If we want to have His grace, live it

In today's society, we want to make things easy. An example of this is the development of technology in the last 10 years.

It has been phenomenal and has eased our communication burdens in so many ways. It would be nice if we could simplify everything in our lives and make it easy. But we all know that is not our reality.

Being a Christian is not easy because it calls for us to be accountable for our choices. The bible tells us that salvation (the grace of God) and eternal life are free gifts (John 3:16 and Romans 10:9) but it also states that Salvation is a call to discipleship.

We have the responsibility of taking God's word to people who haven't heard it and to set an example for others. That means responsibility. We can't just sit around and say that Jesus is our Lord. We need to follow our Lord's instructions.

This is not a new concept. In 1937, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book called "The Cost of Discipleship".

"Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves," he wrote. "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession...Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."

It isn't easy to side with Jesus. It takes work and dedication. You have to think about what you do. You have to learn everything you can about God. We all know that no one can learn everything about God, but you can move yourself and others along in a faith journey.

Salvation and obedience go hand in hand. In Matthew 4:17, it says, "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." Repent means making a change.

If you have bad habits, let them go. If you eat the wrong things and destroy your body, change your diet. If you are mean or unjust to others in any way, stop what you are doing.

In other words, let go of your sinful nature. Take on the nature of Christ and practice love and justice.

This does not mean to become a zealot and preach on street corners. It means to seek God in everything. If you see a need in the people around you, find ways to meet that need.

You can give monetary resources to worthy causes. They don't need to be "Christian" causes, but they do need to be legitimate and organized.

Do your research and find organizations that are really doing something good in our world. Don't be naive about your giving.

If discipleship were easy, everyone would jump on board, but it isn't. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be a disciple of Christ.

As you work for God, you will experience the wonders of his Love. Your life will change in exciting and miraculous ways that you could never imagine. Remember you are not negotiating with God for your Salvation, but you are transforming for Him.

Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, is not much more than saying "I believe Jesus is Lord," and, as Bonhoeffer says, there is nothing cheap about it.