Ever heard of “cheap grace”? It is a term thrown around in Christian circles that refers to someone who claims to be a Christian but their live style tells a different story. We all sin somewhat but these folks don’t seem to restrain themselves one bit. Well, perhaps a little bit but not enough in our minds and in the minds of most other Christians. We think that if they are really saved it barely shows. And we think that they are in the danger zone, that if they already haven’t been thrown into the cheap grace dumpster they are pretty darn close.

So what exactly is cheap grace and how do we know we are not one of “them”? It is kinda important question because we don’t want to be found there when Christ comes back for us, either in this life or after our death.

There are some acid tests that we can find in the Bible that will show whether we pass the test or not. Kind of like the chemist who puts a certain chemical in a vial then adds something else to it and he/she waits to see if there is a change, maybe the solution will change colors indicating it is or isn’t what they suspected. “Aha”, they will say, “the solution turned blue! That is sure evidence that the piece of candy we put in there has sugar in it.”

I am gonna stick to 1John for this paper because it has a lot of “ifs” in it. When a writer uses the “if, then” thngy he/she is testing something. In 1John we are taking a test to see whether you are on the right path and whether you are heading for future salvation, pray to God you pass these tests.

Notice I said future salvation, I say this because I believe that even the cheap gracers have had a salvation experience. I mean to say that God has made it very easy for us to be saved. Think about your own salvation experience, was it easy or hard? Some folks struggle with making the decision to be a disciple or not but once you made up your mind it was just a matter of repeating the sinners prayer with someone or even in the confines of your own bedroom you said a sincere prayer to Jesus Christ and you are in, just like that.

So to me salvation is a two step operation. Step one the sinners prayer and we should include our baptism, step two submiting to the sanctification process of the Holy Spirit, both steps have to be performed. If you think this is works righteousness, well let us take a look at what you believe.

You believe that salvation is a one step operation. And I can understand why you believe that, it is because that is what you were taught. Everybody teaches that, there is no way to get around it. Okay, I will go with what you believe, one step it is, for the purposes of this post.

Those of you who believe that salvation is a one step operation you also believe that there is such a thing as cheap grace, right? Good, then we have common ground to talk about. You would say that the cheap graccer was never ever saved, I would say he/she never completed the second step in salvation. Ether way that person ends up in the cheap grace dumpster that the Lord Almighty will set on fire on judgement day.

Lets us now examine ourselves to be sure that we are not also one of those in the dumpster box.

 1John1:6 says, “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” 

Notice he started the sentence with “if”, he also uses the words, whoever, anyone, no one, and everyone, a lot.

1Jn2:3 “We know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.”

2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

2:9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.

2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

3:11 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

3:6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or know him.

3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

3:15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

1Jn5:2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. Vs3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome…

1Jn5:4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that overcomes has overcome the world, even our faith.

1Jn5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin….

Okay, did you submit yourself to the acid test of 1John? And how did you do? You failed you say, you really truly honestly sincerely failed? Congratulations for you, being the hypocrite that you are, after looking down on your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and accusing them of being cheap gracers, now you find yourself also thrown into the cheap grace dumpster. Now all you have to do is wait, wait until Christ comes back and watch the dumpster go up in smoke, or wait until you die and suffer the exact same fate. I suggest you make some changes.