For the fourth Sunday in Lent, the three assigned readings of Series B are Numbers 21:4-9; Ephesians 2:1-10 and John 3:14-21. Chosen to preach on this week is Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

There are at least three uses for a woodworking magazine. One is by reading it you discover which are the best tools to purchase; the second is to learn how best to build some furniture and the third reason to subscribe might be in order to learn where all the woodworking shows are in the country. But what may work for a magazine does not work for the Bible. There are those who read the Bible to discover what they can do to get on God’s good side; there are others who read the Bible to learn principles of life in order to be successful in business and then there are those who read the Bible to clarify how God provides free salvation without any help from us.

A most important verse in the Bible for that latter purpose for reading the Bible is Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9. One wonders how anyone reading that could possibly get it wrong. But if your concept of salvation includes how you contribute to your salvation, then verse 8 would be read in this way:  The free gift is not faith you receive from God but rather God’s grace in order that you might make a decision to believe in Jesus Christ.”

However, in this verse, God’s grace does not refer to some power substance that enables you to decide to have faith. No, grace refers to God’s gracious attitude towards you. Most people living under the Law (thinking that what they do makes a difference as to whether they go to heaven or hell) would transform this verse to read, “For by grace which God gave you, you have saved yourself by deciding to believe using that grace which was a gift from God and not of your works.” How sad.

Just as those who cannot accept infant baptism are living under the Law, so also those who regard grace as a power source to help get you saved live under a delusion. How many times does Jesus have to reveal, “You have not chosen me; I chose you!”? Why do Christians look to their works as a comfort? Because they cannot come to grips that sin is so bad that it took God Himself to take care of the punishment we deserved. Denying salvation as a free gift is a kind of defense mechanism that the Old Adam erects in order not to have to die. But to put to death the Old Adam is the proper purpose of preaching the Law which then can be followed by the glorious Gospel of salvation by grace–which is a gift, through faith–which is a gift. on account of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ–God’s gift to the world.