Christian devotion - Life's Greatest Gift - Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9          For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

            If ever there was a Christian who did a lot of great works and fulfilled many mighty tasks for God, it was the Apostle Paul. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he spent the rest of his life sharing the Gospel, planting new churches, and writing inspirational letters which have largely shaped our faith for over 1900 years. He was an exceptional servant of Christ and an amazing church leader, the likes of which we shall probably never see or experience again. If Heaven was only granted to us through what we do, then Paul could stand at the very beginning of the line of billions of people waiting to get in.

            And yet, even with all of the great and important things he fulfilled, Paul understood that his salvation did not depend upon what he did, but it absolutely hinged on everything that Jesus accomplished.

            The gift of Heaven comes to us through Christ’s grace. We are saved because He allows us to be forgiven and restored to God. Without Christ, we would end up being eternally separated from God; with Christ, we are uniquely given the promised opportunity of entering God’s everlasting and loving presence. Salvation is not awarded to us because of who we are or what we have done; salvation is given to us because of who Christ is and what He has fulfilled. His crucifixion has given us forgiveness; His painful death has granted us everlasting life.

            Today, we should all feel blessed to be Christians and cheerfully share that blessing with others – our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues – for in the end, isn’t this the gift that everyone is looking for at the end of their lives?

Questions for personal reflection

What do the words ‘salvation’ and ‘grace’ mean to me? How have I experienced them in my life?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of grace and the opportunity of salvation. Remind us each day that these promised gifts are real blessings in our lives. Give us the courage to share these blessings with our loved ones and others. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Today’s image is one of his latest Pentecost drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Pentecost.

Alleviating AIDS

For the Church to be effectively involved in AIDS ministries in our communities, Christians have to begin the journey of healing by showing contrition for past and present condemnations of those in the margins of society.

Ephesians 2:4,5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.

Tonight, I will be preaching at a special service to commemorate World AIDS Day in our town. People from different churches across the city will gather together to share their sympathy for those victims and families of this terrible disease. There will be no judgment or criticism of lifestyle choices; instead Christians will come together to show remorse for past intolerances and seek forgiveness of those we once castigated.

Families and friends of deceased AIDS sufferers will be in attendance. Some AIDS patients will also be there, possibly giving testimonies about what they have endured. It will be a sacred time to remember that we are all human and frail, in need of support and love, looking for God’s favor and compassion. In God’s eyes, we are all the same, and by His grace, we can all be saved.

I hope and pray that after the service hearts and minds will be changed, prejudices will be diminished and self-righteousness will be vanquished. A lot of the sorrow and pain that has been experienced by the AIDS sufferers’ community has been borne out of the criticism, indignation, and condemnation of the Christian Church. No one set out to get AIDS and the God that I serve didn’t punish people with it. If anything, it was an opportunity to show compassion and embrace those on the margins of society. We failed miserably as a faith, so we have a lot of contrition, repentance, and healing to experience before we will be trusted by the diverse sector of our community.

So let’s use this time to examine our own prejudices, inhumanity, and intolerances that we all have. Let’s place them before the Lord and ask His forgiveness. Only then can we begin the hard work of healing the world.

Prayer: O Lord, we have transgressed in Your sight and created divisions in the world. Instead of showing compassion to those on the margins, we showed contempt. Instead of asking what would You do to help, we condemned others to hell. Forgive us for failing to be Christian. Help us now to heal and be healed. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.