When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

– Titus 3.4-8 (NKJV)

The relationship between grace and works is one of the core disagreements between Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and historic Protestant believers. Even among Protestants, the means by which God gives grace is an area of disagreement. One place in Scripture where all these come together nicely is this passage from Titus 3.

Here we see several beautiful teachings that we must hold together as we cling to the faith once for all delivered to the saints. We must resist the efforts of those who wish to separate one of more of these truths, when in reality, they are all inseparable from one another.

First, salvation does not come to us as a result of our works but solely as a result of God’s grace. We are not saved by some combination of works and grace, as some maintain, but ‘according to His mercy He saved us.’ Though Roman Catholics and Orthodox both affirm grace, they maintain the necessity of good works for salvation (not as a result of it). They criticize Luther for inserting the word ‘alone’ (‘sola’) when he wrote of salvation by grace alone through faith alone, maintaining that Scripture nowhere explicitly says this. While the argument is clever, it is clear even to children that grace plus anything is no longer grace but simply a fair response to something someone has earned. St. Paul explicitly says otherwise here.

Second, God’s gracious salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit come to us through the means of baptism. ‘He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.’ It was not until after the Reformation that anyone understood this verse to apply to anything other than water baptism as God’s means of grace through which he applies the merciful gift of salvation. Baptism is not our act of obedience or public profession of faith, as Baptists teach, but God’s act of mercy whereby he saves us and grants us the indwelling Spirit. Baptism is not a work we must do (works righteousness) but a work which God does to us (salvation by grace). Of course, baptism does not benefit anyone without faith. Scripture plainly teaches that there is no salvation apart from faith, but it also teaches that baptism is one of God’s means of grace and not our response to grace.

Third, works are an essential part of the believer’s life. ‘I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.’ Here the relationship between salvation and works is abundantly clear. It is the saved who are called to do good works, not good works that result in our salvation. Note also that good works are not an optional part of the Christian life, as though someone could live without them and be a genuine believer. They are essential, not resulting in salvation but inevitably flowing from it. St. James speaks against the lie that someone could supposedly have saving faith that does not result in good works.

Held together, these three teachings are a beautiful tapestry of grace lived out in the Christian life. They should always encourage us and spur us on when we become complacent. Above all, they should continually drive us to Christ–the source of our salvation–in thanksgiving and praise.

#devotional #sacraments #theology

Psalm 107 begins with a wonderful call to worship, “Oh, give thanks for the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” This summons to praise God certainly calls to us from the beginning to the end of Scripture; however, what jumps out at me in this Psalm is the use of cycles of events as the proof or rationale for our worship...answering the unasked question, 'Why should we worship the LORD?'

Over and over, the psalmist recites a cycle of hardship or suffering followed by a desperate cry to God for help, which results each time in God coming to the aid of the faithful who cry out to him. This cycle ends each time with the line, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

After three cycles in the past tense, the psalmist switches to the present tense to describe a storm on the sea and the desperate situation that results. Here, in the present tense, the terrified sailors cry out to God who delivers them again and gives them peace, rest, and a safe port at the end of their journey. This present tense deliverance is yet another reason to implore us to worship. “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

Finally, the psalmist reflects on the great goodness and sovereignty of God over creation, over politics, and over the lives of the righteous—again, all present tense. The Psalm concludes with this reflection, “Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.”

Though written more than two thousand years ago, Psalm 107 considers the realities of God's covenant faithfulness to his people (past, present, and—by implication—future) and our sinful failure to rightly worship God for his watchful care. More than this, we should find here great hope both in God's past acts and in the gift of prayer, through which God answers the cries of his people, fulfills their every need, and protects them from harm.

#devotional #psalms #theology

[The cross] is the only ladder which reaches up into the better world; the only way to heaven leads through suffering; there is none other bridge from death to life. This way of the cross to the glories of heaven has been prepared for all men; and whosoever will, let him come. Hanging on the cross, and sitting on the throne of heaven, the will of the Savior is to draw all men unto himself. But he that will not die with him cannot live with him. Our own life, or, in other words, our evil nature, all our sinful lusts, which Paul calls “the body of sin” (Romans 6, 6), the combined force of wicked desires, whose root is willfulness, and whose strength is pride and deceit; — this life of the world in you must die, if you are to live. In the name of God, sacrifice all this! You have been baptized into the death of Christ, and your old man is crucified with him. Let the efficacy of your baptism prove itself. If you believe in the Lord, be assured that you shall not want the grace to mortify the flesh and lead a new life in him. To this end he helps us by means of our many trials and tribulations from without and within, vexations, temptations, sickness, suffering; but the strength itself comes from the death and resurrection of Christ. There are the roots of your new life; and thence it must receive nourishment, if it is to increase. In his word and sacraments he gives to his believers the strength of his life and death; and through these means we of a truth receive grace to mortify the flesh, to take up the cross, and to live for heaven.

— N.J. Laache, Book of Family Prayer

#quotes #devotional #theology

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