This is something of an off-the-cuff post about a topic that could use more careful, deliberate consideration.

I was reading a review of The Shack at USA Today (HT: Justin) when I came across the following:

McVey says Young connects with people outside of, or unhappy with, institutional churches that “tell us what we ought to do for God, while grace focuses on what God has already done. A person discovers grace when you come to the end of your own self-sufficiency and realize you have been made acceptable through Jesus Christ and him alone. You can’t score points with God.”

Institutional church is contrasted with grace. The institutional church tells us what we ought to do for God, while grace is what God has already done for us. I will ignore the part that makes grace sound like something you can discover within yourself. I am more interested in the contrast that is made, and the implication that grace does not require anything of the recipient.

Perhaps the person offering this description should be referred to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship (I’ll bet you knew I was going to bring that up!) in which Bonhoeffer speaks of cheap grace versus costly grace.

There is no actual contrast to be made between displaying the grace of God and requiring obedience to God. Institutional churches are being faithful to the Bible itself when on the one hand they present the free gift of God through grace while on the other hand they show what God has required of man.

Hear what Bonhoeffer says:

Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of the church. We are fighting to-day for costly grace.

…

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is 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 it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Grace cost God his Son and grace costs us everything we are. We do not properly receive grace if we think it requires nothing of us. Our proper response to the grace of God is complete commitment to the will of God. Giving up of the self and pursuing God.