Dear Family and Friends,

I think we would all agree that most teenagers need a little ‘tough love’ once in a while. Would you agree that regardless of our spiritual season, the same goes for us? That we could all use a little tough love once in a while. Well, today is that day for us. 

Have you ever had a time in your walk with Jesus when you came to a complete stop? Maybe the church thing got overly tiring. Or you’re feeling a bit too lazy to pick up your Bible or attend the class you signed up for? Or perhaps you are like me and put less to no effort into following the tougher teachings of Jesus.

Whatever the reason, if we are being honest, I bet we all have had those times when our faith walk slowed or momentarily came to a stop.

Last week, we talked about being disobedient. In case you are trying to remember when I used such a strong word, I didn’t.

But isn’t that precisely what we are when we decide to not follow all the wishes of Jesus? John 8:31 reads, “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.” 

Note that Jesus said my teachings – not some of my teachings – not the teachings you like or the ones that are easy. 

Now check out the definition of the word disobedient: The failure or refusal to obey rules or someone in authority. Ouch.

Let’s look at a few reasons why we don’t always obey Jesus.

To simplify our discussion, I categorized the reasons into three “C’s,” Complacency, Consequence and Confidence.

According to Merriam-Webster, Complacency means self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual danger or deficiencies.

Consequence means the result or effect of an action or inaction. Confidence means the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something.

Another appropriate word for confidence would be trust. All three C’s are interrelated. Think of them as facets of disobedience.

Today we will focus on complacency.

Complacent Christians are ones who are unwilling to make the big changes in their life. They live an almost dual life, fitting in with believers and non-believers alike. They go to church but beyond that, put little to no effort into growing their faith. They may have started their walk well, by obeying the easier teachings of Jesus.

But the harder ones that require time or effort or sacrifice of lifestyle have been deferred.

I wonder if any of you are like me and struggle with the really tough teachings of Jesus – like judging others and pride.

My dilemma is that the two are interrelated. Judging others stems from a prideful heart. But when I get my pride in check and stop judging, I find myself getting prideful again – about not judging. Ugh. I can’t remember how many times I’ve told myself I have to work on these, and then forgot about it. 

Complacency slows us from fighting the good fight we talked about last week. Complacency has us settle in instead, living the same way the world does, in our old ways, not venturing to live the full life following Jesus. 

I would say that for many, complacency stems from a misguided understanding of the Gospel.

It comes from having a narrow view of the Good News Jesus declared.

The complacent believes Christianity is only about the forgiveness of sins and salvation after death. That the very well known verse, John 3:16, pretty much sums up all that needs to be done to be a good Christian – whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Allow me to borrow a bit from a book called The Cost of Discipleship, written by a martyr named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He talks about that narrowed view that many believe to be the Gospel.

He called it cheap grace.

Jesus came to pay for the bills of our sins in advance for all time. We cheapen grace when we raise our hands to cover up all our sins, without having true remorse, nor fully considering the cost of the grace received.

This cheapened view of grace and the Gospel leaves the complacent with no desire, no motivation, to be set free of their sins. The complacent, with this view that grace alone does everything and matters only when we die and go to Heaven, is self-satisfied in a life of old ways. All the while asking themselves – why bother following Jesus? 

Bonhoeffer makes this final declaration, “Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the living, incarnate Jesus Christ,” which sums up the main points of this passage from 1 Peter. Here, Peter urges us to not be conformed to our old ways. To be holy in all our behavior. 

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16

Let me begin to close with what grace really is.

Grace was, and is, not cheap.

The truth is grace was, and is, costly. This continuation of the passage from 1 Peter explains why grace was costly.

“If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1:17-21

Peter reminds us that our grace did indeed come at a cost. We were bought with a price. The grace we received cost God the life of His Son. 

Now let me ask you, if grace was so costly to God, shouldn’t it be costly to us as well?

Shouldn’t we, with grateful hearts, be willing to sacrifice more of our numbered days here on earth for those uncountable days with Jesus?

Grace calls us to change our life, to follow Jesus, to be His disciples, to grow to be like Christ. Grace calls us to give up, turn around and walk away from our old lives in exchange for the new.

I leave you with this: Our God is a patient God who is willing to wait. 2 Peter 3:9 says this, “…he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

So, if you are concerned about your faith walk, take heart for Jesus is patient.

In love always,