We Are Saved by Grace...and Effort!

In the fourth  century, the great Bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, wrote these words:  "God became human in order that humans might become God".  His words are a reminder that from early days, our Christian faith was seen as more than getting a ticket to heaven, more than forgiveness without transformation, and certainly more than a promise of material possessions or good luck in life circumstances.  From the outset, Christian faith, in fact salvation, is about being shaped and formed in the image and likeness of God.  It is becoming one with God, a process many early Christians called "theosis" or "deification".  It goes back to the Apostle Paul who said, "it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me..."  The purpose, then, of our salvation is to allow Christ to live in and through us, and in turn we become his hands and feet in the world.  This salvation begins on earth and our union with God lasts for all eternity. 

The question remains, though, how do we get there?  Do we find salvation simply by divine assistance (by God's doing it for us) or do humans have something to do in the process?  There are dangers if we go too far in either direction.  If it is only about God giving us salvation, then it really doesn't matter what we do with our lives; it has already been decided and you will either have it or you won't.  This takes us towards the doctrine of predestination (a view that John Wesley and the early Methodists saw as unsupported by the Scriptures).  On the other hand, if it is only about what we do (human effort or work), then why do we need God?  We, as humans, can find our own salvation.  What is the role of God's help and human responsibility in the salvation process?  There have been heresy trials and councils throughout Christian history attempting to resolve this dilemma. 

This may all sound like complex theological theory that has little relevance to life today, but the further I go on this faith journey, the more I am convinced that this is an important question.   It will determine not only what we do with our lives, but why we do it.   Take, for example, going to serve in a soup kitchen;  do we serve at the local soup kitchen as a way of working towards salvation?  Do we do it in the hopes that maybe we are one of the elect?  Do we do it simply because it is a nice thing to do?  Or are there other reasons?  (I will come back to another reason shortly).  On the other hand, if it is all predetermined and up to God anyway, couldn't I just go to the movies, instead of serving at the soup kitchen?  As we answer the "why" question, or at least wrestle with it, we find meaning (or the lack thereof) in what we do with our time. 

How does our Methodist tradition help us to answer such complex and confusing questions?  I believe that one of the gifts of Methodist theology is that it strikes a balance between God's initiative and human responsibility.  To begin, for John Wesley and the early Methodists, salvation was centered in God's grace (grace is a word used to discuss God's action or initiative, it could also mean God's love).  At the center of Methodist theology, we are loved by God and "there is nothing we can do about it" (to borrow a phrase from Marcia McFee).  God loves us from the beginning, before we are even aware of God's love present in our lives (prevenient grace).  God loves us enough to forgive us for sins and failures (justifying grace) , and God loves us enough to help us to grow to become more like Christ; to live a more holy life, to become a new person (sanctifying grace).  All of this is offered as God's initiative towards us.  God wants to be in relationship with God's creatures and God makes the first move. 

Yet, in our Methodist way of living, human effort and responsibility are required, as well.  Recently a friend passed along to me a copy of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, from 1928.  As I was flipping through it I paused at the "General Rules" for Methodist societies.  These, of course go all the way back to John Wesley, himself.  I was caught by how it states, "It is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they shall continue to evidence their desire of salvation"; there things that we humans have to do in the process.   It then goes on to list three actions for every Methodist to give evidence of God's grace in one's heart.  The first of these is to do no harm.  In this list it mentions avoiding every evil, and then specifically names taking God's name in vain, drunkenness, buying or selling slaves, uncharitable conversation, fighting, quarreling and brawling, needless self indulgence, borrowing without a probability of paying, just to name a few of them. 

The second evidence of salvation for every Methodist was doing good.  This list included being merciful, giving food to the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and the prisoner, instructing, and reproving.  Finally, evidence of salvation would come in a third way, by "attending upon all the ordinances of God".  This means attending public worship, studying the scriptures, receiving the sacrament of communion, fasting or abstinence.  These three actions were required of every Methodist:  do no harm, do good, attend to the worship of God. 

Yet, if God's grace is at the forefront of our salvation, what, then, is the role of these works?  Three things:  First, they are a response to God's initial grace.  It is not that God's love is dependent upon them or that we have to prove ourselves before God will have anything to do with us.  Rather, we love because God has loved us first; it is evidence of God's love finding a home in our own hearts.  Second, in serving, we reenact God's love to the world.  As others see us at work, it is a visible reminder of the invisible love of God.  This may awaken others to the reality of God's unconditional love for them, too. It reflects God's concern for the poor, the suffering, and the injustices of the world.  Third, these practices will position us to be further transformed by God's grace; they bring us closer to Gods' love and that in turn changes us. As Jesus said at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, "when you did it to the least of these...you did it to me".  Any time we encounter God, we are changed, even if gradually; we become more and more like Christ.   

This leads to the other reason, mentioned above, for why we might serve at the local soup kitchen.  We serve because it is a response to God's care for us, it is reenacting God's love and concern for the world, and it brings us closer to God's grace so that we can be further changed into the likeness of Christ.  When we see things in this light, our actions are more than scooping green beans or washing dishes and even more than just being nice, they are a vital part of God's salvation and healing in our own hearts and in all the world.  

In closing, both divine grace and human effort are necessary in our faith journey.  As Methodists we believe that God's grace works at the beginning of the whole salvation process; claiming us, redeeming us, and helping us to grow.  At the same time, our actions and efforts reflect the extent to which we are willing to allow that grace to change us.  If we claim to know and love God, but then show disdain to others, or live selfishly, or neglect those in need, we have not fully given ourselves over to God's grace and are still young in the process of salvation.  In addition, our human effort is necessary to enact God's love to others and to bring us to a place where we can connect with God in even deeper ways.  God's grace and human effort go hand in hand and through both we discover salvation!

God's Peace,

Brett