TRUE REPENTANCE

TRUE REPENTANCE

 Contemporary believers must be ever mindful to avoid embracing what Dietrich Bonhoeffer labeled as “cheap grace.”  He described it as “the grace that we bestow on ourselves…the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline…grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.”

 In modern society, far too many tend to equate membership on church rolls for genuine Christian discipleship.  That is, many operate under the mistaken notion that we can mystically add Christ to our lives without the personal commitment to subtract sin.  Cheap grace means a superficial adjustment in our intellectual beliefs without an accompanying change in our behaviors.  According to the book of Revelation, this is tantamount to having a name [a reputation] that we are spiritually alive while we are actually spiritually dead. (Revelation 3:1)

 Let’s strive to be absolutely authentic, i.e. real in our relationships with Jesus Christ.  For only Jesus Christ can inscribe our names on “The Book of Life.”  (Philippians 4:3 – Revelation 3:5 – Revelation 13:18 – Revelation 17:8 – Revelation 20:12;15 – Revelation 21:27 – Revelation 22:19)  Our names cannot be signed there by our family, our friends, our ministers, or any others – only Christ.  It is mission critical that we live right for Him, not for the affirmation or approval of others.

 All that we need is available at the foot of the cross of Calvary.  Bow before Him.

 Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!