The conundrum of grace, Part I

First let’s define terms. What do you think of when you hear the word conundrum? I think conundrum aptly describes what I want to communicate about grace. Or rather, what theologians in centuries past have already thought, studied, and written about grace. A conundrum is a difficult, almost intractable problem–like a riddle. Merriam-Webster defines conundrum as an intricate and difficult problem, and synonyms include enigma, mystery, puzzle, and riddle.

Now that we know what conundrum means, how shall we define grace? As a teacher, I have a classroom example. If a student is earning a B, and I award the student an A… that’s grace. The student didn’t earn the grade of A, and doesn’t deserve the A. So the student is getting what she or he does not deserve–something good.

How does the bible define grace? Here are a few different versions of Ephesians 2:8, one of the seminal verses on grace.

New International Version
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–

New Living Translation
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

English Standard Version
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

These basic truths shine through–

• grace is a gift;
• grace is from God;
• God is the author of grace;
• God’s grace is at work through our faith;
• we can’t earn grace;
• we can’t take credit for grace;
• we didn’t do anything to deserve grace.

When Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg Door in 1517, he was protesting the use of indulgences, the idea that one could buy remission from punishment of God. This idea was anathema to Martin Luther. Grace could not be bought, nor offered by priests or the pope. Grace comes only from God, and it is free.

Here is small sampling of Luther’s theses:

33. Men must especially be on guard against those who say that the pope’s pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to him.

43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better deed than he who buys indulgences.

62. The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.

Grace is free, so any attempt by a priest (or the pope) to persuade Christians to purchase an indulgence denies the power of the grace of God.

Grace is free, but it’s also costly. Therein lies one part of the conundrum. It is free for us, costly for Christ. We joyfully received God’s grace; Jesus suffered and died so we could be forgiven.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about Cheap Grace and Costly Grace in his powerful book, The Cost of Discipleship. As I understand it, he points out that grace is not given to us so we can go about our lives, live in the world and resemble the world, relying on God’s grace to save us and forgive us. Bonhoeffer states “cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance…” If grace alone can save us, not our works, then — the argument goes — we don’t need to do anything. We can live as we please, and sin, and God’s grace will still be extended to us. This kind of thinking perverts the grace of God. As Paul writes in Romans 6:1:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

NO! May it never be! That is the literal meaning of the Greek in Romans 6:2, “Certainly not.”

Grace is not an invitation to sin. Grace is an invitation to follow Christ, even unto death. Grace is costly.

In my next post I’ll delve more deeply into Bonhoeffer’s ideas about costly grace.

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