Scripture: Galatians 2:16
However, we know that a person isn’t made righteous by the works of the Law but rather through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We ourselves believed in Christ Jesus so that we could be made righteous by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the Law—because no one will be made righteous by the works of the Law.
Thought for the Day: The church staff had a great conversation that focused on this verse from Galatians. So often we talk about our faithfulness as a means of “earning” or “receiving” the grace of God, but for Paul, grace was grace. There was no special incantation or project or way of thinking that would make us worthy of grace. If there was, it wouldn’t be grace. Because the translation of the original Greek to English is a bit vague, it could be understood as: “…through faith in Jesus Christ,” but that does not make sense in Pauline theology. Faith is important, but faith does not change the nature of grace. Everything is dependent upon the graciousness of Jesus – his faithful love. This is the reason our identity statement is “because God first loved us.” Our faith is our acknowledgement and gratitude for the grace, and from that comes a changed life…one that seeks to live the love first life.
Prayer: With each morning provide me a new appreciation of the magnitude and beauty of your grace, O God who first loved me. Allow for others to see in me a way of living and loving that reveals your grace. Amen.
REMEMBER
Last Two Congregational Meetings
TODAY
at Noon & 7:00pm
