Saved through faith
Day 625, Tuesday, April 28
Ephesians 1:1 – 2:10
Ephesians begins with joy and praise to God for the salvation we have received through faith in Jesus Christ.
Even in these joyful verses, people have managed to find controversy. One of the great splits in Christianity today is over predestination—the idea that long before we were born, God decided who was destined to be saved and who was destined to be condemned.
Today predestination is mainly supported by Presbyterians, the United Church of Christ, and some Baptist churches. Methodists have always rejected predestination, believing that God intended all persons to be saved, but that he gave us the free will to reject salvation.
The verses we read today provide support for both the supporters and opponents of predestination.
Verse 1:11 is often used in support of the theory. “All things are done according to God’s plan and decision; and God chose us to be his own people in union with Christ because of his own purpose, based on what he decided from the very beginning.”
Verse 1:13 is used to counter the idea of predestination: “And you also became God’s people when you heard the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised.” That sounds more like faith being the human response to God’s prompting.
The temptation that comes with that belief, and one that must be guarded against, is the tempation to confuse human response with human initiative. “For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.”
A third alternative, mainly found in more “progressive” Christian communities, is the idea that, in the end, all people will be saved and that no one will be condemned. That belief also claims support from this part of Galatians. Verse 1:10 says, “This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything on earth, with Christ as head.”
That alternative, though, looks only to a future reality and disregards the here-and-now blessing of being freed from bondage to sin. In 2:4-5 we read, “But God’s mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God’s grace that you have been saved.”
Tuesday meditation
Psalms 118:22-29
The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all. This was done by the Lord; what a wonderful sight it is! This is the day of the Lord’s victory; let us be happy, let us celebrate! Save us, Lord, save us! Give us success, O Lord!
May God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! From the Temple of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God; he has been good to us. With branches in your hands, start the festival and march around the altar.
You are my God, and I give you thanks; I will proclaim your greatness.
Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good, and his love is eternal.
Prayer focus
Open the hearts of the people you created, God, so that all might turn to you and be saved.
-Rev. Mark Fleming