Wednesday 20 August 2025
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. (v. 8)
Background
"I can manage." How often have we heard that said to us? How often have we said something similar to other people? We like to be independent and in control of the things we do, every day and long term. This wish to be in control is one of the things that makes it difficult for people to engage in the Christian faith.
In everyday life when it is clear and obvious what is wrong, we might ask for help if it is beyond our competence. (Though often experience of help desks is problematic!)
We are familiar with doing good things and bad things – right and wrong are part of the everyday narrative of life. We like to think we have both choice and agency when we think of doing good or bad things; even of being good or being bad. Sometimes we think of being saved by God in a manner akin to the British honours system – if we do enough good in our community our efforts will be seen and will be rewarded.
To live with the premise that we can’t be good enough or do enough good things to earn favour with God is difficult. For some even to think of a God who sets such standards is difficult. To know that positive relationship with God is due to God’s gift to us and God acting for us is difficult. Yet that remarkably uncomfortable understanding is the starting point of our faith journey. We talk about it as 'being forgiven', 'being born again' or 'having a new start'. The starting point is given to us because God loves us. The consequence is our commitment to values that are embedded in our understanding of faith.
To Ponder:
- Does the starting point of our faith journey matter if we do the things that we believe God wants us to do?
- Would more people live a life of faith if they thought it was something they could achieve rather than be given?
Bible notes author: The Revd Malcolm Peacock
The Revd Peacock is Superintendent Minister of the Mid Glamorgan Mission Circuit. He has a deep and abiding interest in Celtic theology and believes those who are minorities or feel themselves marginalised should be given a voice to speak for themselves.