God’s forgiveness is complete, but it doesn’t erase every consequence of sin. Exploring the guilt offering in the Book of Leviticus reveals how God’s grace calls us to confess, repent, and take action to restore what our sins have broken.
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good works
Many Protestants assume that Catholics teach that you need faith and works to be saved. Catholics, similarly, often assume that Protestants teach that works are irrelevant to salvation. The reality for both is more nuanced.
I don’t think we want to compartmentalize our faith, but often we do. We don’t try to be Sunday Christians, but the label sometimes fits. It can be a struggle to connect our faith with the rest of our week. When you’re cleaning up after your kids or facing a deadline at work, does it matter that you’re a Christian? Is there a Christian way to approach architecture, sales, or manufacturing? Should there be something distinctive about a Christian’s shopping, free time, or sleep schedule? I’d like to suggest three biblical principles that can help you take your faith 24/7.
There’s a scene from the old movie, Superman, where Clark Kent’s father says to him: “Son, you’re here for a special reason. I don’t know what that reason is, but I know one thing – it’s not to score touchdowns.” His father’s intent isn’t to knock football, but to challenge his son to live in light of what he’s been created to do. I think Christians can often lose sight of that focus. Somewhere along the line, we get the impression that God’s goal is to just keep us from sinning. As long as we don’t do anything terrible, He’s not too concerned about what we do. But that’s not the Christian message at all.
It’s not surprising that the aspect of Christianity that is most unique is also the most misunderstood. Christianity makes the outrageous claim that God completely pardons sinners and gives them eternal life solely on the basis of their faith and not as a result of anything they have done morally or religiously to deserve it. This is what distinguishes the Christian message from almost every other religion. But it begs the question: What part do good works play in the Christian life? Doesn’t God care how a person lives? Our minds immediately race to movies featuring mafia members in a confessional booth or church service and then hours later committing some shocking crime. Is that what the Bible teaches? Two seemingly contradictory passages of the Bible help clarify the place of good works in a person’s salvation.
Last time, we considered the ‘almost Christians’ who thought they were on-side with Jesus but found themselves denied entry into heaven because of their lack of repentance and relationship with Him. Perhaps that’s still too vague for some people, though. Is there a way to evaluate what you believe to make sure you’ve actually responded to the heart of Jesus’ message? One of the places to look is at the people who walked away. We often hear about the crowds who gathered to hear Jesus speak. But there were also those who heard His message and turned from it. Rightly understood, Jesus’ teaching invites some and repels others. Consider his encounter with a man who walked away, and evaluate your own faith in light of the exchange.