Cheapening The Grace Of God?

The concept of cheapening grace is a man-made one. Cheap grace is the name used by some to describe people who accept the grace of God for their salvation but then don’t appear to pay any of the “costs” associated with it. In their view, a person who is really saved will give evidence of it through repentance, which they incorrectly define as a change in behavior, and holy living. They say people who fail to manifest this behavior are cheapening the grace of God.

But the Bible doesn’t support this idea. It says the gift of salvation is free for the asking, requiring only that we accept it (Ephes. 2:8-9). The Greek word in the Bible translated repent means to change one’s mind. It refers to the change of mind everyone goes through in the process of becoming a believer. It concerns redefining the nature of his or her behavior as sinful and admitting to the need for a Savior. Therefore when someone becomes a believer the repentance has already taken place.

After one is saved, the Holy Spirit will prompt certain behavioral changes while performing His regenerative work. This lifelong process will happen in different ways and at different times for every believer. But it’s not connected with a person’s salvation, other than to follow it.

God knew every sin of our life before we committed any of them and forgave them all at the cross (Colossians 2:13-14). Then He gave us the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (which is eternal life) before we had done anything, good or bad, as a believer (Ephes. 1:13-14). Therefore grace cannot be cheapened because it was a free gift given without condition or expectation.