Two step
Romans 10:8-13
Faith is two steps. That is what Paul declares in this paragraph of his Roman epistle. Step 1: believe the good news to be good and to be for you. Step 2: make it so.
The first step is one that seems too good to be true, so much so that for centuries the Church has sought to make it more complicated. The first step is hearing the gospel and realizing that each of us is the subject--Christ came to end the reign of sin and death within the world, for all the world, and for all time. To participate, simply believe the news to be real and actual, aimed at you. We hear, but we have a hard time actually believing it to be so.
We got a series of mailers recently promising us thousands of dollars of free airfare. The nice people even included a "check" that could be used immediately to buy the tickets for anywhere we wanted to go. However, we were to call an 800 number first, simply to "activate" the check. Well, the good folks on the phone let us know that, yes, the airfare was there, but first, if we would just make a few small purchases from a neat line of travel products--just a few hundred dollars--well, actually, in the amount of the "free" airfare.
So, there is "free" and there is free.
Christ offers the real and actual free. Hear and believe. God truly and deeply wants every person to be in God's fold of grace, out from under the yoke of suffering, guilt, and alienation. In Christ, God has done so. Christ lived, died, rose, and reigns to make it so. Believe in the efficacy of that work, and it is yours, without hitch, question, or qualification.
The Church, though, struggles with its own good news, adding addenda all its own. Believe, but only as a particular denomination outlines orthodoxy. Believe, but only if you follow the Church's moral codes and rules for living. Believe, but only if you are willing to submit to the hierarchy, institution, and magisterium of the Church.
It is simply the repetition of Peter's argument when he challenged Paul's mission to the Gentiles. Peter, just to be sure everyone would be fully insured, argued that anyone could come to Christ, but they first had to pass through the filter of the Torah, becoming Jews, since Jesus was the messiah promised through Judaism. So, the Church sets up a few "safeguards," just to be sure those who come to Christ "really" come to Christ, sort of arguing that folks will only really practice that which they pay for.
But that isn't grace.
Grace is a free offer of freedom--no strings attached, no fine print, and no additional costs.
All right, but what about that second step. I love the way Paul moves from one step to the next--the first step is a matter of heart, while the second step is a matter of mouth!
What does it mean?
Paul teaches that faith is only real and actual as it is practiced. But be careful here--this step is not Paul adding an addendum to grace--we do not earn salvation through this step--no, we RESPOND to salvation with this step.
It is like this--I say I love running. I will tell everyone I meet what a good form of exercise running is. I will talk of the wonderful athletes who run at the highest levels, marveling in their performances. But someone notices that (A) I own no running shoes; (B) I have no clothes in which to run; and (C) have never run a step in my life except to the refrigerator to get my next pint of Ben & Jerry's. I may love running, but my life reveals I am no runner.
To reap the benefits of faith, we need to practice it.
It goes like this--
To experience grace, be gracious;
To experience mercy, be merciful;
To experience gratitude, say "thank you;"
To experience love, be loving;
To experience compassion, be compassionate;
...and, well, you get the point.
As we live the gifts of God as we walk within the world among our fellow human beings, we realize the promises of God within us. We realize their power. We realize their provision. We realize their meaning.
So, faith is two steps--believe and then live.
Faith is two steps. That is what Paul declares in this paragraph of his Roman epistle. Step 1: believe the good news to be good and to be for you. Step 2: make it so.
The first step is one that seems too good to be true, so much so that for centuries the Church has sought to make it more complicated. The first step is hearing the gospel and realizing that each of us is the subject--Christ came to end the reign of sin and death within the world, for all the world, and for all time. To participate, simply believe the news to be real and actual, aimed at you. We hear, but we have a hard time actually believing it to be so.
We got a series of mailers recently promising us thousands of dollars of free airfare. The nice people even included a "check" that could be used immediately to buy the tickets for anywhere we wanted to go. However, we were to call an 800 number first, simply to "activate" the check. Well, the good folks on the phone let us know that, yes, the airfare was there, but first, if we would just make a few small purchases from a neat line of travel products--just a few hundred dollars--well, actually, in the amount of the "free" airfare.
So, there is "free" and there is free.
Christ offers the real and actual free. Hear and believe. God truly and deeply wants every person to be in God's fold of grace, out from under the yoke of suffering, guilt, and alienation. In Christ, God has done so. Christ lived, died, rose, and reigns to make it so. Believe in the efficacy of that work, and it is yours, without hitch, question, or qualification.
The Church, though, struggles with its own good news, adding addenda all its own. Believe, but only as a particular denomination outlines orthodoxy. Believe, but only if you follow the Church's moral codes and rules for living. Believe, but only if you are willing to submit to the hierarchy, institution, and magisterium of the Church.
It is simply the repetition of Peter's argument when he challenged Paul's mission to the Gentiles. Peter, just to be sure everyone would be fully insured, argued that anyone could come to Christ, but they first had to pass through the filter of the Torah, becoming Jews, since Jesus was the messiah promised through Judaism. So, the Church sets up a few "safeguards," just to be sure those who come to Christ "really" come to Christ, sort of arguing that folks will only really practice that which they pay for.
But that isn't grace.
Grace is a free offer of freedom--no strings attached, no fine print, and no additional costs.
All right, but what about that second step. I love the way Paul moves from one step to the next--the first step is a matter of heart, while the second step is a matter of mouth!
What does it mean?
Paul teaches that faith is only real and actual as it is practiced. But be careful here--this step is not Paul adding an addendum to grace--we do not earn salvation through this step--no, we RESPOND to salvation with this step.
It is like this--I say I love running. I will tell everyone I meet what a good form of exercise running is. I will talk of the wonderful athletes who run at the highest levels, marveling in their performances. But someone notices that (A) I own no running shoes; (B) I have no clothes in which to run; and (C) have never run a step in my life except to the refrigerator to get my next pint of Ben & Jerry's. I may love running, but my life reveals I am no runner.
To reap the benefits of faith, we need to practice it.
It goes like this--
To experience grace, be gracious;
To experience mercy, be merciful;
To experience gratitude, say "thank you;"
To experience love, be loving;
To experience compassion, be compassionate;
...and, well, you get the point.
As we live the gifts of God as we walk within the world among our fellow human beings, we realize the promises of God within us. We realize their power. We realize their provision. We realize their meaning.
So, faith is two steps--believe and then live.
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