Cheap grace and Mardi Gras

From the message: "Count on it. The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash -- a black day." -- Malachi 4

Seems like we forget from time to time the seriousness of sin.

1 John said it best, perhaps: "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts."

Way, way back at the beginning of my ministry, a mentor told me to read a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He wrote of this sin phenomena, "Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession...Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

Today, on what is known around this state I'm in, is Fat Tuesday. We've come, in this neighborhood, to think of this day, this Mardi Gras day, as one we can do just about anything and then tomorrow, on Ash Wednesday, we can simply wash it away.

We can eat, drink and be emboldened to be merry.

I wonder if God sees it the same way?

Father, keep us all safe today. Keep our lives focused on you and not on merriness. Let us have the joy you give and less us turn no where else. You, oh creator, are all we need.
Amen