For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.      Ephesians 2:8-9
This week, I want to reflect on one of the most famous passages in the New Testament: Ephesians 2:8-9. Generations of Christians have committed them to memory. Sermons based on them preached emphasizing how they form the heart of the Gospel. By grace you have been saved, through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Believe in Jesus so you will not perish and have eternal life, John 3:16 tells us.
But these verses are not the complete story. After Ephesians 2:8-9, there is v. 10. Chapter and verse divisions are not original to the Biblical text; chapter divisions date from the 1200s and verse divisions from the 1500s. But they are central to how many of us understand the Bible today. I want to think about Ephesians 2:8-10.
Since the Reformation in the 16th century, Protestants have claimed the insight expressed in Ephesians 2:8-9 as central to our understanding of what it means for Jesus to save us. Martin Luther famously had a moment of clarity on this concept, which sparked his protest and eventual separation from the Roman Catholic Church. Even though Romans 1:17 was actually the verse that turned the light bulb on for him. He wrote: “Then finally God had mercy on me, and I began to understand that the righteousness of God is a gift of God by which a righteous man lives, namely faith.”
Some 500 years after Luther had this insight, a Lutheran seminary professor, Theodore Engelder, wrote an article called “The Three Principles of the Reformation,” which noted the centrality of several “solas” (the Latin word for “alone”) in the thought of many Protestant reformers: Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone (sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide). As Engelder and many authors after him explored this thought further, they often used Ephesians 2:8-9 to illustrate the necessity of grace and faith alone.
But (and this has been a historical turning point), grace alone is the necessary beginning, but it isn’t the end. It is very important, absolutely crucial, in fact, that we understand that we cannot save ourselves. That’s Jesus’s job. But what does Jesus save us for? What is our job? That’s where Ephesians 2:10 comes in. And what is v. 10’s answer? Good works.
“Good works” are troubling words to Protestants. Belief in the necessity of doing good works to earn God’s favor is what the Protestant Reformation saved us from, isn’t it? Yet, as passages such as Matthew 25:31-46 remind us, there is actually a need for good works to be done in a world full of the effects of human sin. We need people to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and do all the other things the faithful servants do in Matthew 25. The needs of the world call for people to do good works and also to do good work.
Paul in Ephesians 2 agrees with his Lord and Master in Matthew 25 that grace does not save us by faith so that we can sit on our hands and wait for God to work. Grace saves us through faith so that God can re-create us and renew us and infuse more and more of His grace into us, to enable us to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty. We do not do it to earn God’s love; we do it rather because of His love and out of His love.
Let us go forth in the strength of God’s love and in the encouragement of Ephesians 2:10. Do good works, and do good work.
 
Lord Jesus, thank You for saving me by grace through faith. Thank You for preparing good works for me to do. May I do good work for Your glory. Amen

For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.
1 Corinthians 7:23-24

​In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul has much to say about our calling. Often, he used the language of calling when referring to what we might call our conversion experience. When we first said “Yes” to the Good News of God’s grace in Christ, God was calling us into a relationship with Him and into partnership in His mission.
Some immature believers in Corinth thought that, as Christians, they needed to leave behind their former life, including key relationships and social locations. Paul, however, encouraged people to remain in the condition in which they were called, and to use this situation as a context for serving God and people. Paul also urged the Christians in Corinth to see themselves in a new way in light of their godly calling.
In 1 Corinthians 7:21-24, Paul specifically addresses the case of slavery. It’s hard for us in the United States to relate to what Paul says because our own history of slavery is so evil, especially with its dehumanizing racism. Slavery, in Paul’s day, was nothing to be praised. It involved people owning other people, which is inconsistent with the created dignity of all human beings. Yet slavery in the Roman Empire was not essentially racist, and many slaves were both well-treated and well-regarded. It was common, in fact, for slaves who could become freed persons to choose to remain slaves for their personal benefit.
What should slaves do when God calls them to faith in Jesus Christ? Should they try to become free? Should they remain slaves? Paul counsels slaves not to focus on their socio-economic role so much as on who they are in Christ. Whether they are slaves or freed people, they can serve the Lord in their present condition.
Moreover, their calling to Christ helps them to see their reality in a new light. “For,” Paul writes, “the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person” (v. 22). Because of their calling from God, slaves have a new identity in Christ, to whom they belong as freed people. Those who have been freed from actual slavery also experience a new reality because of their calling. By acknowledging Christ as their Lord, they have become in effect “a slave of Christ” (v. 22). All Christians, whether slave or free in their earthly identities, have been “bought at a price” (v. 23), the price of Christ’s death for our salvation. Therefore, we are owned by Christ, and this ownership overshadows any other socio-economic relationship we experience in life. Slaves can see themselves as profoundly free in Christ, while freed people can see themselves as slaves of Christ. (If Paul were writing today, I expect he might use language that is common to us. Perhaps he would encourage us to think of Christ as our boss, and to see ourselves as His employees.)
What this means is that, though I may very well remain in the condition in which I was when God called me, that condition no longer defines me. My role at work, for example, matters because it gives a context in which I can live out my faith in Christ. But my role at work doesn’t tell me who I really am. Because I have been called, I now see myself primarily in relationship to the God who called me, to whom I belong, not only as a freed person and slave, but also as a beloved child and a missional partner.
You may be the CEO of a major company, a brand-new intern, an entrepreneurial small business owner, a high school teacher, an executive assistant, a firefighter, a house painter, a student, you name it. No matter what title you wear at work, it does not define you. What defines us most of all is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This relationship not only gives us inestimable value and heavenly purpose, but it also helps us see our reality in a whole new light.
 
Dear Lord, thank You for giving me a whole new way to see myself and my life. Thank You for giving me a new way to define myself and my value. Amen

Romans 5:1-8
 
We are about to enter what is known as “Ordinary Time” in most Western Christian traditions. Ordinary Time refers to the long period of time between Pentecost and Advent. "Ordinary" does not mean plain or common. The name comes from the Latin word ordinalis, which refers to numbers in a series, as the weeks during this time are counted in order. During this long period covering summer and fall, I want to use Romans 5:1-8 to both challenge and encourage us in our discipleship.
At the beginning of Romans 5, Paul speaks encouragement to the church in Rome, reminding them that as they are justified by faith in Christ, they can share in God’s grace and His glory. Then he hits his readers with a bit of the challenge: disciples will suffer. But, Paul says, that’s not the end of the story: “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame.” (Romans 5:4-6). Why is this true? He reminds us that we have the Spirit and we can trust in Christ, who died for us while we were yet sinners. Because of this, our suffering is not pointless.
As I was thinking through the passage in preparation for writing this, I was reminded of the Methodist liturgy for Holy Communion (Eucharist) in which the words “While we were still sinners” are used. These liturgies were written with words using many Biblical phrases.
In most Eucharist (Holy Communion) liturgies, we confess our sins before we approach the Lord’s table. Then, after we hear words of assurance and pardon, we approach the table in the confidence of our forgiveness and are welcomed by God. I want to share the Methodist liturgy for the Eucharist. It is worth quoting the whole exchange.
The invitation:
Christ, our Lord, invites to His table all who love Him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.
Confession and Pardon
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved You with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done Your will, we have broken Your law, we have rebelled against Your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All pray in silence.
Leader to people
Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
People to leader
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
Leader and people
Glory to God. Amen.
 
I think these are good words to live with during Ordinary Time. They reflect the challenge of our discipleship and our continual need for repentance. They also offer encouragement and confidence that we have as children of God, forgiven and welcomed into the family. We will no doubt fail during these weeks that we are counting ordinal numbers. And when we do, we can turn, confess our sin, and return to the Lord who forgives.

Exodus 2:1-3
 
Not a single word this woman ever spoke is recorded in the Bible, but the effects of her words and actions reverberate throughout Scripture and the history of God’s people. Her name is never mentioned in connection with her actions. So, who is this great woman? She is the mother of Moses, who led Israel out of the bondage of Egypt.
She already had two children, Miriam and Aaron, and was expecting her third child. In time, she gave birth to a precious little boy. In fact, the Bible says he was a beautiful baby, no ordinary child (Ex. 2:2, see also Acts 7:20 and Hebrews 11:23). The truth of the matter is that there was something special about this baby right from birth. He was a truly remarkable, beautiful baby. Why? She trusted God enough to protect the life of this precious little boy. For three months, she hid him from the world, but you can only hide a baby for so long. After all, babies make noise – happy noises, and unhappy noises too.
Pharaoh’s command was to kill all the baby boys, but she got creative. She went to work to construct a papyrus basket (Ex. 2:3). Picture a bassinet made of reeds, heavily coated inside and out with waterproofing, padded inside with a blanket, topped with a lid to protect from the sun. Then, perhaps, with a prayer, he was sent to float in the river. And as an extra precaution, his older sister stood watch nearby.
Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe on this particular spot in the river and saw the basket. When she opened the lid, she saw that precious, beautiful baby, and she fell in love with him right away. Even though it was against her father’s command, she took him and raised him as her own son.
But that’s not the best part. You know the story: Pharaoh’s daughter hired his mother to nurse Moses until he was weaned. So Moses’ mother got to keep her child for three whole years and teach him about God! Evidently, she did a very good job teaching him; he never forgot the faith lessons he learned in those formative years of his life.
 
Wow! What a reward for her great faith! The time spent with her son, especially the godly heritage she instilled in him. She did not have to labor with the other slaves, making bricks to build cities for Pharaoh, but she got to be a real, honest-to-goodness stay-at-home mom! She devoted that time to her son, keeping the house clean and making sure supper was ready when the family got home. But her primary responsibility was to ensure her baby boy was well-nourished and properly trained in the commands and promises of God. After all, one day he would be the leader of this nation. Did she know that? She knew he was special, that God had a plan for him, even if she did not know every detail of that plan.
She was still alive when her son fled into exile after killing an Egyptian. How it must have broken her heart to see him go, for now she had lost him for the third time. She had no idea if she would ever see him again. But I have no doubt that although her mother’s heart must have broken to see him go, her faith in God was not shaken in the least, for she knew that God was still in complete control. Who is she? Her name, Jochebed, is mentioned only twice in the Bible in family records: Exodus 6:20 and Numbers 26:59. We may not be familiar with her name, but we know the effects of her faith in raising her children.
As mothers (and fathers), we too must trust God with our children. Will they grow up to be great leaders like Moses? We don’t know. But one thing we do know: God has a plan for their lives. Once our time training them is done, it is time to let go. It is no easy task, but the God who gave them to us in the first place can
 
Dear Lord, teach me wisdom. Help me to see my children as who You designed them to be, instead of the images I have set up in my mind as their parent of who I’d like them to become.

Have you ever had a leaking roof at home and needed to find someone to repair it? Just scheduling a contractor, getting estimates, and arranging the timing can already be a headache. If the roof actually has to be torn open, it becomes even more troublesome—dust everywhere, loud construction noise, high costs, and worries about how it will be repaired afterward. A roof is meant to protect a home. Who would willingly tear it open?
Yet in Mark 2:1–12, four men were willing to do exactly that in order to bring a paralyzed man before Jesus. They opened the roof and lowered him down from above. Scripture does not record their names, nor does it tell us whether they were family members, relatives, or friends. But everything they did was filled with faith, love, and courage, and they received the Lord Jesus’ praise.
It is truly a beautiful story.
Most of us assume these four men were the paralytic’s friends. They spared no effort and were not afraid of inconvenience in bringing their friend to Jesus. First, they had to persuade him to come. Then the four of them worked together to carry him to the house where Jesus was staying, after first finding out where He was. When they arrived, the crowd was so large that they could not get in, and others may not have been willing to make room for them.
So they came up with the idea of lowering him through the roof. They had to work together to open the roof and later repair it. Along the way, they needed ropes, likely endured criticism, and perhaps even listened to complaints from the paralytic himself. Yet they never gave up.
I love this story because it awakens a deep longing within us—the desire to have friends like these around us: people who help us in hardship, listen to us in sorrow, and support us when we are wounded. In our spiritual growth, we truly need genuine friends—spiritual companions who walk with us.
In today’s technologically advanced society, people are increasingly afraid of inconvenience. This mindset often keeps us from doing thoughtful things for others. In reality, many acts of care are not difficult—they are simply inconvenient. They take time and require us to go one step further.
If we want to become close-hearted friends with others, and even help them understand God’s work in their lives, then we must be willing to invest time and not fear inconvenience. The paralytic’s friends could have hired others to do the work, but they chose to do it themselves and personally care for him. They understood that real presence carries power, and human relationships cannot be replaced.
If we invite a friend to church, we may need to call them on Sunday morning to wake them up, or even pick them up personally. If we desire to see a friend grow, we may need to pray with them, read Scripture with them, listen to their doubts, and share our own life story. These things are not difficult—they simply require sincerity and a willingness to be inconvenienced.
Let us reflect: Have some of our friends missed seeing the beauty and power of Jesus because we were afraid of inconvenience?
The paralytic’s friends were not discouraged by obstacles. Instead, difficulties inspired creativity. Problems can become opportunities, and inconvenience can become blessings. When we labor for the sake of Jesus and for the lives of others, everything can become something beautiful.
The beauty of spiritual life is not only that we ourselves are blessed, but that others are blessed because of us.
Not only that, these four friends worked in unity to carry the paralytic to Jesus. Carrying one person is not easy—how much harder to carry a paralyzed man. They needed the same pace, the same height, the same method. They had to lift him onto the roof, lower him carefully, and cooperate in opening the roof. Otherwise, he could have been injured—or even fallen to his death.
Spiritual growth is the same. Each of us has a place in the work of the gospel. We must work together to bring ourselves and others before Jesus. We are not only friends—we are brothers and sisters in Christ, a bond even deeper.
We thank God that brothers and sisters from the Mandarin, Cantonese, and English congregations all joined the “123 Let’s Go!” mall outreach. This is exactly the kind of ministry these four friends modeled—working together to bring people before the Lord Jesus. May we seize every opportunity to become helpers and companions to others.
In God’s kingdom, no one can do everything, and no one can do nothing. Around us are many unnamed servants who quietly and faithfully serve God. They do not seek recognition. They simply stand faithfully in their place, sharing the work of God’s kingdom for the good of others.