Electricurrent Blog

It's Easter again and at this time, my mind goes to John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."

It's a verse that challenges the modern perspective on love as something convenient and somehow, wholly dependent on how you feel. It's a verse that speaks about the cost of love and points to the greatest of all love that Jesus clearly demonstrated that He has for us - because he laid down his life for us…his friends.

And that's the other thing that gets me. Me…friends with God. There is something liberating about that. But there is also a weight that accompanies it because of who it brings me into friendship with and the cost it took to obtain that for me.

[Costly 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.

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

On behalf of the whole team here, we wish you a blessed time of reflection on that costly grace this Easter.

It's Easter again and at this time, my mind goes to John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."

It's a verse that challenges the modern perspective on love as something convenient and somehow, wholly dependent on how you feel. It's a verse that speaks about the cost of love and points to the greatest of all love that Jesus clearly demonstrated that He has for us - because he laid down his life for us…his friends.

And that's the other thing that gets me. Me…friends with God. There is something liberating about that. But there is also a weight that accompanies it because of who it brings me into friendship with and the cost it took to obtain that for me.

[Costly 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.

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

On behalf of the whole team here, we wish you a blessed time of reflection on that costly grace this Easter.