We are fighting today for costly grace...

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Protestant theologian who opposed Hitler and was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate him. He loved Jesus and the movie shows how that love would not let him close his eyes to the evil as so many others in his position. His resistance cost him his own life in the last days of the Nazi regime. "He courageously denounced Hitler's anti-Semitic agenda and urged Germany's Christian churches to defend the Jews in their hour of need. He conducted his often lonely mission in the name of Christian morality while many others made an expedient peace with the Nazis."

I loved watching how God orchestrated his early events, schooling and experiences to prepare him to recognize the evil in his time.

In his book "The cost of Discipleship" bonhoeffer writes,

"Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. We are fighting today for costly grace...

Cheap 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. Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner.

In Cheap Grace...Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before... the world goes on in the same old way... Well, then, let the Christian live like the rest of the world, let him model himself on the world's standards in every sphere of life, and not presumptuously aspire to live a different life under grace from his old life under sin... Let the christian beware of rebelling against the free and boundless grace of God... Let him not attempt to erect a new religion of the letter by endeavoring to live a fife of obedience to the commandments of Jesus Christ! The world has been justified by grace. Therefore - let him live like the rest of the world! ... Let him be comforted and rest assured in his possession of this grace - for grace alone does everything. Instead of following Christ, let the Christian enjoy the consolations of his grace! That is what we mean by Cheap Grace!

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 gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. ...

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 condemn sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of 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."

PS... I don't think we should assassinate people :)