Good morning friends,
Today Paul makes a crucial distinction between faith and works and between faith and the law (law and works go together for Paul). When we try to follow the rules to be righteous we are really trying to establish and control our own righteousness. This almost inevitably leads to self-righteousness and pride as well as judging others. That's why the law, even though it comes from God, can't save us; it is a system we try to use to define our terms of following God.
In contrast Paul commends the righteousness that comes from faith. That simply means not trying to build our own righteousness, but instead trusting God's love in Christ to make us righteous. In this case it is not about us; it's about God. It doesn't lead us to self-righteous pride, but humble gratitude. That righteousness through faith is always available because God loves us, as Paul writes, "The word is near you..." God is always near. To be righteous all we have to do is ask.
God bless,
Sam
Romans 10:1-11
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” 6But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7“or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
Showing posts with label grace versus works. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace versus works. Show all posts
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
faith and works
Good morning friends,
First, I'd like to remind you that as part of our Vacation Bible School series on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-9 we are hoping to have a portion for adults as well. It would be great to have interested adults take part tonight; the kids have been having a great time.
Paul's point today is that God calls some surprising people to follow and sometimes the people we expect to hear the word don't listen. Part of the problem is that those who grow up with a knowledge of God sometimes fall into the trap of thinking we can earn our salvation through our deeds or by belonging to the right church. In reality coming to God is about our faith in God's grace; it has nothing to do with earning God's love. Our calling is to accept God's love and to live that love for others.
Blessings on your day,
Sam
Romans 9:25-33
25As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” 26“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called children of the living God.” 27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved; 28for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth quickly and decisively.” 29And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left survivors to us, we would have fared like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.”
30What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; 31but Israel, who did strive for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law. 32Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written, “See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
First, I'd like to remind you that as part of our Vacation Bible School series on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-9 we are hoping to have a portion for adults as well. It would be great to have interested adults take part tonight; the kids have been having a great time.
Paul's point today is that God calls some surprising people to follow and sometimes the people we expect to hear the word don't listen. Part of the problem is that those who grow up with a knowledge of God sometimes fall into the trap of thinking we can earn our salvation through our deeds or by belonging to the right church. In reality coming to God is about our faith in God's grace; it has nothing to do with earning God's love. Our calling is to accept God's love and to live that love for others.
Blessings on your day,
Sam
Romans 9:25-33
25As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” 26“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called children of the living God.” 27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved; 28for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth quickly and decisively.” 29And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left survivors to us, we would have fared like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.”
30What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; 31but Israel, who did strive for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law. 32Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written, “See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Sunday, June 6, 2010
God's power
Good morning friends,
Paul here continues his argument that his presentation of the gospel comes from God, not from people. He makes two distinct arguments along those lines: the first is that he serves God, not people, so his words are not shaped to please people but to be true before God. The second is that his message came from God directly, so when he came to Christ he didn't need to go to the church first for instruction. The reason he makes these arguments is to underscore that God has made this incredible change in his life from being a persecutor of the church to being an apostle. God did this by grace, not by a work of the law. In the same way God seeks to transform the members of the Galatian church not through following the Law of Moses (human effort) but by a gift of God's grace. God can transform our lives as well if we can give up some of our precious control.
God bless,
Sam
Galatians 1:10-24
10Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.
15But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. 18Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; 19but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. 20In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.
Paul here continues his argument that his presentation of the gospel comes from God, not from people. He makes two distinct arguments along those lines: the first is that he serves God, not people, so his words are not shaped to please people but to be true before God. The second is that his message came from God directly, so when he came to Christ he didn't need to go to the church first for instruction. The reason he makes these arguments is to underscore that God has made this incredible change in his life from being a persecutor of the church to being an apostle. God did this by grace, not by a work of the law. In the same way God seeks to transform the members of the Galatian church not through following the Law of Moses (human effort) but by a gift of God's grace. God can transform our lives as well if we can give up some of our precious control.
God bless,
Sam
Galatians 1:10-24
10Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.
15But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. 18Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; 19but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. 20In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
grace and greetings
Good morning all,
Today we begin Paul's letter to the Galatians. This is a powerful letter about how we are saved by God's grace in Jesus Christ apart from the works of the law. Imagine for a second that Paul, as a Pharisee, had spent his earlier life striving for righteousness through the law. Now he is convinced that the law was only meant to be a guardian for our morals until Jesus was revealed. That's quite a transformation and it has implications for Paul's whole understanding.
One thing you'll notice throughout this letter is that Paul is very forceful (we could also say aggressive) in his language. There were Jewish Christian teachers who taught that Christians had to obey the whole law of Moses; these ideas seem to have taken hold in Galatia. For Paul there are plenty of matters Christians can disagree about, but salvation by grace instead of the law is not one. We'll see his arguments play out as we read this letter. Notice also the emphasis Paul puts on the fact that he is commissioned by God, not by people. We'll see more about this later as well.
God bless,
Sam
Galatians 1:1-9
Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the members of God’s family who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!
Today we begin Paul's letter to the Galatians. This is a powerful letter about how we are saved by God's grace in Jesus Christ apart from the works of the law. Imagine for a second that Paul, as a Pharisee, had spent his earlier life striving for righteousness through the law. Now he is convinced that the law was only meant to be a guardian for our morals until Jesus was revealed. That's quite a transformation and it has implications for Paul's whole understanding.
One thing you'll notice throughout this letter is that Paul is very forceful (we could also say aggressive) in his language. There were Jewish Christian teachers who taught that Christians had to obey the whole law of Moses; these ideas seem to have taken hold in Galatia. For Paul there are plenty of matters Christians can disagree about, but salvation by grace instead of the law is not one. We'll see his arguments play out as we read this letter. Notice also the emphasis Paul puts on the fact that he is commissioned by God, not by people. We'll see more about this later as well.
God bless,
Sam
Galatians 1:1-9
Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the members of God’s family who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!
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