Hi there,
So there is a simple fact that I think a lot of us overlook: you are rewarded more for saying "faith without works is dead" than you are for saying "we are under Grace".
What is the difference? The difference is maturity. More people realise that their faith requires something of them, than those that say "I am something because of my faith" - this is their maturity. While Grace is important, it is also fairly lightly believed (that is, it does not take much sense to understand). There is a calling beyond faith, that only works can justify. The weight of this, is the difference between a fulfilled life - as a believer - and a care free life, of a bystander. We must take this seriously, and ask for Wisdom.
There is an example, that might make this clear: say you are playing a videogame; and in this videogame, you start in an area that looks like it is joined to the end of the level (you see a familiar castle in the distance); you start to play and you realise that the end of the level is right there - this is Grace: you are not restrained from ending the level, as soon as you would like; then you start to look around, and you discover that there is more of the level that you have not explored and that if you ended the level "now" there is a lot you would never get the chance to explore - this is works. Now, no one is forcing you to live by Grace alone; nor is anyone saying that exploring the level is without risks; but the fact remains that there is a conquering spirit in you, that wants to be tested by the various obstacles of the rest of the level. This takes maturity.
In this example of the videogame level, you are required to develop a maturity with respect to the Grace shown in making the end of the level accessible. No one who has played the level extensively wants to hear about how important the Grace at the end of the level is, but by the same token, they will always happily speak of it, when introducing someone to the level - the fact that you can explore the level despite the end being "right there" is discussed subsequent to the Grace that has been shown. And indeed even when speaking of the works possible on the level, there is restraint: not to spoil the idea that the works are lead by the inspiration of the level creator and so forth. The whole idea is to share the enjoyment of the level.
So I wonder if this strikes you as original? Have you ever thought of a level ending that reminds you of Grace? Often games will end with a secret that you can only reveal by playing the level the way you are meant to. Does it strike you as freeing, that you are not forced to explore the level that God, the Game Master has designed? Do you understand the maturity, of respecting that the level was created with Grace, but that it also anticipated works, as it were in the same breath? How much greater are the works, when you are free to create them as you desire? Or do you see works as a snare, because they get in the way of Grace that can end the level immediately?
Now, I am not saying that it is sad that you die when you are creating new paths through the level, but you have to remember: the Grace has been seen! Even if you die early on, you know what the end of the level is like - you don't miss out on the experience of Grace, simply because you did something different. To be fair, "works theology" suggests that every work must be undertaken, in order to justify faith; whereas, there may be parts of the level, that you just don't want to play. The point I am trying to make, is that you never reach a point, where you don't want to "play something". There is a work that everyone is inspired with, when the Holy Spirit comes to indwell them. It's not a work they have to finish on their own; it's not a work that has to be completed a specific way - but it is a work, that brings their faith to life.
And that is something I believe we should be focusing on.
I hope this has been of some encouragement.
God bless.
So there is a simple fact that I think a lot of us overlook: you are rewarded more for saying "faith without works is dead" than you are for saying "we are under Grace".
What is the difference? The difference is maturity. More people realise that their faith requires something of them, than those that say "I am something because of my faith" - this is their maturity. While Grace is important, it is also fairly lightly believed (that is, it does not take much sense to understand). There is a calling beyond faith, that only works can justify. The weight of this, is the difference between a fulfilled life - as a believer - and a care free life, of a bystander. We must take this seriously, and ask for Wisdom.
There is an example, that might make this clear: say you are playing a videogame; and in this videogame, you start in an area that looks like it is joined to the end of the level (you see a familiar castle in the distance); you start to play and you realise that the end of the level is right there - this is Grace: you are not restrained from ending the level, as soon as you would like; then you start to look around, and you discover that there is more of the level that you have not explored and that if you ended the level "now" there is a lot you would never get the chance to explore - this is works. Now, no one is forcing you to live by Grace alone; nor is anyone saying that exploring the level is without risks; but the fact remains that there is a conquering spirit in you, that wants to be tested by the various obstacles of the rest of the level. This takes maturity.
In this example of the videogame level, you are required to develop a maturity with respect to the Grace shown in making the end of the level accessible. No one who has played the level extensively wants to hear about how important the Grace at the end of the level is, but by the same token, they will always happily speak of it, when introducing someone to the level - the fact that you can explore the level despite the end being "right there" is discussed subsequent to the Grace that has been shown. And indeed even when speaking of the works possible on the level, there is restraint: not to spoil the idea that the works are lead by the inspiration of the level creator and so forth. The whole idea is to share the enjoyment of the level.
So I wonder if this strikes you as original? Have you ever thought of a level ending that reminds you of Grace? Often games will end with a secret that you can only reveal by playing the level the way you are meant to. Does it strike you as freeing, that you are not forced to explore the level that God, the Game Master has designed? Do you understand the maturity, of respecting that the level was created with Grace, but that it also anticipated works, as it were in the same breath? How much greater are the works, when you are free to create them as you desire? Or do you see works as a snare, because they get in the way of Grace that can end the level immediately?
Now, I am not saying that it is sad that you die when you are creating new paths through the level, but you have to remember: the Grace has been seen! Even if you die early on, you know what the end of the level is like - you don't miss out on the experience of Grace, simply because you did something different. To be fair, "works theology" suggests that every work must be undertaken, in order to justify faith; whereas, there may be parts of the level, that you just don't want to play. The point I am trying to make, is that you never reach a point, where you don't want to "play something". There is a work that everyone is inspired with, when the Holy Spirit comes to indwell them. It's not a work they have to finish on their own; it's not a work that has to be completed a specific way - but it is a work, that brings their faith to life.
And that is something I believe we should be focusing on.
I hope this has been of some encouragement.
God bless.
