Christian discipleship has always had a bar, a measure, a standard. In the OT, the bar was called the Law of Moses and no one, save Christ, met its requirement, although many died, physically and spiritually, trying.
In Romans, Paul tackles the question that if no one can meet the bar, then is it an unjust bar? Is it an unjust God who sets it? Is it a wrong measure to even have?
And Paul clearly reminds his readers that the bar is completely just, the God who set the bar is completely just and the bar's purpose is completely just. Paul even contends that those who live under grace by faith should still meet the bar.
So what has happened in believers today who claim to live under grace by faith but reject the notion and purpose of the bar when it comes to the practical details of Christian living? I'm not talking about a legalist notion of the "shall nots" and "should nots", although there is in great measure wisdom for choosing not to do certain things, ie. gluttonous eating is bad for your health. More particularly I'm talking about being willing and desirous of Christian living that understands and appreciates the value of costly commitment.
Personally I think God would blow open the doors of heaven to His people for embracing commitment at cost. We don't serve a dollar store God, and we shouldn't expect dollar store commitment to last--either eternally or otherwise.
I pray God will continue to cause me to count the cost, and I trust that His imperishable riches are enough to fund the cost through me.
Corinthians 3:11-15 "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."
The view from my neck of the woods leads me to believe that there's an epidemic of what Bonhoeffer called 'cheap grace' spreading around like wildfire. But the more precious the Cross is to us, the more we will want "to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord...." Col. 1:10. Thanks for this post, Elle!
ReplyDelete"More particularly I'm talking about being willing and desirous of Christian living that understands and appreciates the value of costly commitment."
ReplyDeleteThe shallow waters of our former church are indicative of this very thing. Splashing in the wading pool isn't where growth occurs, nor can we glorify God when we're just playing around.
Well said! I once heard a song that talked about how sometimes we're just like the Roman soldiers who cast lots at the foot of the cross - we're just playing games at the foot of the cross. You're right, discipleship is costly, and a very high price was paid for our redemption, so we should not count it lightly. Great post!
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