Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks' wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church's inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite. What would grace be if it were not cheap?...
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought 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 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
Grace cost the life of the perfect Son of God. So, in no way can it be considered cheap.
The problem is that we have not grasped the difference between the NewBirth which brings EternalLife and Salvation of the Soul which brings AbundantLife.
Millions have been born of the Spirit by believing and confessing Christ Jesus as Saviour and Lord - that is EternalLife.
However, many of those millions have never come to be transformed by the renewing of their Minds. I.E. their Soul was never Saved - the Soul being the Mind and Emotions.
Without the renewing of our Minds the NewCreature (spirit) never manifests in how we think, how we speak or how we act.
So, there is nothing for the untransformed Christian to do except live out the OldMan.
Will such go to Hell? I do not believe so because the gift of God is EternalLife. However, they will be Saved as by fire - very little to show for a wasted life. Furthermore, they will have missed out on the Abundant Life in the flesh.
I believe the reason so many do not live out AbundantLife is that they have not been taught what being born of the Spirit means for this age.
They have only understood that they will not go to Hell, but rather Heaven WHEN THEY DIE.
What about the meantime?
They never were taught to see themselves as God's Word has called them - Sons of God - with His expectation of them to live a Glorious Life by the Power of His Spirit and the Authority of His Word.
The Mind can only be transformed by the Word and the Spirit.
How many Christians have never been Baptised in the HolySpirit?
How many Christians have never been taught to Pray in the Spirit?
How many Christians have not been taught that they are NOW Sons of God?
How many Christians have not been taught that they are Stewards of the Kingdom and expected to operate in the Gifts of thr Spirit as their Lord did?
So, we can criticize weak Christians for taking advantage of CheapGrace (watered down Christianity) or we can teach them the Word and raise their expectations.