By grace alone – Roberta Writes

Explaining my thoughts

I had a discussion with a friend about the works vs faith debate. How do we settle the differences in opinions that seem apparent between James and Paul. There are people, far smarter than me that can be called on to give the fine debate points. It can be a complicated argument. Bogged down by historical doctrines and even personal opinions about which is more important. Works based religions are very attractive, as we can see by the abundance of them.

My issue with this has always been that if we focus on works alone we are making it about us, not Jesus. This is not what James was suggesting, and it is what Paul is speaking about directly in his letter to the Ephesians.

I was thinking how can I represent this visually. So I tried laying it out in a diagram. I came up with this.

I wanted to make sure Jesus was at the centre. But then I realized this actually shows my problem with the basic debate. Whether we gain our salvation by works or faith is not the point. Both are products of our own efforts. They are both about us.

It needs to be about Jesus and His gift of grace. Without Jesus we have no redemption of sin. Without Jesus we have no salvation. So the diagram should look like this.

Paul says it best and it seems quite simple to me. Faith is what we bring to the party, along with our efforts and works to show the love of God to the worlds. But EVERYTHING else God and Jesus provided.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Surprises

I was planning to get into my garden and weed and maybe even plant some carrots this week. I didn’t have time last week. But mother nature had other plans. Late snow for Calgary.

Life is like this. We plan, things change, we adjust and we move forward. If you sit down and contemplate how little control we actually have over what happens, it can be overwhelming and a bit frightening.

That is how believing there is a God behind it all offers us hope. Not a vengeful, wrathful God, but a loving God. For me personally the idea that some good can come out of terrible experiences, or even some order can emerge from the chaos, is a hopeful thought.

The garden will come, whether I weed on schedule or not. I’m just enjoying the time to sit back and reflect and wonder at the blessings God has gifted me.

Romans 8: 26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Renewal is hard

I am sitting here listening to an instrumental version of the beautiful song “Breath of Heaven.” It is lovely to hear but it got thinking… this is sometimes how I see renewal. I ask God to renew my spirit and I sit and wait for the Holy spirit to pour over me and renew me. Maybe this happens to some people. Not me.

As anyone who has lived through a renovation can tell you it is a messy business. Everything is dusty, ripped apart and nothing works. On top of that the rebuild can seem to be endless. When you are living without a sink the wait for cabinets, carpenters, counters, plumbers, tile setters etc., can seem endless. And the outcome only seems to be increased visits to the chiropractor, to deal with the strain caused by doing dishes in the bathtub.

It is hard. Waiting and wading through mess. This is what renewal is like. The hard work of dealing with our old toxic habits or beliefs while allowing God to slowly rebuild our inner framework.

Maybe the breath of God blew over you and in a moment you gave your life to him, but you still have a lot of work to do, albeit now with the help of God.

If we ask God to renew us we need to be prepared for some difficulties. But it is worth it. Any suffering, hardship, rethinking or change of life if worth it if it brings us closer to God.

James 4: 7 – 10 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Choose God

We attended a wedding a few weeks ago. It was a joyous day watching a lovely young faithful couple declare their commitment to each other. Blue skies, warm weather and a crowd of family and friends were there to bless the bride and groom.

One can’t help but reflect on your own life in this situation. I am grateful that God brought Wes into my life. I am thankful that Wes chose me. There is a real honour in someone trusting you with their love and their future. I believe he feels the same way about me. Nice how that works isn’t it?

God chose me. Even before I knew him. Even before I was born he loved me. He loved me so much that he sent his son to die for me. God chose you too. Even before you were born he loved you. He offers his love to anyone who will chose to accept it.

An amazing choice – to receive another’s gift of love. We just need to accept. We can trust God with our love and our future. He is faithful.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The irony of fall

Fall has always been a time of renewal for me. A time for a fresh start. Perhaps after years of starting school in September it seems like a natural new start time. We even got married in the fall. Two of my babies were born in the fall. We bought this house in the fall. I have started new jobs in the fall.

The season of change where nature prepares itself for the oncoming winter shouldn’t be associated with newness. And yet it is. The leaves aren’t turning yet and the weather is still pleasantly warm. My garden is still growing. Summer is lingering on. But, there is a change to the way the air smells (minus the smoke – cough cough). The evenings are getting shorter. Before long the harvest will be in and the leaves will be crunching under our feet.

For the first time since Wes’ stroke I feel as though we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It has been an extremely difficult time wandering lost in the wilderness. I hope now that this fall ushers in a time of renewal and rebuilding.

In the same way as a renovated kitchen has to follow the demolition of the old one, so do we have to undergo times of great trial and sorrow in order to be built up stronger.

I pray that fall will be a time of refocusing and renewal in your heart and life.

Psalm 51: 10 – 12 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Rely on His strength

I’m listening to old hymns, just instrumental, but the lyrics are so well known that my heart sings them along with the music. “This is my father’s world” the tune flowing through me.

Life’s struggles can mount up. The craziness and unpredictability of the world is frightening.

It is easy to feel alienated from the world around us. Like someone watching a strange improvised play where the actors have no idea they are acting.

The weight of the world can feel unbearable. Stop. Breath. Remember this is God’s world.

Isaiah 40: 29-31 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Trials in life

The roads this morning were slippery and show covered. The usual fast paced morning traffic was slower and more cautious. But life must go on. The drive reminded me of an experience I had a long time ago. Years ago my folks were visiting with family and everyone was swapping “driving in a snow storm” tales. Every Canadian has a few of those. One of the couples was from Texas and at some point he asked, “Why do you folks go out when its like that?”

The thing is that in Texas snow storms can shut down all activities. They can be bad and disruptive, but in Canada the miserable weather spans over a period of months not weeks. So we have to adapt. It is part of our lives.

Life can throw difficulties at us that are indeed disruptive and cause us to shut down and take stock. We have to deal with the matter at hand. But there is the other side of troubles in life. The long game. The problems that aren’t easily solved. The difficulties that we have to learn to live with, to work around. They can drag on for years, not just a horrible week or two.

Trouble can come in all forms. We must remember who holds us in His hands. It is by his strength we can endure.

1 Corinthians 4: 8-9 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed,
but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Sounds like home

I remember as a child holding a big conch shell up to my ear. Some adult urging me to try it. If I held it to my ear, I’d be able to hear the sea.

I held it up to my ear, it sounded breezy and muffled. I was skeptical. I cupped my hand and placed it over my ear. The sound was different. Had I thought to try it with a coffee mug my skepticism would have been founded, as the sound is similar, but I didn’t.

This seashell was plucked from the sea, but if you listen close it whispers of its home. You could bring home a vial of sea water. It would look no different from slightly murky salted water. Or you could bring a jar of sand. Neither the water nor the sand will tell you where they came from. But the shell will, if you care to listen.

This is like humans. If we watch and listen, we can know where people are from. Not identifying their country by their accents, but rather to whom their loyalties lie. We can hear where they belong. I hope our lives whisper to those around us and let them know that we have a home with God.

Matthew 7: 16 – 20 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

The answer

There is just one answer to all of the problems in life. It doesn’t make the problems go away. It doesn’t make the struggle easier. It doesn’t even explain the big why question. It does however give us purpose and hope.

We can have confidence in this answer. We can trust it fully. The gospel is the answer.

Romans 1: 16-17For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. ¹⁷For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

How to do it

I am a practical person. Whenever I seek advice or help, I always ask, ‘What does that look like?’ or ‘How exactly do I do that?’

In life I have been asked, on more than one occasion, to step out in faith and trust that God will look after my future. Sometimes the path forward has been clearer than others.

Recently we have been in a situation where we took a big step off the cliff and believed that God will answer our prayers. At this point it looks like He has a different answer in mind. It can make me feel like he isn’t willing to catch us this time. That he isn’t answering our prayers.

Regardless of my feelings about it I know he is sovereign. How do I maintain my faith and belief in God’s goodness when things seem to be going off the rails. I don’t mean what encouragement do I gather, or how do I intellectually process it, but rather how do I do it?

It came to me late last night. God gave us an example of what to do. He provided a model.

Matthew 26: 36-39 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”