The hyper/cheap grace advocates say that the salvation and forgiveness of sin is like a gift of a father to his child. In gifting, nothing is attached - neither the price tag of the giver nor the emotional response of the receiver. If so, it would be a business. Just take it in face value that Jesus pronounced you as righteous and that's it. Your repentance has no value and not needed.
Our problem is entering into the Biblical teachings with our petty and convenient, and man-centered doctrinal orientation and prejudiced understanding.
Gifting versus Grace:
We should understand that the salvation in Jesus Christ is not a "gift" in human understanding, between a father and a child. It is purely God's "grace" that I get what I do not deserve as a sinner. It is God's "mercy" that I do not get what actually I should be deserving as a transgressor. When we were sinners, unloved, undeserved, Christ died for us. So, it is no way a gifting talk in the family.
Give-and-Take versus Ransom:
Also it is not a business talk between equals that one gives and another pays it back. For we, the sinners, are not at all worthy to cut a deal with the righteous God. We were sold out in our sins, but Christ has paid the ransom, His very life, for us, the pitiable bankrupts.
Parables of Jesus:
Bigger Bankrupt and Smaller Debtor: I just want to draw our attention to the parable of Jesus in Matthew 18:21-35, "the bigger bankrupt and his smaller debtor." The king expected the bank-craft that he should have updated his ledger by reckoning the huge amnesty, and tallied his balance sheet with the very gracious write off of his debt that he was not worthy to pay back then. If he had done this homework, he would have not behaved so with his small customer.
Prayers of a Pharisee and a Publican: I see in the parable about the prayers by a publican and a righteous Pharisees in Luke 18:9-14. The publican who really acknowledged his sin and expressed his very need of the salvation, was declared as righteous, and surely not the Pharisee who took it for granted and claimed it as his privilege, as the children of Abraham.
Prodigal Son: In Luke 15, though the father accepted the prodigal son even before his confession of his sins, he had already repented of his sins against the Heavenly Father first, and then to his father. He did not stop with the repentance in his heart, but he openly confessed it.
The Sinful Lady versus the Self-Righteous Pharisee:
Also, I remember here what Jesus said to one Simon, in Luke 7:36-50 about the lady who cried, wiped Jesus' feet with her hair and kept on kissing them and also what Jesus exhorted to the self-righteous Pharisee.
No Acquitting in spite of Justice:
God is not unrighteous to pronounce anyone "righteous" and acquit the guilty as free, without the justice is satisfactorily met. If we understand what we as sinners and guilty deserve, than we will surely understand what Jesus did on the cross.
Biblical Precedences:
The OT prophets confessed their uncleanness and unworthiness while they understood the holiness of God (Moses in Exodus 3; Isaiah 6, Jeremiah 1); The OT prophets called "the Holy Nation," Israelites to "consider your ways and repent." John the Baptist and Jesus Christ called the people to "repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." Peter reckoned of his uncleanness when he encountered with the power of Jesus (Luke 5:8). In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the repentance and forgiveness in His name (Luke 24:47). The Apostles preached the gospel and called the hearers to repent (Acts 2:28; 3:20; 11:18).
Pauline Example:
Soon after his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, Paul spends 3 days in fasting and praying. He might have been reorienting his life and theology by repenting his past ignorance (Acts 9:9). He reminds of his ministry for 3 years in Ephesus that proclaimed the repentance to God and believe in Christ (Acts 20:21). As Paul talked about the sin problem, the Roman Governor, Felix and his Jewish wife, Drusilla who would have otherwise loved to hear the convenient gospel, were actually scared of (Acts24:24-25).
Paul does not hesitate to call himself as the chief of the sinners who deserves the Savior as he is repenting of his violent persecution of the church (1 Timothy 1:13-15). While claiming of his apostolic authority, he does not take it for granted, rather, he humbles himself that he is not worthy to be called as an apostles, but he is, because of God's grace alone (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).
Cheap/Hyper Grace - A False Teaching:
The more you understand and acknowledge who we are, what we do not deserve, the more we appreciate and celebrate what Christ Jesus has done for us.
The cheap/hyper grace (so also "the Positive Thinking") one of the by-products of the fallacy of the Western, Individualistic, Modern, Scientific, Scholastic, and the Superman, Spider-Man, He-Man, Prosperity culture. They are very afraid and unease to open their eyes to reckon reality of the sin-problem in the fallen mankind.
Our problem is entering into the Biblical teachings with our petty and convenient, and man-centered doctrinal orientation and prejudiced understanding.
Gifting versus Grace:
We should understand that the salvation in Jesus Christ is not a "gift" in human understanding, between a father and a child. It is purely God's "grace" that I get what I do not deserve as a sinner. It is God's "mercy" that I do not get what actually I should be deserving as a transgressor. When we were sinners, unloved, undeserved, Christ died for us. So, it is no way a gifting talk in the family.
Give-and-Take versus Ransom:
Also it is not a business talk between equals that one gives and another pays it back. For we, the sinners, are not at all worthy to cut a deal with the righteous God. We were sold out in our sins, but Christ has paid the ransom, His very life, for us, the pitiable bankrupts.
Parables of Jesus:
Bigger Bankrupt and Smaller Debtor: I just want to draw our attention to the parable of Jesus in Matthew 18:21-35, "the bigger bankrupt and his smaller debtor." The king expected the bank-craft that he should have updated his ledger by reckoning the huge amnesty, and tallied his balance sheet with the very gracious write off of his debt that he was not worthy to pay back then. If he had done this homework, he would have not behaved so with his small customer.
Prayers of a Pharisee and a Publican: I see in the parable about the prayers by a publican and a righteous Pharisees in Luke 18:9-14. The publican who really acknowledged his sin and expressed his very need of the salvation, was declared as righteous, and surely not the Pharisee who took it for granted and claimed it as his privilege, as the children of Abraham.
Prodigal Son: In Luke 15, though the father accepted the prodigal son even before his confession of his sins, he had already repented of his sins against the Heavenly Father first, and then to his father. He did not stop with the repentance in his heart, but he openly confessed it.
The Sinful Lady versus the Self-Righteous Pharisee:
Also, I remember here what Jesus said to one Simon, in Luke 7:36-50 about the lady who cried, wiped Jesus' feet with her hair and kept on kissing them and also what Jesus exhorted to the self-righteous Pharisee.
No Acquitting in spite of Justice:
God is not unrighteous to pronounce anyone "righteous" and acquit the guilty as free, without the justice is satisfactorily met. If we understand what we as sinners and guilty deserve, than we will surely understand what Jesus did on the cross.
Biblical Precedences:
The OT prophets confessed their uncleanness and unworthiness while they understood the holiness of God (Moses in Exodus 3; Isaiah 6, Jeremiah 1); The OT prophets called "the Holy Nation," Israelites to "consider your ways and repent." John the Baptist and Jesus Christ called the people to "repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." Peter reckoned of his uncleanness when he encountered with the power of Jesus (Luke 5:8). In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the repentance and forgiveness in His name (Luke 24:47). The Apostles preached the gospel and called the hearers to repent (Acts 2:28; 3:20; 11:18).
Pauline Example:
Soon after his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, Paul spends 3 days in fasting and praying. He might have been reorienting his life and theology by repenting his past ignorance (Acts 9:9). He reminds of his ministry for 3 years in Ephesus that proclaimed the repentance to God and believe in Christ (Acts 20:21). As Paul talked about the sin problem, the Roman Governor, Felix and his Jewish wife, Drusilla who would have otherwise loved to hear the convenient gospel, were actually scared of (Acts24:24-25).
Paul does not hesitate to call himself as the chief of the sinners who deserves the Savior as he is repenting of his violent persecution of the church (1 Timothy 1:13-15). While claiming of his apostolic authority, he does not take it for granted, rather, he humbles himself that he is not worthy to be called as an apostles, but he is, because of God's grace alone (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).
Cheap/Hyper Grace - A False Teaching:
The more you understand and acknowledge who we are, what we do not deserve, the more we appreciate and celebrate what Christ Jesus has done for us.
The cheap/hyper grace (so also "the Positive Thinking") one of the by-products of the fallacy of the Western, Individualistic, Modern, Scientific, Scholastic, and the Superman, Spider-Man, He-Man, Prosperity culture. They are very afraid and unease to open their eyes to reckon reality of the sin-problem in the fallen mankind.
