Tag Archives: Saved by Grace

Sanctified

Advent

December 17, 2021

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:5-10

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
   but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt-offerings and sin-offerings
   you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, “See, God, I have come to do your will, O God”
   (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).’
When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt-offerings and sin-offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added, ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The definition of the word sanctify has two meanings* that I believe are inseparable.

a: made holy: made free of sin or free from the bondage of sin

b: set apart to sacred duty or use

Hebrews tells us that we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

I grew up when the phrase, once saved always saved, was in vogue. I had never heard that phrase before I went to church camp with my best friend one summer. My family attended a different denomination church than hers did, although I did not know what a denomination was at the time. I, never having enough sense to keep my mouth shut, disagreed with the teacher when she expressed that tenet of faith in class. I said something to the effect that we also had to follow Jesus once we were saved. If we did not, we had to ask for forgiveness. I do not think a student had ever disagreed with her before.  She called my mother and recommended that she chat with me not only about my misled beliefs but also about my disrespect for authority. My mother did ask me if I had been polite and stressed that I always should be. She suggested that the next time something like that happened; I might not want to make a big deal because people did have different ways of expressing themselves.  Mom did not think the teacher meant we no longer had to ask for forgiveness.

I do not consider myself an expert on the absolutes of salvation, but I still understand Jesus’s teachings as saying if you do not live it, you do not believe it.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we stray from the path you have set before us, and for folks like me, put a guard over our mouths** as we try to live our faith. Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you***. Amen.

*https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/sanctified

**Psalm 141:3

***Psalm 19:14

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

God’s Joy

Living in the Spirit

October 31, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbor as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared to ask him any question.

How far are we from the Kingdom of God? In my college freshman New Testament course 103, Professor Fred Craddock taught that salvation was a gift of grace. He drew two lines on a blackboard. The top line indicated obtaining salvation. The second line illustrated the level of good works we had done. The distance between the two revealed the presence of God’s grace, making up the shortfall. God’s grace opens the entrance for each of us into the Kingdom of God.  Indeed, one can obtain God’s grace even when there is much distance between the lines at the time. We recognize God’s love for us and accept Christ’s gift of grace. Our love of God fulfilled in this gift of grace propels us to follow Jesus’s ways of loving God and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. I imagine God knows joy when God’s followers love one another and all others. God experiences greater joy when we create a world where all are loved and valued, where all have enough of the necessities of life, and where justice prevails. When those qualities exist, we will not be far from the Kingdom of God. Indeed, we might find ourselves in it.

Prayer: God of grace and God of glory,
on thy people pour thy pow’r.
Crown thine ancient church’s story,
bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

The High Priest

Living in the Spirit

October 14, 2021

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
‘You are my Son,
   today I have begotten you’;
as he says also in another place,
‘You are a priest forever,
   according to the order of Melchizedek.’ –Hebrews 5:1-6

Having been raised in a faith system that emphasizes the priesthood of all believers who follow the example of Jesus Christ, I have no problem accepting the description of Christ as the one High Priest. I have always been curious, though, about this character Melchizedek. Did Christ come to earth much earlier in our history of God? The name means something like the King of Righteousness*. John 1:2 does tell us that Jesus was with God at creation.

The first part of this scripture tells us the job description of a high priest. The job includes being the chief executive officer of mortals in their relationship with God, who offers gifts and sacrifices for mortals’ sins while dealing gently with them. The High Priest must know what being weak is like and what it is like to offer sacrifices for oneself. Allowing oneself to be hung on a cross indeed covers these last two requirements. Finally, the High Priest must be selected and appointed by God.

The author of Hebrews describes the Christ who is above all and yet lowers himself to understand humans. The description highlights the one and only God that loves us enough to come and dwell among us. God with us experienced the way we feel, saw the world through the eyes of a regular person, understood personal temptation and human hypocrisy, and was willing to die on a cross to fill the gap between our striving to follow God and our missteps along the way. We call that amazing grace. And for that, we are eternally thankful.

Prayer:
Thank You Lord For Saving My Soul,
Thank You Lord For Making Me Whole,
Thank You Lord For Giving To Me,
Thy Great Salvation So Full And Free. Amen.

*The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible Volume 3 page 34, Abingdon Press, 12th Edition 1981

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.