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Cheap Grace or Active Faith
Lori Gracey
As the head of the Confessing Church in Germany during WWII, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote The Cost of Discipleship in which he issued the challenge - When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. Bonhoeffer truly lived this challenge as he was martyred for his faith. He was not willing to take the stance of the silent majority who refused to recognize and vocally stand in opposition to the advancing tide of death wrought by the National Socialist Party (Nazis). Today, we face a hauntingly similar challenge.
The doctrine of cheap grace requires nothing of a person except lip service. Active faith stands solidly for the Truth of God's Word regardless of the consequences. Which have you chosen? Have you complied with the restraining order of the culture to remain silent and passive, or are you takinge an active and vocal stance for Christ and God's Word? We must each one search our hearts and do our part with a clear conscience before our Lord and Savior.
Acts 4:19-20
Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.
Right now in the United States of America, its citizens face the same challenge the citizens of Germany faced in the ‘30s & ‘40s. Will we stand vocally in opposition to the powers within our government that seek to remove the Judeo-Christian foundation upon which this nation was established? Will we vocally and actively oppose legislation that seeks to remove freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, freedom to bear arms, freedom to choose life and so much more? Will we choose to remain silent and supposedly safe instead of standing firmly for Truth and Freedom in spite of the consequences?
Revelation 12:11
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
I encourage you to take time and read the recent three part article posted by Bodie & Brock Thoene on their website, ThoeneBooks. Bodie has titled the series, One Minute to Midnight. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must be active watchmen on the walls, paying attention to what is happening in our world so that we can stand against the encroaching evil not only in our own nation but in Israel and around the globe.
Please watch an pray and take a stand. Do not lightly dismiss these warning. As Bodie writes, and Bonhoeffer warned, we must not stay silent; we must not fail to act. We must learn the facts of history, know Whom we have believed in and stand vocally for the Truth of God’s word. Truly God has set before us life and death. It is our responsibility to choose life.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
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