Make This Count
“Earn this. Earn it.” The dying words of Tom Hanks’ character in Saving Private Ryan reflected the depth of sacrifice required to save the life of the title character. For those unfamiliar with the movie, it depicts the journey of 8 American soldiers during WW2, dispatched to “save” Private Ryan. His three brothers had been killed in combat and to prevent his mother from losing all of her sons to war, the Army determined to bring her only surviving son safely home. Many lives were lost in the execution of this mission, culminating in the death of Captain John Miller, played by Hanks.
In the final scene of the movie, a much older Private Ryan visits the gravesite of Captain Miller. Remembering the words spoken to him on the battlefield, he implores his wife, “Have I led a good life? Tell me I’m a good man”. In essence, did I earn the sacrifice that was made for me?
We could, and should, ask ourselves the same question because a tremendous sacrifice was made for us as well. Christ’s sacrifice was freely given and salvation is not to be earned, so for the Christian, the question of “earning” can have nothing to do with merit. Scripture makes that perfectly clear. I don’t think Captain Miller uttered “Earn this” in the literal sense either. Perhaps a better rendering might be “Make this count” and I think this is a fair interpretation of Philippians 1:27.
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel”.
Our lives should reflect the weight of our gratitude for the Cross. We should live in such a way that we make the most out of Christ’s death. We should love more, laugh more, give more, serve more. We should live to make Him proud. Another way to say this is found in 1 Corinthians 6:20.
“You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
Our lives are not our own. We are indebted. And to live in a way that disregards that debt is to cheapen the price that was paid. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his 1937 book The Cost of Discipleship, calls this “cheap grace”. It is to enjoy benefits of the sacrifice without sharing any of the cost.
“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession...Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
It will cost us something to follow Christ. Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor who suffered two years in a concentration camp before his execution, would know this better than most. Few Christians will be called to “earn it” as Bonhoeffer did, but there are unique ways to stand firm and to strive for each of us.
It will not be easy to “conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel” but to do anything less, makes light of what was done for us. Because our salvation cost God the life of His Son, it is only fitting that our lives reflect the high price that was paid.
The senior Private Ryan understood this, making him desperate to hear from his wife the affirmation that he had, in fact, “earned it”. And one day when we see Jesus face to face, there will be no sweeter affirmation than to hear “well done, good and faithful servant”.
~ Melissa Gibbs has been a member of LIFE Fellowship for over 10 years, is the mother to four boys and widow of the late JD Gibbs.