Cheap grace...

I was raised in an evangelical environment. I've bought my share of Chick tracts, gone door-to-door "sharing the Gospel," done street mime with an outreach troupe. I was even head of the evangelism committee at the Bible college I attended. And the thing is, when we emphasize "Jesus loves me, this I know" we are only telling part of the truth. I was raised so as to never seriously question my salvation. In my later teen years, I got into some really heavy stuff that "the fear of God" might have kept me clear of. The good news starts with the understanding that I deserve eternal condemnation. Until I began to actually BELIEVE that (i.e., experience it as more than just a ritualistic formula to be uttered -- sort of like the sinner's prayer) my view of God's grace was almost blasphemous. A saint of the Orthodox Church has said, "Keep your mind in hell and despair not." It was only after I realized how utterly wretched and sinful I am that I could begin to appreciate how profoundly radical God's love for us is! Unfortunately, it's very easy for me to publicly acknowledge that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" and yet still maintain that I'm not really a bad person. People like me, I'm successful and happy, God loves me. Jesus has already paid the price, so I don't really have to change, do I? My grandparents are very fond of a particular televangelist and his ministry. I've watched it a few times, and it's a very slick production, but it doesn't have any apparent connection to the teachings of the apostles, other than reading from the New Testament occasionally. According to this man's teaching, we aren't sinners, we just need to practice positive thinking. And yet both Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Søren Kiekegaard both warned their fellow Christians about the dangers of presuming upon God's grace and "taming" Him. It's what Jesus taught - 'do not fear those who kill the body.... fear him who .... has the power to cast you into Hell'. Lk12 v 4,5 As Mr. Beaver said about Aslan, "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good." "In the fear of God, with faith and love, draw near!" This is a cry heard in every Orthodox Church every time a Liturgy is celebrated. I think it maintains a healthy balance. Dirk