Cheap grace?

Is "changing" a requirement for new (or old) believers? As Christians, we can get trapped into thinking that we can "do" things in order to become "better" Christians. I was sucked into that religious vortex for years and, at times, I slip off the ledge of grace and fall into a religious mindset that is filled with requirements that, if achieved, get me closer to God. If I fail, God stays distant.

Jesus preached against this line of thinking. He used Pharisees to make his point and legalists are still hard at work trying to sabotage the message of grace. In his preaching premiere, Jesus offered a new way of thinking. He offered a series of comparisons - old laws vs new life...

You've heard it said that you should dedicate yourself to God and do your best if you want to be a good Christian, but He says unto you that you must deny yourself (Matthew 16:24) and realize that if your best was enough His death would have been in vain. (Galatians 2:21)

You've heard it said that you should constantly examine yourself to see if there is any sin in your life, but He says to you that when you understand the finished work of the cross and that you have been perfectly cleansed by His blood, you'll stop even thinking about sins. (Hebrews 10:1-2) When (not if) we sin, there is an opportunity to remind ourselves of how much He loves us and that He wants to walk with us through life's sin struggles - those times we say that we are God and He is not.

You've heard it said that it is hard to live the Christian life and that it takes serious commitment to stand against the world, but He says that if you love Him you will keep His commandments and it won't even be a struggle. (John 14:15 and 1 John 5:3)

You've heard it said that you need to change things about yourself if you really want to be a good Christian, but He says that it isn't possible for you to change yourself and that He will take care of any changes in you that need to be made. (Philippians 1:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Is this "cheap grace"? Are we (as a church) missing something? Are we being too easy on people? I've found that the only people who say I promote a "sin for free" pass are believers. My experience is that new travelers on the grace journey don't look for ways to sin without consequences. They revel in the opportunity to live in the acknowledgment of His love, grace, and mercy. If people want to call that "cheap grace", so be it. Again, I don't worry that we're preaching about grace too much. I worry that we don't teach about grace enough.

Live in His promise of a life more abundant!