Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Lectionary for 9/2/09

Today's readings are 1 Kings 18.20-40 and Ephesians 2.1-22.

How are we saved?  In today's readings it is clear that it has nothing to do with our own works, nothing to do with our own merit, nothing at all to do with our righteousness.  We are no more rewarded for how good we are than the prophets of Baal were rewarded by their false god.  We are no more able to make ourselves worthy by our godly behavior than they were.  Try though they might, the found no reward for their attempts at holiness.  Likewise we receive no reward for our works of holiness.  We can work hard all day to bring glory and honor to God in Christ and we find at the end of the day that we have done nothing worthy of merit and that we have earned lots of condemnation.

Paul says it over and over in Ephesians 2.  It is by grace you are saved.  Thanks be to the God who gives his grace so freely.  We could not save ourselves.  It is by grace we are saved.



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