‘Cheap grace’ is not Grace at all

I write this for the sake of clarity.  There is a common misunderstanding that the Grace Message teaches that it’s ‘okay’ for Christians to make poor decisions, and act irresponsibly without any repercussions.  “Cheap Grace” is the term law bound religion fearfully labels it.  Well, I’ve yet to meet a Grace leader or teacher that has said it’s okay to go out and act a fool.  That’s not wisdom.  That’s not Jesus.  So let’s take a minute to make this real.

Here’s the truth of the matter, and I hope this really gets into some skulls.  The thinking that “I can make bad, unhealthy choices because God forgives me anyway…” is NOT grace, it’s self-righteousness.  Look at all the ‘me, me, me’ mentality in that.  There is no freedom found in ourselves.  Only the cross.

How is it any different than the obsession with sin management held all too commonly in churches these days?  “I’ve done this, and that, and I’m so far from God, because I do this wrong, and I sin.  I’m inherently evil, so how can I ever be right with God?”  Well if you stop obsessing with something God already put to death (yourself), you’ll stop acting dumb.  Whatever a man believes in his heart, so he shall be, right?  Replace your self-condemning thoughts with “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, and that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” (Romans 6:6) and “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under Grace.” (Romans 6:14)

Or was the cross not enough for you?

JESUS CRUCIFIED!  That’s our focus!  The Grace Revolution is central to that.  That’s the ONLY place salvation is found.

So, whether a Christian is self-depreciating and calling it ‘humility’, or self-exalting and calling it ‘righteousness’….if the cross isn’t in the equation, it only comes down to pride.  The term ‘cheap grace’ seems to equate it with forgiveness for our wrong doings.  You do wrong, God forgives you, and gives you grace.  As if foolishness was the producer of God’s Grace.  This is false, and still built around self-righteousness.

So what is Grace, really?
Grace (Strong’s G5485: “CHARIS”) Unmerited, undeserved favor and kindness of God as if no wrong had ever been done to begin with.  God’s grace is not a response to us, but to Jesus on the Cross  We just get to enjoy it and the justification that comes with it (Romans 3:24).  The sweetest freedom for ourselves is letting go of ourselves.