What is grace? Grace is the wild, progressive concept at the core of Martin Luther’s theology. We are invited to believe that God’s grace is more powerful than our sins and shortcomings. It is to believe that God will extend love and acceptance to all of us without us having to earn a single thing. When is the last time you were given something without having to earn it?
It is such a counter-cultural concept, especially in our capitalist society. But if we are to live into our calling as Christians, we need to accept this freely-given grace. Because we have been taught to earn our food, our friendships, and our love, it comes as no surprise that we also feel compelled to earn God’s grace.
Martin Luther writes: “I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith.”
As Luther reminds us, God has justified us through faith. Not through our actions, our to-do lists, or the leadership roles we take on in the church. God extends mercy to us, no matter what we have done, or left undone.
This message is excerpted from “Accepting God’s radical grace” by SommerAnn McCollough in the May 2020 Café online magazine. Today we commemorate Martin Luther, renewer of the church, 1546.
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