--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jesus never concealed the fact that his…" description: "\"“Jesus never concealed the fact that his religion included a demand as well as an offer. Indeed, the demand was as total as the offer was free. If he o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/john-r-w-stott-15425_cheap-grace_jesus-never-concealed-the-fact-that-his_1001519.jpg" --- # Jesus never concealed the fact that his religion included… ![“Jesus never concealed the fact that his religion included a demand as well as an offer. Indeed, the demand was as total as the offer was free. If he offered men his salvation, he also demanded their submission. He gave no encouragement whatever to thoughtless applicants for discipleship. He…” quote by John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/john-r-w-stott-15425_cheap-grace_jesus-never-concealed-the-fact-that-his_1001519.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/john-r-w-stott-15425_cheap-grace_jesus-never-concealed-the-fact-that-his_1001519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82f/john-r-w-stott-15425_cheap-grace_jesus-never-concealed-the-fact-that-his_1001519.jpg) > ““Jesus never concealed the fact that his religion included a demand as well as an offer. Indeed, the demand was as total as the offer was free. If he offered men his salvation, he also demanded their submission. He gave no encouragement whatever to thoughtless applicants for discipleship. He brought no pressure to bear on any inquirer. He sent irresponsible enthusiasts away empty. Luke tells of three men who either volunteered, or were invited, to follow Jesus; but no one passed the Lord’s test. The rich young ruler, too, moral, earnest and attractive, who wanted eternal life on his own terms, went away sorrowful, with his riches intact but with neither life nor Christ as his possession…The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict, half built towers—the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people still ignore Christ’s warning and undertake to follow him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. The result is the great scandal of Christendom today, so called “nominal Christianity.” In countries to which Christian civilization has spread, large numbers of people have covered themselves with a decent, but thin, veneer of Christianity. They have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved, enough to be respectable but not enough to be uncomfortable. Their religion is a great, soft cushion. It protects them from the hard unpleasantness of life, while changing its place and shape to suit their convenience. No wonder the cynics speak of hypocrites in the church and dismiss religion as escapism…The message of Jesus was very different. He never lowered his standards or modified his conditions to make his call more readily acceptable. He asked his first disciples, and he has asked every disciple since, to give him their thoughtful and total commitment. Nothing less than this will do”” [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jesus demands total, thoughtful commitment; superficial faith leads to nominal Christianity. **In simple terms:** Jesus calls for full commitment. Key Takeaway Seek deep, authentic discipleship. Themes faith commitment authenticity Mood challenging reflective Type theological ethical When to use this quote - church leadership - personal evangelism - faith formation - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts theology spiritual discipline Questions to Reflect On - Are you willing to surrender fully? - What costs does true discipleship entail? A Different Perspective Hard standards may deter casual believers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asked Disciple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-disciple-762190/) [Asked Disciples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asked-disciples-2116175/) [Cheap grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheap-grace/) [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Cost-of-discipleship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-of-discipleship-38321/) [Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross/) [Disciples Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disciples-asked-2116174/) [Eternal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-life/) [Follow Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-jesus/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Message Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message-jesus-430570/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Salvation Demanded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation-demanded-2116173/) ## Related quotes > [“The Christian message has a moral challenge. If the message is true, the moral challenge has to be accepted. So God is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/the-christian-message-has-a-moral-challenge-if-the-message-is-true/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“It is now time for us to ask the personal question put to Jesus Christ by Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road, ‘What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/it-is-now-time-for-us-to-ask-the-personal-question-put-to-jesus/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“One late autumn night, the disciple awoke crying. So the master asked the disciple, "Did you have a nightmare?" "No." "Did you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-woo/one-late-autumn-night-the-disciple-awoke-crying-so-the-master-asked/) [Sun-Woo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-woo/) > [To a visitor who asked to become his disciple the Master said, "You may live with me, but don't become my follower." "Whom, then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/to-a-visitor-who-asked-to-become-his-disciple-the-master-said-you-may/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [The Lord Buddha was once asked by a disciple to sum up the whole of His teaching in one verse. He replied: Cease to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-e-powell/the-lord-buddha-was-once-asked-by-a-disciple-to-sum-up-the-whole-of/) [Arthur E. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-e-powell/) > [The Lord ate from a common bowl, and asked the disciples to sit on the grass. He washed their feet, with a towel wrapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-of-alexandria/the-lord-ate-from-a-common-bowl-and-asked-the-disciples-to-sit-on-the/) [Clement of Alexandria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-of-alexandria/) > [“God pushes us to offense—without explanation—and asks us the same question Jesus asked His disciples, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ And then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-m-smeltzer/god-pushes-us-to-offense-without-explanation-and-asks-us-the-same/) [Kristen M. Smeltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-m-smeltzer/) > [“This one thing, wait with me, was all Christ had asked the disciples to do for Him the night before He died, but even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jourdan/this-one-thing-wait-with-me-was-all-christ-had-asked-the-disciples-to/) [Carolyn Jourdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jourdan/) > [“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Matthew 16:13”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/when-jesus-came-to-the-region-of-caesarea-philippi-he-asked-his/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [“9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/9-and-when-his-disciples-asked-him-what-this-parable-meant-10-he-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, 'Master, who did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/and-as-jesus-passed-by-he-saw-a-man-which-was-blind-from-his-birth/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“17Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrickson-bibles/17then-jesus-went-into-a-house-to-get-away-from-the-crowd-and-his/) [Hendrickson Bibles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrickson-bibles/) > [And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/and-his-disciples-asked-him-saying-master-who-did-sin-this-man-or-his/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [Prayer is a form of communication between God and man and man and God... I am always impressed by the fact that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-thurman/prayer-is-a-form-of-communication-between-god-and-man-and-man-and-god/) [Howard Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-thurman/) > [“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/cheap-grace-is-the-preaching-of-forgiveness-without-requiring/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## More by John R.W. Stott > [“The gift of singleness is more a vocation than an empowerment, although to be sure God is faithful in supporting those He calls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/the-gift-of-singleness-is-more-a-vocation-than-an-empowerment/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“The New Testament uses five main Greek words for sin, which together portray its various aspects, both passive and active. The commonest is hamartia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/the-new-testament-uses-five-main-greek-words-for-sin-which-together/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“So then, according to Jesus, the ‘evils’ which we think, say and do are not due primarily to our environment, nor are they bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/so-then-according-to-jesus-the-evils-which-we-think-say-and-do-are/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“What God said to Abraham was not 'Obey this law and I will bless you', but 'I will bless you; believe my promise'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/what-god-said-to-abraham-was-not-obey-this-law-and-i-will-bless-you/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“Thomas Cranmer in his ‘Homily of Salvation’ explained that three things had to go together in our justification: on God’s part ‘his great mercy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/thomas-cranmer-in-his-homily-of-salvation-explained-that-three-things/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“We “receive the Spirit,” he insisted, not because of any good works of obedience that we may have done, but “by hearing with faith,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/we-receive-the-spirit-he-insisted-not-because-of-any-good-works-of/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“Nowadays the really great mind is thought to be both broad and open – broad enough to absorb every fresh idea which is presented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/nowadays-the-really-great-mind-is-thought-to-be-both-broad-and-open/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“The power to save lies in the one who is gazed upon, not the one who does the looking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/the-power-to-save-lies-in-the-one-who-is-gazed-upon-not-the-one-who/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“There is much shallowness and levity among us. Prophets and psalmists would probably say of us that ‘there is no fear of God before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/there-is-much-shallowness-and-levity-among-us-prophets-and-psalmists/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“To say that somebody ‘is not responsible for his actions’ is to demean him or her as a human being. It is part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/to-say-that-somebody-is-not-responsible-for-his-actions-is-to-demean/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“It is that the promise of the “gift” or “baptism” of the Spirit is to as many as the Lord our God calls. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/it-is-that-the-promise-of-the-gift-or-baptism-of-the-spirit-is-to-as/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“We state and commend the faith only in so far as we go out and put ourselves inside the doubts of the doubters, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/we-state-and-commend-the-faith-only-in-so-far-as-we-go-out-and-put/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“Perhaps it is a deep-seated reluctance to face up to the gravity of sin which has led to its omission from the vocabulary of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/perhaps-it-is-a-deep-seated-reluctance-to-face-up-to-the-gravity-of/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“To love the glory of God more than our own glory is also to seek approval from God rather than other people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/to-love-the-glory-of-god-more-than-our-own-glory-is-also-to-seek/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) > [“For ‘worship’ is an abbreviation of ‘worthship’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-w-stott/for-worship-is-an-abbreviation-of-worthship/) [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) [Explore all 42 John R.W. Stott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) ## More Cheap grace quotes > [“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/cheap-grace-is-the-preaching-of-forgiveness-without-requiring/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Cheap grace replaces truth with tolerance, lowering the bar so everyone can jump over it and we can all feel good about ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/cheap-grace-replaces-truth-with-tolerance-lowering-the-bar-so/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/cheap-grace-is-the-grace-we-bestow-on-ourselves-cheap-grace-is-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/the-word-of-cheap-grace-has-been-the-ruin-of-more-christians-than-any/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Where are the people today who will respond to the call of Christ? Have we become so accustomed to “cheap grace” that we instinctively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/where-are-the-people-today-who-will-respond-to-the-call-of-christ/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/costly-grace-is-the-gospel-which-must-be-sought-again-and-again-the/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Christ did not suffer and die to offer cheap grace. Jesus did not go willingly to the cross so we could have an easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/christ-did-not-suffer-and-die-to-offer-cheap-grace-jesus-did-not-go/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Do not think that your crying and complaints can force Jesus to become sentimental and then give Himself out so cheaply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/do-not-think-that-your-crying-and-complaints-can-force-jesus-to/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) > [Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. We are fighting today for costly grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/cheap-grace-is-the-deadly-enemy-of-our-church-we-are-fighting-today/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [We have suffered from the preaching of cheap grace. Grace is free, but it is not cheap. People will take anything that is free,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/we-have-suffered-from-the-preaching-of-cheap-grace-grace-is-free-but/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [Cheap grace is grace without discipleship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/cheap-grace-is-grace-without-discipleship/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/cheap-grace-means-grace-as-a-doctrine-a-principle-a-system-it-means/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“If Roman Catholic Christianity has always struggled with the threat of works righteousness, Reformed Protestantism has always struggled with the threat of cheap grace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-t-smith/if-roman-catholic-christianity-has-always-struggled-with-the-threat/) [Gordon T. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-t-smith/) > [My yoke is easy, and my burden light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-boniface/my-yoke-is-easy-and-my-burden-light/) [Saint Boniface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-boniface/) > [“...do we realize that this cheap grace has turned back upon us like a boomerang? The price we are having to pay today in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/do-we-realize-that-this-cheap-grace-has-turned-back-upon-us-like-a/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) [Browse all 22 Cheap grace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheap-grace/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Jesus never concealed the fact that his religion included a demand as well as an offer. Indeed, the demand was as total as the offer was free. If he offered men his salvation, he also demanded their submission. He gave no encouragement whatever to thoughtless applicants for discipleship. He brought no pressure to bear on any inquirer. He sent irresponsible enthusiasts away empty. Luke tells of three men who either volunteered, or were invited, to follow Jesus; but no one passed the Lord’s test. The rich young ruler, too, moral, earnest and attractive, who wanted eternal life on his own terms, went away sorrowful, with his riches intact but with neither life nor Christ as his possession…The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict, half built towers—the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people still ignore Christ’s warning and undertake to follow him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. The result is the great scandal of Christendom today, so called “nominal Christianity.” In countries to which Christian civilization has spread, large numbers of people have covered themselves with a decent, but thin, veneer of Christianity. They have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved, enough to be respectable but not enough to be uncomfortable. Their religion is a great, soft cushion. It protects them from the hard unpleasantness of life, while changing its place and shape to suit their convenience. No wonder the cynics speak of hypocrites in the church and dismiss religion as escapism…The message of Jesus was very different. He never lowered his standards or modified his conditions to make his call more readily acceptable. He asked his first disciples, and he has asked every disciple since, to give him their thoughtful and total commitment. Nothing less than this will do”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John R.W. 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