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.

This is an extremely familiar passage, but it spoke to me because just a couple of days ago I watched a video of Dennis Prager answering a question about the difference between Judaism and Christianity. He is a devout Jew, but is very friendly toward and appreciative of Christians, and he said that a fundamental difference is that Judaism is works based and Christianity is faith based. I had never heard it explained that way before, and it really got me thinking. As a Christian, of course, I find the good works of devout Jews very admirable, but insufficient for sinful man to be accepted by a perfectly holy God. Conversely, as James explains in his letter, faith isn’t to be seen as a “get out of jail free card.” Genuine faith works. As Jesus said, if we love Him we will obey Him. (John 14:15) Dennis said that in his devout upbringing, very little was said about the Messiah, and he finds a real disconnect between the Jewish expectations of the Messiah and the idea that Jesus was that Messiah, already come 2000 years ago. Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled all the good works required by the Law of Moses and that His righteousness is imparted to us by faith, since we couldn’t fulfill the law perfectly on our own anyway. Christians are to proclaim the glorious reality in these two verses, and at the same time not forget the next verse, which says that we are created for good works that God has prepared for us to do. Faith in no way excuses us from obedient action.

This is something I have struggled with all my life. I have had the facts in my head for as long as I can remember, but the level of my obedience, my “works,” is a different matter. At this point in my life, I occasionally wonder just how many more good works God has prepared for me to do! Sometimes the frustrations of this life seem overwhelming, but the Lord has spoken to that over the past few days. I am to rejoice to know the truth and walk in that freedom, delighting to fellowship with my Lord, seeking to hear and obey Him consistently and constantly. My own strength and wisdom aren’t up to the task, but He provides all I need. (James 1:5) I am to be the channel of blessing that He wants me to be, just as He wants me speaking about in the service this morning.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Today promises to be very busy, with a large group expected in the service and then the Coaching seminar this afternoon. I ask Your peace for Cathy and me, since neither of us are happy with crowds at this point. Help us indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in You throughout this day, so that we won’t get in the way of what You are doing but rather give You glory. Thank You. Praise God!