The Cost of Discipleship

Week Two
Foreword, Memoir, Introduction, Chapter One
Favorite Psalms
Background

Luther fought against a Catholic church that was selling indulgences. The
church (to raise money for crusades and cathedrals) sold indulgences,
technically not to forgive sins but to avoid temporal punishment for sins
already forgiven at the sacrament of confession.
Abuses culminated in John Tetzels saying, As soon as a coin in the coffer
rings, a soul from purgatory springs.
Led to Luthers formulation, Grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone.
Grace alone saves us; we are not capable of winning or even cooperating
with Gods grace. Faith alone (generated by the Holy Spirit, not by us)
receives Gods grace and mercy. Scripture alone (not the doctrines,
principles or practices of popes or the Catholic Church) contains all we need
to know for salvation; the church is subject to correction by Scripture, even
by an individual member. Luther: A simple layman armed with Scripture is
greater than the mightiest pope without it.
Grace alone should never be seen as a justification for disobeying or ignoring
the commands of Jesus.

Monastic orders (and convents) set up a distinction between what could

be expected of a monk and a typical believer

Monasticism was meant to preserve the realization of the costliness of grace;

it gave final justification to the secularization of the church
(A state church such as the Lutheran church in Germany extends this
trend even more. Everyones a member; everyone can nod when theyre
asked if theyre Christian and if theyre saved. No one has to think and
wrestle with faith.)
Luthers return from the monastery to the world was a great blow to the
world. What had been the achievement of a few was once again seen as a
duty laid on every believer.

Lutherans strength: redemption. Lutherans weakness: sanctification

Thats the temptation toward cheap grace.

o Preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance
o Baptism without church discipline
o Communion without confession
o Absolution with personal confession
o Grace without discipleship

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Grace without the cross

Grace without Jesus

Cheap grace versus costly grace

Cheap grace holds that an intellectual assent to an idea is sufficient to

provide forgiveness of sins; costly grace recognizes and leads to the
obligation of discipleship.
Cheap grace leads people to believe that their only duty as Christians is to go
to church for an hour or so on Sunday and be assured that their sins are
forgiven; costly grace leads to a serious following of Christ.
God gives us grace; we give ourselves cheap grace.
Grace is intended to open the door to Christ; cheap grace only closes it.
Cheap grace is a vaccination. It gives us just enough of Jesus to prevent us
from catching the real thing. Costly grace is the grace of Christian
discipleship.
Cheap grace costs us nothing (in the short term). Costly grace costs us our
life, but it is also the source of the only true and complete life.

Quotes for discussion

Costly grace is the Incarnation of Godit is therefore the living word, the
Word of God. (p. 45)
As Christianity spread the world was Christianized, and grace became its
common property. It was to be had at low cost. (p. 46)
Monasticism had transformed the humble work of discipleship into the
meritorious activity of the saints. (p. 47)
For Luther, the Christians worldly calling is sanctified only in so far as that
calling registers the final, radical protest against the world. (p. 49)
The outcome of the Reformation was the victoryof the vigilant religious
instinct of man for the place where grace is to be obtained at the cheapest
price. (p. 49)
Luther had said that grace alone can save; his followers took up his doctrine
and repeated it word for word. But they left out its invariable corollary, the
obligation of discipleship. (pp.49-50)
The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any
commandment of works. (p. 55)
We confess that, although our Church is orthodox as far as her doctrine of
grace is concerned, we are no longer sure that we are members of a Church
which follows its Lord. (p. 55)

NEXT WEEK CHAPTERS TWO THROUGH FIVE