Bonhoeffer had it right

I've been bothered lately by the modern definition of grace. I've often said that the definition of grace is "getting what we don't deserve" while mercy is "not getting what we do deserve". So as humans, we don't deserve forgiveness and new life. But God gives it to us through Jesus. What we do deserve however is punishment and death. And we don't get that because of Jesus.

Real grace and mercy transforms us. It's my trip to Hong Kong when my aunts and uncles took 6 months of their savings so they could take us out for a meal. It's when someone forgives you for something that you have repeatedly done overtly to them. It's when God says that I can preach again after I've royally messed up and lived hypocritically all week. Real grace and mercy brings me to my knees.

My problem is that everyone today feels that they are entitled to grace, mercy and forgiveness. When they don't get it, they blame other people. It's as if they expect to get it. But grace that is expected isn't grace. It's permissiveness. Paul talks about this about as plainly as he can in Romans. This kind of grace and mercy doesn't transform. It births pride. And that pride corrupts a relationship with God.

One of my favorite reads in seminary was from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He writes this about what he calls "cheap grace".

[It] 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.

According to Bonhoeffer, real grace is a grace that will cost a man his life.