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Discussion Forum : Revivals And Church History : Their is no such thing as "Cheap Grace"

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staff
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Joined: 2007/2/8
Posts: 2227


 Their is no such thing as "Cheap Grace"

Repentance Salvation versus Saved by Grace

Hi All,
I have recently been thinking about grace and salvation.
The day I became a christian I didnt give a thought about turning from sin or a sinful lifestyle,I was just so happy I was saved and the knowledge Jesus existed.I accepted his free gift of salvation.
In the days afterwards and still I have wanted to turn and repent from my sins so I can please my father in heaven.
Why now are we adding the burden of repentance to salvation?
The bible says "eternal life is a gift of God".If we attach repentance in the sense of turning to a holy lifestyle or in the sense of turning from a sinful life,surely this is adding works to salvation.
I recoginize that the aim and hope of all christians is to please the father by turning from sin and by being lead by the Spirit;I also recognise that we are to make disciples not just believers;I also recognise that sin has ill affects on the christian and the church and has to be dealth with for both to function properly but salvation is a either a free gift or it isnt we cant have it both ways!
Their is no such thing as" Cheap grace" we are either except his grace or favour or we dont it a free gift from god that cant be earned by repentance or any other works least any man boast!
How can we have revival if we go away from grace!
Yours Staff

 2011/9/26 19:05Profile









 Re: Their is no such thing as "Cheap Grace"

"Their is no such thing as" Cheap grace"


AMEN!

 2011/9/26 19:39
Lkid
Member



Joined: 2007/7/6
Posts: 109


 Re: Their is no such thing as "Cheap Grace"

The full picture of salvation and the full gospel includes repentance from sin. When you repent you aren't working for your salvation. You are recognizing that you are a created being and were created by a Creator that is due worship and service and obedience. you are recognizing that until this point you have lived for yourself and rebelled against Him, as much as He has been revealed to you through nature and the word. Repentance simply means turning from something to something else. You are turning from a rebellious selfish lifestyle where you are the centre of the universe to God being the centre of the universe, and the one worthy of praise and worship and obedience. But salvation from sin and its consequences are still based upon grace because having recognized the situation and turning to God in our hearts, we then "stand still and see the salvation of the LORD". We believe in His work done on our behalf to justify us before God and sanctify us by and with His Spirit. Hallelujah! Repentance must come first as you must recognize there is a spiritual need of salvation first, then salvation can come. Some might say its all one event, but we must be convinced we are sinners and need salvation and turn to God for help, then we can be saved.

Lloyd

Lloyd

 2011/9/26 19:54Profile
jimp
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Joined: 2005/6/18
Posts: 1481


 Re:

hi, repentance is not turning away from your sins for if you could do that you would not need a redeemer. it is however turning your life over to Christ and dying to self. it is the goodness of God that leadeth to repentence and it is all grace. i am a firm beleiver in amazing grace that does far more than we ask or think.jimp

 2011/9/26 20:00Profile
ccchhhrrriiisss
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Joined: 2003/11/23
Posts: 4779


 Re:

Grace didn't come cheap, that is for sure. The grace of God -- the chance for sinful men to come to God -- came at the cost of His very Son's agonizing death upon the cross.

But while there may not be any such thing as "cheap grace," there is such a thing as "insulted grace."

Quote:
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Hebrews 11:26-29 KJV

26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.

28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Hebrews 10:26-29 NASB



Sadly, there are so many people today who are living in sin and self-pleasure as they enjoy the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life, yet hide behind a sinner's prayer, a one-time decision to serve God, a spiritual apology or various religious acts and affiliation.

I wouldn't call it "cheap grace" at all. It is just that people continuously insult that precious gracious in order to live their lives the way they choose and still try to argue that they are "believers" at the same time.


_________________
Christopher

 2011/9/26 20:30Profile









 Re:


Chris, if you don't mind me saying so - that was a Very good post.

As the word "obedience" is being lambasted in these last days, we are seeing the fulfillment of Matt 24:12 and the discarding of vs 13.

Thank you.

 2011/9/27 0:31
TrueWitness
Member



Joined: 2006/8/10
Posts: 661


 Re:

God's grace is free but it isn't cheap. It cost the precious life of our Lord Jesus Christ. So don't regard it as anything but precious and wonderful.

There are two preconditions to salvation: Repentance and faith (which must be confessed). The Bible says that both of these are gifts from God. Without God's drawing a person to Jesus and from there to repent of their sins and believe on Jesus to be saved, nobody would or could be saved. Do not confuse preconditions with "works". Because someone repents of their sins does not mean that they now earn or merit salvation. Jesus said that if you do not forgive others of their sins against you, God won't forgive you of your sins. Your forgiving others is a precondition to God's forgiveness of you. It has nothing to do with works, earning or meriting forgiveness.

 2011/9/27 0:44Profile
staff
Member



Joined: 2007/2/8
Posts: 2227


 Re:

Hi All,
I agree with Jimps view here when it comes to grace.
The problem as I see it is that we are now expecting too much from potential new christians.To be saved by grace through faith is not enough for us.
We have to recognise our condition(god drawing) and turn(repent) to Jesus for Salvation.The person is then saved.
It would be great if they then went to church and continued to grow in a church environment but it may not happen.Turning from sin may not last that long in some cases.
They may then return to a sinful lifestyle for what ever reason and may not be regular church goers who knows but they are still saved and God will continue to work in them.
We who are in the church then condemn them forgetting that we are saved through grace.We hint that these people are not really saved instead of praying for them to be restored to God,
yours staff

On the term "cheap grace "is a contradiction in terms and should not be used.It is akin to name calling in my opinion.Sin is a problem in the church but we cannot attribute that to the way a person came to christ as we know their is only one way to come to Christ.

 2011/9/27 17:17Profile
a-servant
Member



Joined: 2008/5/3
Posts: 435


 Re:

I actually don't understand this question:

"Why now are we adding the burden of repentance to salvation?"

Acts 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

as others said before, meeting scriptural conditions for salvation is the absolute minimum response to grace. Without it people still make positive confessions about "being saved" and "having accepted a free gift", but according to scripture there is no salvation without repentance. It starts on a personal level with repenting to become real within a person.

If you take out the 'repent part' you are without the Holy Spirit in the first, and still in your sins in the first and second verse above.

In that respect there is no "Cheap Grace" but there is certainly something you find mostly in America, a preference for human methods "that work", so maybe it should be called "Amercian grace" because it's a local invention, just like a fast "Las Vegas wedding".

 2011/9/28 4:15Profile
staff
Member



Joined: 2007/2/8
Posts: 2227


 Re:

Hi,
What I mean is we have to repent by turning to Christ and be baptised and recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost but we cant possibly gaurantee that after becoming saved we then dont return to sinful lifestyle which is what some people think is repentance.
Also your comment about a "minimum" response to grace hints that their should be more than meeting scripture.Their is no minimum or maximum conditions,just grace.
(as others said before, meeting scriptural conditions for salvation is the absolute minimum response to grace.)
I do recognise that in particular America may have a problem with false confessions but we cant add or take away to the qualification it takes to be saved as an answer to this problem,
yours staff

 2011/9/28 6:11Profile





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