Four pastors exposes the gospel of cheap grace
1. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance. It is baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, and absolution without personal confession.
Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, and grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate in one’s life.
A costly grace
Costly grace is the gospel that must be sought again and again. It is a “free gift” which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. (Cost of discipleship)
grace is the gospel that must be sought again and again.
2. R.C. Sproul
Grace is often defined as “a gift we don’t deserve.” But Scripture divides grace into two parts: saving grace and common grace. The saving grace is given to believers, but common grace is given to everyone.
Any person can claim to be a Christian. A Christian whose nature has not been transformed, which means they are still in a stage of carnality, is an impossibility. It cheapens grace. [Sinful nature]
What’s wrong with hypergrace?
Hypergrace believes that once we’re in Christ, we are totally no longer under the law, even in the instructive sense. But do we continue sinning so that grace may abound? NO. Hypergrace is one of the greatest threats to evangelicalism.
Hypergrace is one of the greatest threats to evangelicalism.
3. John Piper
Many people receive Jesus as a sin-forgiver because they want to be guilt-free—not for the love of Jesus. They became Christians because they didn’t want to burn in hell, yet they continued with carnality.
Others receive Jesus because they want a healer—to be healthy; they want Him as a protector because they want to be safe. Jesus, to them, is a “prosperity giver” because they love money.
Receive Jesus supremely, personally, and valuable
They don’t regard Him as more glorious, beautiful, wonderful, or satisfying than everything else in the universe. They don’t treasure Jesus, cherish, or delight in him. They treat him as a therapeutic deity.
They treat Jesus as a therapeutic deity.
4. Paul Washer
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test?
Many people take Jesus as an accessory. If [following Jesus Christ] doesn’t cost you anything: it’s because you’ve bought into “American Christianity.”
This kind of “fake Christianity” is simply adding Jesus into your life to make it happy and fulfilled —this is blasphemy. Jesus is not just a ticket to heaven, not just someone who can bless your life. He is your life — He is everything. Jesus becomes our life!
Many people take Jesus as an accessory.
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