This is how Eugene Peterson translated Paul’s argument against “cheap grace” in Romans 6:1-8:
So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land! That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace-sovereign country. Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection.
There’s always someone looking for a loophole so they can leverage the system to their advantage. The whole idea behind loopholes is there is a system to beat. I had a good laugh with my friend Jim when we stopped in at a North Lake Tahoe casino a number of years ago and he promised me he had a “system” for beating the house at blackjack. So I gave him $20—he put in $20—and in five minutes we left the blackjack table $40 dollars lighter in the pocket. He laughed and said, “There’s my system…I put my money down and they take it.”
God gets treated as the “house” to beat. There were those in Paul’s day who had come up with the ultimate “loophole” rationalization, which like every really good attempt to beat the house, appears in every generation. The argument went something like this.
Grace is a good thing…maybe the very best thing because it is all about God’s love.
- When I sin…God has a chance to extend me grace…hence a chance to demonstrate His love .
- Ergo…the more I sin…the more grace there is…so that is the very best and I should keep sinning.
Huh? That’s crazy. Is it? Dietrich Bonhoeffer coined the phrase “Cheap Grace” as the label for the kind of grace that isn’t tied to real life changes. Grace is meant to restore us…heal us…and draw us into a love relationship with God and our neighbor. When I get that I’m loved, the last thing I want to do is betray the one who loves me, yet that is exactly what I do if I grab God’s grace as an excuse and my heart remains hard and unrepentant. This isn’t a “law” thing that I’m forced to comply with certain conditions in order to receive grace, but is a recognition that grace is ultimately rooted in relationship.
The best analogy for me is the rebellious stage I went through as a teenager. I didn’t get that the rules my parents were lovingly surrounding me with were for my benefit and were in fact and act of grace and love. They had my best interest at heart, and the hope was that I would see that and embrace a lifestyle that was based on love and respect for myself and the people around me. Gradually the lights went on for me, and like most teenagers, my parents became much wiser when I finally emerged from the teen years and realized what they had done for me. The best thing for me was not to find loopholes to beat the system, but to see that the system was all about living a loving and productive life.
We’ll talk more Sunday about how grace changes us from the inside out, so we don’t end up like the Pharisees who were clean on the outside and filthy on the inside.
Now for what’s on my desk…
Remember we’re celebrating St. Andrew’s 50th birthday Sunday, November 13 at both services. We’re hoping to also celebrate the retirement of our debt that morning. To date, $2,470 has been received toward the $7,000 goal. Don’t miss the fun.
Two more weeks before our shoes boxes need to be in so they can be shipped to their destination and placed in a child’s hands for Christmas. Thank you one and all who are working on a shoe box.
Now you know what I know.
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