Written by Dr. Kiefer Likens, Th.D.
Introduction: The Bargain Bin Gospel
Let’s be honest—modern evangelicalism is the dollar store of theology. Everything’s plastic, flimsy, and wrapped in sentimental slogans. Churches market salvation like a discount gym membership: low commitment, easy sign-up, and nobody checks if you ever show up again.
We’ve taken the cross of Christ—blood-drenched, wrath-satisfying, sin-annihilating—and shrink-wrapped it with consumer branding. Grace is no longer a miracle of divine mercy; it’s a punchline in a 3-point sermon with a title like “God’s Got This.”
But biblical grace? It’s not cheap. It’s not easy. It cost the Son of God His life. And the Church—God’s chosen instrument to administer that grace—isn’t a side hustle. It’s the household of God. It’s the bride of Christ. It’s the embassy of heaven. And it matters.
Let’s tear down the bargain-bin gospel and return to the bloody, glorious, costly grace revealed in Scripture.
1. The Cost of Real Grace (Romans 3:21–26)
“[God] put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Rom. 3:25)
Let’s stop pretending grace is God winking at sin. It’s not divine leniency. It’s not God lowering the bar so we can crawl over. It’s the full fury of God’s justice poured out on the perfect substitute—so that He might be just and the justifier(Rom. 3:26).
Grace doesn’t ignore sin. Grace absorbs it—at Calvary. That’s why you can’t earn it, and you sure can’t improve on it. If you think your sincerity, your prayer, or your spiritual epiphany “sealed the deal,” you’ve misunderstood the whole thing.
Salvation is God’s unilateral act. Period.
2. The Church Isn’t a Stage, It’s a Steward (1 Timothy 3:15)
“…the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
The church is not a theater. It’s not a venue. It’s not an emotional support group for vaguely spiritual people who want their life to improve. The Church is God’s house. It exists to guard the truth, proclaim the gospel, and administer the means of grace.
You can’t love Jesus and ignore His bride. You can’t follow Christ and ghost His body. The Church isn’t a service provider—it’s your spiritual mother (Gal. 4:26). She doesn’t cater to your preferences. She feeds your soul.
So why do people church hop like they’re picking brunch spots? Because they’ve bought the lie that grace is about preference, not perseverance.
3. Diet Christianity: Why Light Shows Starve Your Soul (Acts 2:42)
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Let me be clear: your favorite worship song cannot replace the sacraments. Your favorite preacher’s podcast cannot replace the local pulpit. Your devotionals cannot replace the Lord’s Day.
Grace comes through the ordinary means: Word, sacrament, prayer. Not through feelings, ambiance, or aesthetic. That’s why churches that center on spectacle eventually leave people spiritually anemic. They’re feeding folks cotton candy and wondering why nobody’s growing in holiness.
4. Why the Local Church is God’s Delivery System for Grace (Ephesians 4:11–16)
God gave pastors and teachers to equip the saints. Not influencers. Not conference speakers. Pastors. And where do they labor? In local churches.
Want to grow in grace? Then plant your backside in a pew. Under the Word. Among the saints. With regular prayer and the Table.
Because here’s the secret modern evangelicalism doesn’t want you to hear: spiritual maturity is slow. It happens in ordinary weeks, with ordinary sermons, in an ordinary church where God shows up in extraordinary grace.
5. Church Is Not Optional, It’s Covenant (Hebrews 10:24–25)
“…not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.”
We treat church like a gym membership—we use it until we’re bored, offended, or tired. But in the Bible, the church is covenant community. Bound by blood. Bought by Christ. Marked by endurance.
Skipping church isn’t harmless—it’s spiritual negligence. The longer you’re away from the means of grace, the more susceptible you become to spiritual malnourishment and Satan’s schemes.
The High Price of Free Grace
Salvation is free. But it cost Christ everything. And it is delivered to you through a costly, inconvenient, glorious institution: the local church.
Grace doesn’t come by playlists and quiet walks in nature. It comes by God’s design: through the Word preached, the sacraments administered, and the prayers of the saints.
If you think you can have Christ without His Church, you don’t understand Christ.
So ditch the bargain-bin gospel. Come back to the Church. Come back to the blood. Come back to grace—the costly, rich, saving grace of God.
Dr. Kiefer Likens, Th.D. is a Reformed pastor, author, and creative director based in Texas. He leads Redemption Ranch, a church committed to Scripture-centered worship, and holds a doctorate in Biblical Exposition. Kiefer is the author of For Christ and Covenant and Measured by Grace, blending deep theology with pastoral insight. He also runs a creative agency, specializing in design, branding, and web development.
