Echoes

I think the author really nailed it quite well in this chapter. The hope of God, the grace of God, was indeed costly - it cost the life of His Son. My goodness, there are so many, many rich verses that tell of the hope found only in our Lord. The assurance and comfort found in those truths are enough to give us the ability to put one foot in front of the other during times we just don't think we can carry on. His grace is sufficient to give us the strength to persevere. Thanks be to Him who continues to pursue us in our sin and rebellion!

I love how Jesus is foreshadowed in the Old Testament. They had the promise of the coming Messiah, and we have the promise of His second coming. It's quite overwhelming when you really think about it. :)

One more thing about things being costly. The Christian life is costly as well. We were bought with a price; we are not our own. In order to follow Him, we must pick up our cross. We are to be holy as He is holy. We're expected to live a life in obedience to Him. In the same way we've probably all been guilty of offering people cheap hope (like the author), we've probably as well lived under cheap grace. I know I've been guilty of following through with sin and rebellion, knowing in the back of my mind that God's forgiveness and grace covers me. But Paul says, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!" Again, thankfully, He is bigger and more powerful than me, and when my will runs up against His, His wins out. :)

Anyway, this was a really good chapter.