxes. God's grace covering our sin as we whole heartedly begin to follow him. I'll end with a quote from the Psalms... "Taste and see that the LORD is good"

Have we tasted him?