https://www.stlukeskc.org https://www.stlukeskc.org/saved-by-grace-through-faith <h3> <div> <span> <b> Saved by Grace through FAITH </b> </span> </div> <div> <span> <b>  Jim Simpson, D Min </b> </span> </div> <div> <span> <span> <i> Aug 25, 2024 </i> </span> </span> </div> </h3> <div data-rss-type="text"> This passage from Ephesians is the theological heart of the Protestant reformation. While various <div> groups interpret it differently; the differences are like playing a song in different keys or styles. So, we have </div> <div> discussed salvation (the heart of God’s purpose in creation and humanity and Jesus’ mission). We’ve </div> <div> explored grace, which is God’s love in action, the way God connects with us. We are saved (healed, </div> <div> delivered, set free, made whole, and reconciled) by grace (forgiven, accepted, transformed, encouraged, </div> <div> and empowered) through FAITH. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Faith is our response to the gift of God’s grace. Faith is how we seek to stay connected with God. </div> <div> Faith is not always certain. Sometimes our faith is wrong or misguided. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> In college two things happened to my faith. First, while working as youth director at my home church, </div> <div> I experienced how the sausage was made; I encountered the hypocrisy of Christians; and I became </div> <div> disenchanted with the church. I also began asking questions and the church did not provide sufficient </div> <div> answers. So, I began searching and my seeking led me to explore Zen Buddhism. I began meditating. I was </div> <div> going to school in the day while working nights as the dispatcher for AAA. I could study at work. One night I </div> <div> was reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull at the auto club and had an intense spiritual experience in which I </div> <div> felt seen, understood, and accepted. It was as if I was one with the universe. The effect of that experience </div> <div> lasted for days. It is the most intense spiritual experience of my life. I tried to understand it in the framework </div> <div> of Zen, but I had a nudging to read the Bible. And as I began to read, the word “God” suddenly meant </div> <div> something to me. I remember realizing, Oh, it was You at the auto club. For the first time in my life, God was </div> <div> more than a word or idea. I knew, I believed, I had a conviction that God is real. And I understood and </div> <div> trusted that the living Word of God abided in the words of scripture. (I got saved by the grace of God at AAA </div> <div> at 2:30 a.m. in the morning, reading JLS!) </div> <div> <br/> </div> <div> There is an intimate dynamic between grace and faith. You can’t really separate them. Faith is our </div> <div> response to grace but as soon as we respond with faith, our faith begins to generate new experiences of </div> <div> grace. In the simplest terms, faith is belief and trust. Hebrews 11:1 says: Faith is the assurance of things </div> <div> hoped for; the conviction of things unseen. Assurance is a sense of confidence or trust. If you look up the </div> <div> word conviction, one of the meanings is a firmly held belief. One can be convicted on circumstantial </div> <div> evidence. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <blockquote> <div> Faith is a decision to believe. If you were raised in a Christian home and grew up attending church, </div> </blockquote> <div> there comes a time when you confirm your faith. It becomes more than your family or church’s faith. We say </div> <div> for ourselves, I believe. And belief is not a static one-time decision. It develops and deepens through life. </div> <div> The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he fed them milk, not solid food, because they were not </div> <div> ready for solid food. 1 Cor 3: 2 In our church, people are expected to think for themselves. A core value is: </div> <div> In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love. We are not a creedal church. We have </div> <div> a set of basic doctrines but there is a wide range of thought among Methodists. Questions, doubts, and </div> <div> critical thinking are evidence of faith. Theology is faith seeking understanding. It is okay to wonder, examine, </div> <div> be curious and discuss our doctrines because faith always seeks sanctifying grace to help us grow. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <blockquote> <div> As trust, faith is a deepening sense of confidence in God. Faith is a loving relationship of growing </div> </blockquote> <div> assurance. Sometimes we feel really close and other times there is a distance. Life brings experiences that </div> <div> test our faith; cause us to wonder about our beliefs or to wonder about the relationship. We believe God </div> <div> sent Jesus so that we could experience the character of God in a human life, a human face and heart. </div> <div> Psalm 139 affirms that wherever we go, whatever we experience, God is there. The psalm affirms an </div> <div> intimacy of relationship which begins in the womb and endures forever. Faith is learning to trust the </div> <div> promises and the presence of God. And the best way to gain that trust is by becoming a disciple and friend </div> <div> of Jesus. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <blockquote> <div> Most people need to be able to see or touch things before they are real. So called doubting Thomas </div> </blockquote> <div> needed to touch the scars of the risen Jesus. Humans build temples and tombs as expressions of their faith. </div> <div> Christians are no different. People connect through our worship places and the symbols of faith. Sometimes </div> <div> we get too attached to our stuff, but buildings, symbols, and cultural traditions are expressions of faith. </div> <div> Christianity has adapted through the centuries as we have assimilated stuff from various cultures. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <blockquote> <div> Paul Tillich said that humans are creatures of faith. He defined faith as being ultimately concerned. </div> </blockquote> <div> Whatever people are most concerned about, most interested in, most invested in … is their faith. Drive </div> <div> across Kansas and see steeples and grain elevators. Carnagie built fancy libraries (places of wisdom). </div> <div> Ultimate concerns. The first Methodist place of worship and community service was the Foundry, an empty </div> <div> cannon factory in London. Factories, skyscrapers, malls, stadiums baby! Ultimate concerns/faith! </div> <blockquote> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Faith also expresses itself as gratitude and generosity. Our checkbooks or debit card statements are </div> </blockquote> <div> a journal of gratitude and generosity. Faith is stewardship of our blessings, and not only our personal </div> <div> blessings but stewardship of the earth. We may be at a turning point in human history and development. </div> <div> Humans found the earth to be dangerous; so, our role was dominion and subduing creation. But as we </div> <div> understand the ecological connection between humans and creation; faith becomes less about dominion </div> <div> and more about partnership. Jesus invited the disciples to accept his yoke, a symbol of partnership, of </div> <div> working together, in the stewardship of creation. </div> <blockquote> <div> <br/> </div> <div> Faith also is obedience. The root word of obedience is listening. The Ten Commandments are found </div> </blockquote> <div> in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. Jesus said he came to fulfill the law. Occasionally he talked about the </div> <div> spirit of the law. In today’s culture, we tend to ignore the commandments about false gods or idols, false </div> <div> witness/lying, keeping sabbath which includes caring for slaves, resident aliens, and animals, or coveting </div> <div> your neighbor’s stuff. When asked about the commandments, Jesus summarized the law by quoting </div> <div> Deuteronomy 6: You shall love the Lord your God with all your being. And loving your neighbor is like loving </div> <div> God. Jesus also offered a series of blessings or beatitudes. You’ll find those in Matthew 5 and a different </div> <div> version in Luke 6 which includes a list of “woes” along with blessings. Jesus emphasizes love as the heart </div> <div> of the law and the gospel. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <blockquote> <div> Faith also is resistance. We resist those things that subvert the way and will of God. We resist sin </div> </blockquote> <div> and evil. We resist in our personal choices and in our collective communal choices. Protest is a public </div> <div> assertion, witness, or testimony. It may be grief or lamentations against sin and evil. It may be an </div> <div> affirmation, calling for faithful change. Faith as resistance is obedience to God’s salvation purposes. Did you </div> <div> notice how Jesus never tried to force people to agree with him or follow him? Neither should we. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <blockquote> <div> Christian faith is less about a single set of beliefs or rules and more about practices: prayers, </div> </blockquote> <div> presence, gifts, service and witness. Loving God and neighbor. It is a committed lifestyle of love and </div> <div> service. Covenant. A covenant is a commitment to do life together. Faith abides in covenant community. </div> <div> Phyllis Tickle wrote an amazing book about emergent Christianity. She said that every 500 years, the </div> <div> church holds a giant rummage sale in which it decides what is essential to faith and what needs to be </div> <div> adapted or let go. The schism of 1000 CE and the Protestant Reformation around 1500. Now we are living </div> <div> through another great shift in culture, technology, and how we understand God and how we Christians need </div> <div> to rediscover the solid ground, beside still waters, the heart and soul of what it means to live in covenant. </div> <div> We need to rediscover and affirm our core values and beliefs so we may reshape the church for what is </div> <div> coming. </div> <div> <br/> </div> <blockquote> <div> What are your core beliefs as a Christian? How do you trust the promises of God in Jesus Christ? </div> </blockquote> <div> How is Christ inviting you to grow as a disciple? As we come to the Lord’s Table, let’s acknowledge that </div> <div> often we do not feel worthy. We often feel disconnected in our faith. John Wesley wrote to his brother about </div> <div> it. Mother Teresa lived most of her life that way. Yet, their lives were a marvelous harvest of the fruit of the </div> <div> Spirit. Remember that salvation is a gift of God’s grace through our faith, and not something we have </div> <div> accomplished. </div> </div> Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:56:33 GMT https://www.stlukeskc.org/saved-by-grace-through-faith thumbnail main image