More from Bonhoeffer: Cheap Grace vs. Costly Grace

from The Cost of Discipleship....

[Cheap Grace]  "in such a church the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any desire to be delivered from sin.  Cheap grace therefore ammounts to denial of the living Word of God, in fact, a denial of the incarnation of the Word of God. [The Word became flesh and dwelt among us-John 1:14]
Cheap grace means the justificaiton of sin without the justification of the sinner.  Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before....Yet it is imperative for the Christian to...distinguish his life from the life of the world.  "Instead of following Christ, let the Christian enjoy the consolations of his grace!"  That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which ammounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs.  Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin.  Cheap grace is grace that we bestow on ourselves.
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Holy Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
[In opposition to this] costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all he has[MT 13:44]  It is the pearl of great price to buy, which the merchant will sell all his goods. [MT 13:45-46] It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble [MT 18:9]; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him [MT 4:18-22].
Costly grace is the gospel, which must be sought again and again, the gift whiwch must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock [MT 7:7-8].
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.   It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.  It is costly because it condemns sin, but it is grace because it justifies the sinner.  Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His only Son.  "You were bought at a price" [I COR 6:19b-20a].

The Cost of Discipleship was published in 1937.  It was the most radical work of Bonhoeffer to appear during his lifetime. His concern here was not only the idolatrous nature of the Nazi state, but the deadly compromises of the so-called German Christians who substituted loyalty to the Reich for obedience to the cross.

Thanks for reading and God bless!