Over the past few months I have been involved in an intensely deep study on yet another facet of grace. I’m not prepared yet to reveal the wealth I’ve discovered, but I have seen this stream of thought trailing around that I wish to develop over the next few posts. Here is the thought: Many talk and teach about grace but few, very few, are comfortable with the price.
What does that mean to you, comfortable with the price? I recognize that we are saved by grace and that it is a free gift from God so that none may be able to boast. But does this statement relate to your comfort of the price? We had a late night salesman on our TV whose tagline was, “Free is a very good price!” But I don’t think that this is one of those things he would say this about.
In my book Grace for Shame I introduced one of the primary meanings of the Greek word, charis, which is transcribed in the bible as grace, as the nature of reciprocal giving. This was one of the concepts that Paul drove home again and again in all of his letters because it had such a rich history in the culture of the people he was speaking to. When he spoke of charis, everyone knew precisely what he meant, no translation required. They understood what grace cost and they were comfortable with the price. How about you?
Charis, or grace, is reciprocal giving. Christ gave his life so that you may live. But pay particular attention to what I’m about to say. This claim, Christ gave his life so that you may live, only speaks of one side of the transaction. Your part, your reciprocal act is the price. Now before you think that I’m saying there is a whole host of actions that you must undertake to make this work, let me make one thing very clear right from the beginning:
THERE IS NOT ONE ACTION YOU CAN TAKE OR ACCOMPLISH TO SECURE WHAT CHRIST HAS ALREADY DECLARED IS FINISHED.
So now are you comfortable with the price? Many aren’t. They believe that they must do something in order for finished to be, well…finished. They must read their bible more, or offer their time to caring for the… (fill in the blank)…or they must attend more prayer meetings, do devotions, sing in the choir, read more bible, attend a men, woman or couples retreat, pray more, read the bible more, and a whole host of other religious activities that will move them higher, closer, but never satisfied in what HE already finished.
Are you comfortable with the price of not doing something in order to be who you already are? Are you comfortable with not looking for others to approve of your lifestyle so that you can be who you already are? Are you comfortable with the price of being seen outside of your circle of friends enjoying the company of someone different? Are you comfortable with the price of missing church to be with a friend who can’t attend? Are you comfortable with the price of not being a church follower in order to be a disciple of Christ?
Grace is not a comfortable message for many people to hear because the price is too great. I’ll look at some more of these in the days ahead…
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