It is by grace that you have been saved, by faith; and that doesn't come from you; it is the gift of God. It is not by virtue of works, so that no one may boast about it. (Ephesians 2: 8)
We always have a tendency to turn away from the grace that God offers us. Strange attitude, because by accepting it we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In reality it is pride that leads to rejecting grace; accepting the latter implies that we recognize that we are lost sinners.
Whoever is taught by the Word of God discovers all his own moral nakedness and recognizes his guilt. Not only this, however! He also learns that grace and truth have come to him in the person of Jesus Christ.
God, driven by his love, sent his Son to men to be their Savior. The salvation it offers is absolutely complete. God is perfect, and He would not be satisfied if those He saves were not made perfect. If we have grasped some of the riches of his grace by receiving such a great salvation, we no longer seek to improve our incorrigible "self" which was crucified with Christ on the cross.
Wanting to add some merit to this salvation, with obligations, rules and precepts, would be tantamount to lacking faith and disregarding God. The old selfish and pretentious "I" is presented to us in the Bible as crucified and buried with Christ.
We accept this declaration of Scripture and, believing in the Gospel, we leave this old "I" in death to live fully the new life, aware of our filial relationship with God, who loves us.
A just and harmonious relationship with the Lord never begins with doing something, but with believing in someone and in something that has already been done. In fact, from Christ on, life and salvation are contained in news to be welcomed into the heart. Salvation is a proclamation, it is something to know, and it is the Gospel that makes us know the wonderful news that there is no longer any condemnation for any sinner who repents and believes in the Lord Jesus!
Jesus himself summed up eternal life with these words: "This is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ" (John 17: 3).
The Lord announces to us in the Scriptures that He Himself made peace with us sinners by removing sin. This He did on His own initiative, without involving us in the action. Now, it offers us peace, forgiveness and salvation on the only condition that we accept it. In fact, the core of the Gospel is an invitation to recognize our sinful condition before God, and to be reconciled with Him through the sacrifice of His Son. In fact, Paul writes: "And all this comes from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ ... In fact, God reconciled the world to himself through Christ, not attributing their sins to men" (2 Corinthians 5: 18- 19).
This is what the Lord has done, and He lets us know because we take advantage of His great love and enter by faith in this free salvation. But the apostle continues his message by pointing out our part in the problem: "We beseech you in the name of Christ: be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). That is, as God has reconciled with you, making His Son pay the dear price, now you, reconcile with Him, with your heart, humbling yourselves, acknowledging your wickedness and corruption, but putting faith in what He said, and that is, whoever believes in him is no longer condemned, but has eternal life, because this is what the Lord willed.
This is why everything is contained in the message of the Gospel, because it is the great news of free salvation for each of us, news of which all men have the right to know. Jesus speaking of the salvation he had come to bring said: "If you persevere in my word, you are truly my disciples; you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (John 8: 31-32).
It is by grace that you have been saved, by faith; and that doesn't come from you; it is the gift of God. It is not by virtue of works so that no one may boast; in fact we are his work, having been created in Christ Jesus to do the good works, which God has previously prepared for us to practice. (Paul's epistle to Ephesians 2: 8-10)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but has no works? (epistle of James 2:14)
There is no contradiction between the words of the apostle Paul and those of James. The first has salvation in its root in view, the second in its fruits. Paul explains that faith is the work of God that produces new life; Giacomo explains that the works are proof of the existence of this new life.
Faith can be abused as much as works: by making faith a safety pillow, and "worthy" works a false support. Giacomo fights the first of these tendencies and Paolo the second.
Both teachings are necessary. It is also necessary in every believer to have both, according to the distorted life that we are tempted to take. If we happen to look with satisfaction at what we have done and to glory in our works, or to trust to some extent in our religiosity, Paul reminds us that "man is justified by faith, without the works of the law" ( Romans 3:28).
And if we happen to appeal to the merits of Christ passively, with an idle and sterile attitude, James will repeat to us: "see that man is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24).
Thus we have the two teachings to control and direct our Christian life. Paul and James, far from contradicting each other, complement each other. Let's listen to them both together.
But the hour is coming, indeed it has already come, that true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeks such worshipers. (John 4:23)
Most religions consist of ceremonies and works that must necessarily be performed to please the Supreme Being and to satisfy his justice. This is why the pagans brought, and still carry today, offerings to their idols to make them favorable to their requests. But it is not for such reasons or interests that we Christians worship God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
We do not worship Him to be saved, released or protected, but because we love Him. We men cannot do anything for our salvation. Our nature in Adam is neither capable of loving God nor pleasing Him. It is He who has done everything, giving us His Son Jesus, the Savior! The worship we offer to God is simply an expression of our gratitude and obedience, an opportunity to thank and celebrate His greatness and love for us.
We insist on this fundamental difference between true worship and what is generally understood by religion. Man wants to do and bring something, and thinks that God will take it into account by forgiving and caring for him. But it must be understood that God is the one who first gave us grace (cf. Romans 5: 8), and it is up to us to thank him for what he is, and for what he has done for us. Our love, which we express through praise and worship, is a response to His love. As 1 John 4:19 says: "We love him because he first loved us."
Love, of course, must also express itself in obedience to God and in our way of living and acting every day of our life, otherwise our faith is dead (see James 2:17 et seq.). God wants from us ALL our hearts: "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take pleasure in my ways" (Prov. 23:26).
True faith is an operating faith: not simply believing, but acting accordingly; just as it is not enough to believe that God exists, but we must recognize ourselves as sinners, turn to the Lord and accept as a gift the salvation, the justification, which is received only by faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 2:16).
"He has saved us and has given us a holy call, not because of our works, but according to his purpose and the grace that has been given to us in Christ Jesus from eternity" (2 Timothy 1: 9).
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