Grace ...

Wednesday, Oct 2, 2013. Why rules and what is their role? The bible talks about behaviour a lot - and it talks about “disobedience”, about those who do not listen. So behaviour IS important, and the way we live is showing what we believe and whom we follow. But, at the same time, behaviour cannot save us - and what is called “salvation” in the bible is coming to us through faith. Let us listen to the apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus:

Saved through faith …

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once

walked

, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body1 and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2, 1-10) Good works prepared for you … **

Paul uses an image here for our behaviour, for the good works we should do. They are prepared beforehand. They are already there, everything is ready for us to walk in these good works. It is not that they would be our achievement - they are just coming from our faithful relationship to a wonderful God. And he has made it all possible, everything good, already prepared.

“Grace” means that there is no right to gain something. It is not given as payment. It is not earned by achievement. We did not earn it, we did not achieve it, we do not deserve it - but we get it through faith in Christ Jesus. Salvation is given as an invitation to everyone! We are free to follow, and believe in Christ.

Rules will help us to live in a way which fits our great God. He is truthful. He is reliable and true. He is love itself. When we live with him, we cannot remain full of lies, full of bitterness, full of hatred or envy. We cannot remain like that. It is good that he has already prepared a way we can take - a good way. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts