Friday, November 4, 2011
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
SOLA GRATIA
I was walking briskly through a store the other day, when I turned the corner and almost ran straight into an artificial Christmas tree. I was immediately aware that the "season of giving" is almost upon us.
Why do we give gifts every year? In some cases we give gifts because in the back of our minds we hope to receive something in return. When someone gives an unexpected gift, we feel obligated to give in return, don't we? There are times when we give out of compulsion, as if gift giving were just another chore to be accomplished.
But more often than not, our relationship with another person determines whether they will receive a gift from us. We search for the perfect gift for family and good friends, but spend very little time choosing one for an acquaintance. How often do we give gifts to our enemies? Were you planning on sending off any Christmas cards to all those people you can't get along with and who hate you -- wishing them a happy holiday season? Well, probably not, because we give gifts to those who are good to us.
As a child growing up in the Holy Roman Empire, Martin Luther thought that God's gifts were given in the same spirit as ours. He was taught that God gives Salvation and Eternal Life to those who are on His good side. When he asked how to "get on God’s good side," he was told to pray to Mary, to say confession, to venerate the bones of dead Christians and then God would surely have mercy on him. He became a monk because he thought that if he did he would surely get into heaven. He became a good monk and followed all the rules of the monastery. He gave away everything he had because he was told God is well pleased with the poor. He promised never to marry, because he was told that God was well pleased with those who remain celibate. Martin Luther did all these things because he wanted God to forgive his sins in return and grant him everlasting life in heaven.
But the Holy Spirit led him to see that what moves God to save is not a quality found in man, but a quality in God. In His love He determined to save us freely, as it is written: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." 