Church Blog

Robin’s Message on the Beatitudes

June 25 2012 at 8:03 pm 0 Comments

Robin Boisvert preached on Sunday from Matthew 5:1-12, the very familiar opening of what we know as “The Sermon on the Mount.” The passage contains Jesus’ authoritative teaching about the way believers should live as members of the kingdom of heaven.

At the end of his message Robin shared this quote from “The Cost of Discipleship” by pastor, theologian and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.  It is the pearl of great price to buy for which the merchant will sell all his goods.  It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

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, and grace because it justifies the sinner.  Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.  Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.

Costly grace is the incarnation of God.

Robin also recommended the book, The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World, by Sinclair Ferguson. It’s available in the church bookstore.

Audio and an outline are available in the Resource Library.





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