Coming to the Cross
As Christians we often look to the past and the future to try and determine who we are in the big scheme of life. Are we simply passing through, one day to be delivered to Heaven? Are we saved by our deeds or by our faith? This topic is one of great confusion for many modern day Christians. The answers come through with clarity in the book of Ephesians. This book is a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in the town of Ephesus while he was imprisoned in Rome in AD 61-62. Paul had previously spent 3 years in Ephesus expanding the church there primarily bringing Gentiles to Christ. The book of Ephesians was one of 13 letters he wrote giving guidance and furthering the teachings of Christ to churches he was instrumental in establishing and expanding.
Paul at first addresses Redemption.
“In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7”.
Redemption which most literally defined as gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, as Christians; the action of being saved from sin because of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us upon the Cross. We have been redeemed. We have been forgiven.
Paul then further addresses Salvation through Grace, the free and unmerited favor of God.
“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. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10
So we are saved by grace and grace alone not by our deeds. Grace; it is a gift. Because we have faith and become followers of Christ we inherit the gift of His Grace.
It all comes back to the Cross. Jesus paid it all by the sacrifice He made for us upon the Cross. So as Christians being saved by grace, free and undeserved, are yet created to follow the teachings of Christ and do good deeds. This does not mean we can live as we wish, so even though Christ died for us and we believe in Him. As Christians we must strive to be followers, to live by His commandments.
And so what do the good deeds look like according to the teachings of Christ. We find His teachings throughout the New Testament giving us guidance to the life we should be living. Finding what is of most importance we can look to Jesus in the book of Matthew.
“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second one is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Matthew 12:29-30
Simply what is of most importance is Love. With these two commandments Jesus covered the essence of the Ten Commandments given to Moses in the Old Testament. If we follow these two then as a result our actions will also follow. Love is a verb, not just the feeling we often attribute to it. It is an action.
So because of our faith, our belief in Jesus Christ, His death and Resurrection and becoming a follower we received the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of life eternal with Him in Heaven. And as to our deeds, as followers of Christ we must live a life according to His teachings, a life of Love. An example to others.
Is this an oversimplification? Maybe, but a very wise mentor of mine, my mother, a true follower of Christ, once gave me a tip of how to live a successful and happy life. She said “Bruce, Remember “KISS”, Keep It Simple Son”. And to that goes a big AMEN!
*Who was Paul?
Paul, often known as the “Apostle of Grace” was previously known as Saul a known persecutor of Christians prior to his conversion three years after the death of Christ. As a result of a vision with Christ he experienced on the road to Damascus he not only became a convert but served to evangelize, spreading Christianity throughout the remainder of his life. He has also been referred to as the 14th disciple.