Jan 10 - Psalm 40:8

I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart.

Psalm 40:8

One of the great historic theological battlefronts has been between faith and works.

In Romans 3, Paul says, "We are justified by God's grace ... effective through our faith ... apart from works prescribed by the law." But in James 2, this Apostle says, "faith without works is dead." Do they contradict each other? Martin Luther thought so. Therefore, since Romans was his favorite, he wanted to literally cut James out of the Bible!

Fortunately, he didn't.

And fortunately, these two concepts don't contradict.

If we view the distance between us and God as a canyon -- a canyon carved by our sins -- God bridges (present tense) that canyon with his love and grace. And it is faith rather than our works that helps us step onto that bridge.

Furthermore, once we take that step we realize that this bridge is greased -- and tilted downhill -- all the way home! (Salvation!) This means that once we discover God's grace, it should be a slip-sliding, rip-roaring "delight" (see our verse for today) -- not a duty -- to do God's will.

In this way, our works are a reflection of our faith -- not a requirement for faith.

Read that again. Our works should be a reflection of our faith -- not a requirement for faith.

How are your works a reflection of your faith?

In Christ's Love,

a delight-full guy