For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

Grace is the love of God, embodied in Jesus Christ, that makes us the holy and beloved people of God.  The gospel, or the good news, tells us we do nothing to earn this love.  It is absolutely free, on the house, pure gift.  God never abandons us though our human story is of sin and rebellion against God.  Rather, God embraces us with lavish generosity, conquering death on our behalf and offering us life.  In every way, in everything we do, in all we are, God is for us.  This is grace. For further reading:  Romans 5: 1-2; 6: 1-2 & 2 Corinthians 5: 17-19 & 2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17 & 2 Timothy 4: 8

Martin Luther said, “I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him.”  It is God as the Spirit and through the Spirit who enlightens us, makes us holy, and keeps us in faith.  In fact, Luther says the Spirit ‘calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth.’  We see in the Spirit God’s grace at work again:  Our relationship with God is from beginning to end God’s doing, God’s love in action.  Faith, our relationship with God that encompasses every aspect of our being, is entirely a gift from God.  Faith is not a one time gift.  The Spirit daily nurtures us continuously.  We need the Holy Spirit to spiritually discern things that come from God.

The words of the bible point us to the Word, Jesus Christ.  When we read the bible we meet God.  The Bible has authority because Jesus is its center.  God speaks to us through the Bible so we may believe in Jesus Christ.  God gave us the bible to be a ‘lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path’, and for us not be be ashamed in it because it is ‘the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…