Daily Devotions

Dietrich Bonhoeffer continues, “Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. 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 us the only true life.”

In the 14th verse of John's first chapter we come across the words “full of grace and truth” referring to Jesus incarnation. The Message paraphrases this verse as, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”

For Jesus, again and again we find the true cost of his gracious love as defined  in Philippians 2:7-8 as, “He emptied Himself, having taken the form of a slave, having come in the likeness of humans And having been found as a man in outward appearance, He humbled Himself, having become obedient to the point of death— and a death of a cross!”

We’ll never be able to humble ourselves as much as Jesus did. But because he emptied himself, as we grow in his likeness, we too can grow in humility and servanthood. Our old self, marked by pride and ambition, recedes in the background as we increasingly exude gentleness and humility.

This is what Paul meant that through the costly grace of Jesus he was able to write, “if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Earlier in our devotions I shared the poetry of John Gowans, perhaps this simple verse is one that we call can say because of the costly grace of Jesus Christ.

To be like Jesus!

This hope possesses me;

In every thought and deed,

This is my aim, my creed;

To be like Jesus!

This hope possesses me;

His Spirit helping me,

Like Him I’ll be. Amen