Tuesday, October 31, 2023  

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Today’s Scripture Reading
Ephesians 2:4–10

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. (NRSV)

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Reflection

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift from God — not the result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). In this one short sentence, Paul captures an idea that would be central to his theology — that we are not able to earn salvation or right standing with God, but rather that Christ has already done that for us out of love and grace freely given.

It was — and is — a radical idea. Most, if not all, of us are far more comfortable with the idea of earning things that we want — in no small part because it gives us a sense of control and personal satisfaction. To be recipients of an unearned grace can be uncomfortable, in no small part because we recognize a sense of our own unworthiness. Yet, at its core, this idea of “faith over works” and “grace over merit” is ultimately liberating — God’s love for us is not transactional, but unconditional.

Today is Reformation Day in our church calendar — a day that remembers the simple act of challenge Martin Luther nailed to the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany, and the complex history that followed. Yet for all the complexity of denominational splits and theological disagreements, that core truth of God’s unconditional, unearned love is present within each of our traditions — rooted in these words from Paul to the Ephesians. So on this day, may we give thanks and praise to God once more for the “immeasurable riches of God’s grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).

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Prayer
Merciful God, we are in awe of your generosity — giving us a love we have not earned, showing us a grace we do not deserve. Help us to be faithful to you always. Amen.

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Written by Matt Helms, Associate Pastor for Children, Family, and Welcoming Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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