GRACE

Bottom line I’m a Christian….taking a look at my religion and taking a look at my faith are two very different things. Just a little background my family is part German and the other half Norwegian so the Lutheran way of life has always been in my family. I grew up going to a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church most of my life with both sides of my family (we make up ½ of the congregation when everyone is home…small town church) I went through 4 years of confirmation and was confirmed by the end of 8th grade. However, when I got into high school I really started to question my church, not my faith, but the foundation the church was giving to me. For over 2 years I think I checked out other churches in my town and some times I would drive 45min just to go to a church service. I wasn’t once questioning what I believed in, but I was having a hard time always staying focused on a proper path and wanted fellowship of others like me to keep me grounded. I was a very active youth in the church and was one that brought religion into the public school system. I looked at other denominations and other religions to help me find answers and still came back to my father of theology Martin Luther. What is a Lutheran you may ask…."A Lutheran is a person who believes, teaches and confesses the truths of God's Word as they are summarized and confessed in the Book of Concord."-The Book of Concord to check out more click on http://www.bookofconcord.org/whatisalutheran.html being a Lutheran is something I chose, it is just a title that helps me to relate to those of similar beliefs…I’m a Christian as my religion, but my faith is what I know when I look a scripture and aid by the doctorates of Martin Luther. I think the main word to look at when dealing with what I believe is the simple word GRACE. “Ephesians 2: 8For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9not by works, so that no one can boast.” Definition of GRACE to me is gift, something given to us that we can’t even imagine giving something back in return that would even compare to what was originally given. It is a gift we don’t deserve. Grace is so important to me because it is that gift God gave us when His son rose from the dead on the third day, it was his defeat of death for our eternal life. There is nothing we can do to ever match up to the death and resurrection of Christ. He was the ultimate gift, the ultimate sacrifice for us. We can’t work our way to heaven, there is nothing we can to earn the right to be there. Does that mean that we shouldn’t try to be a good person and to do honorable things….no that isn’t what I’m saying. I’m saying that by looking at GRACE and looking at the love Christ shows us we shouldn’t want to keep it to ourselves and our lives should reflect that love and that gift. In doing so we should want to do good deeds in honor of Him not wanting anything in return. We can’t earn our way to heaven it was already paid for. 2 Timothy 1: 8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and GRACE. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Those were my thoughts for today. As we look into the end of the Lenten season take a look at your own faith…what do you believe and why?
Sorry for the typos…please forgive. Have a wonderful day…if it is like mine it might be a little gloomy with the rain and the stress of class projects and things to come.
Peace and the GRACE of the Lord be with you,
Kris