Grace and Obedience ...

Wednesday, Nov 26, 2014. Let us take a moment to talk about a very important topic: what is the relationship between grace and obedience for people of faith? What is it: pure grace - with full freedom to do what ever we want? Or Rules, which are quite restricting? Or something between those two extremes?

The word of Paul …

The apostle Paul addresses this question in his letter to the Corinthians. He talks about obedience and about faith. Let us listen first, and then look into it:

9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men1 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6)

One key starting point of Pauls discussion is that we are washed and sanctified by Jesus. Who believes in him is free of his guilt and sins. In his name God provides full reconciliation and full forgiveness! Nothing is left, which could keep us from entering the kingdom of heaven. We have entered already by faith, the moment we come to faith, we trust our life into his hands.

Free to do good …

We are free, in Jesus. Paul repeats it many times. It is a crucial point. We are free to live in a good way. We are free to be full of forgiveness ourselves. Free to practice truth and love, endurance, to support each other. The bible tells us as well what we are not free to do. It is said by Jesus himself, and then by the apostles.

We are not free, not to forgive. If you do not forgive your neighbors, the people around you who do wrong, you will not be able to keep faith. You will loose the kingdom of heaven. You are called to a life of love and truth and forgiveness. If you do not want it, you will not get it. A part of that is to practice yourself.

It is important to keep the direction right. You are not able to earn the kingdom of heaven by forgiving others. But you are able to loose it by not forgiving others. You are not able to earn heaven by living the right life - the bible claims that no men other than Jesus was able to do that. But you are able to loose the kingdom of heaven by your choices and decisions. Faith is many choices and decisions as well.

We might fail, here and there - and each time we go to God and ask for forgiveness, each time we come to him to change and be changed, we will receive full forgiveness. But when we decide to leave his guidance and his kingdom, he will accept this at some point. He will try to keep us in, but give us freedom to choose! (RWEP) ... more texts