Scripture Text: Galatians 1:8

8 "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!"- Gal 1:8 NIV

Preaching without any Gospel content is simply cheap grace.

These days, many preachers, pastors and evangelists have turned preaching to mere entertainment with the absence of Biblical content. Sometimes ago, there was a church who did a street dance evangelism. They dance! dance!! dance!!! and said to their audience "Jesus died for you- just pick up a booklet". What a cheap grace! This was saddening because there was no single content of the Gospel of Christ to their audience, it was pure entertainment.

There is now a compromise of the Gospel just to keep a crowd. Many churches and evangelists have resorted to false Gospel while the reality of the real Gospel is misrepresented. Preaching and one-to-one evangelism is weak and this is becoming more and more paramount.

The term "cheap grace" was coined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book The Cost of Discipleship, published in 1937. In that book, Bonhoeffer defined "cheap grace" as "the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communication without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the Cross, grace without Jesus Christ. Grace being sold in the market like a cheap jacket".

We must keep our Gospel content tight, undiluted, endeavour to communicate with Biblical facts and not compromise the Truth for the sake of the audience.

How Do We Avoid Cheap Grace?

Cheap grace can also be called LCD (Lower Commonism Denomination) Gospel, easy believism and must be avoided.

1. We should based our preaching on the Truth. For instance, we can preach the Gospel by telling the audience Biblical story about the "Thief on the Cross". Jesus' promise to the thief on the cross depicts forgiveness of sin, death, resurrection and incarnation of the dead, as well as Paradise (Luke 23:43). Our preaching must be intellect bu has to leads people's heart to Jesus Christ.

2. We must reach the cause of the problem. The root and fruit of sin and how to avoid it (Gen 3).

3. All our preachings must lead to the Cross where Jesus died and resurrection in after-life by the Power of God. We must let them know that Heaven is real and Hell is real. Jesus was a dying man but also regarded as the "King" at the Cross- He is the King of kings.

4. The Gospel must not be preached only for discussions, considerations or deliberations, it must be for decisions. You must present the Message of Christ to people with the tone of urgency to the matter at hand, for tomorrow may be too late.

5. Let your Gospel reveal that the only way man can have access to God is through Jesus Christ alone- the Way, the Truth and the Life.

6. Preach "costly grace" rather than "cheap grace"! Let your audience know that it cost Jesus Christ His life to give us His grace. It was not a grace cheaply given, someone had to die and that was God's only Son! The grace came with a great price- shedding of the Blood of Jesus! Costly grace is all about being a disciple of Christ, leaving all to follow Him. There's always a sacrifice made in "costly grace".
As opposed costly grace, the danger of "cheap grace" is that it misleads people. People will think they are on the right path with God when they are actually treading the path of destruction and eternal damnation.

7. Preach to press Christ on people and make them decide on that spot. Rather cut off your right hand than letting a sinner escape repentance!

Conclusively, let's avoid cheap grace and embrace God's "Amazing Grace"- oh! How sweet the sound!

God bless you.

If you would like to give your life to Christ, just say this short prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I come to You now, come into my life, take control of my life and change my world. I say bye-bye to the devil, I enter into the Kingdom of Light. Thank You Jesus, for in Jesus' name I pray, amen"!

Congratulations!!!

Peace!

Ref: OACMinistriesUK