Let Go of the Veto!

Let Go of the Veto!

How would you feel if someone told you that the grace you enjoy is “cheap grace”?  That’s the term that Dietrich Bonhoeffer passionately describes in The Cost of Discipleship.   He writes that accepting the gift of salvation at no cost—no change in lifestyle—is cheap grace.  The concept can be confusing.  Bonhoeffer isn’t talking about earning salvation, but instead about obeying Jesus’ call to follow him.  Shouldn’t accepting the gift of salvation (paid for by Jesus on the cross), result in visible changes?

The accusation of cheap grace strikes deep.  I’ve been a Christian for many years, and have loved Jesus and served him to varying degrees throughout that time.  When comparing myself to other people (even people in church), I always felt like I measured up pretty well.

But the theme of surrendering all for Jesus and following him wholeheartedly kept coming up.  I realized that while I might have been a “good Christian” who prayed, read my Bible, served in church ministries, etc., I was holding out on God.

Veto Power

I retained my right to decided how I would follow him.  If he sprang any wild ideas of sending me to some far away country, or having me discuss the gospel with a real live person (instead of just inviting them to church)—well, that was the beauty of the veto.

I became drawn to the description in Exodus 21:2-6 of God’s law demanding that masters of Hebrew slaves must, after seven years, give those slaves their freedom.  However, the freed slave had the option of choosing to stay with the master and remain in his service.  A pierced ear sealed the deal, and the relationship became forever.  What struck me was that the relationship between a master and a willing servant is not one-way.  Of course the servant must serve and obey the master completely.  However, the master also has responsibilities to care for the servant, be fair, and to provide for his needs.

I finally decided that being a “good-enough” Christian was lukewarm and worthless to God—he wants all of me.  So I decided to let go, and let him have everything (even *gulp* my veto power). 

Right around the time I was meditating on this, I was asked to speak at Bethlehem, and my knee-jerk reaction was, “no way!”  Instead, I sensed that God wanted me to do it.  It was the first test of the master/servant arrangement.  Even though I was terrified to speak in front of such a huge crowd, I told God, “Okay, you got me into this, it’s up to you to get me through it!  I am going to trust you.”  Guess what—I was completely calm!  I knew—knew—that God had my back.  I have no idea if people got anything out of my words that night, but I but I sure learned from the experience.

The Beautiful Paradox

It doesn’t make any sense, but since I took the final plunge in faith, I have never felt so free.  There’s a lightness to my heart—a restful confidence—that I never anticipated.  I finally get what Jesus means when he says, “If you want to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” (Luke 9:24 NLT).