The Salvation Enigma

God's grace is a gift that cannot be earned; it can only be accepted.

Do not say, "His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins," for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. - Ecclesiasticus 5:6

One of the most puzzling things about our faith is the concept of salvation.

I grew up believing if I did bad things in my life, I would be punished for them, possibly throughout eternity, if I failed to repent and return to God.

Then along comes this message that Jesus died for our sins, making it sound like we are saved even if we don't repent.

How can that be?

I get it that we don't want anyone left out.  All should be saved, but shouldn't there be conditions?  Shouldn't we have to do something more than just accept God's grace?

If my future debts are already paid, won't I get greedy and spend like crazy?

In today's reading, Sirach warns us not to live as if all is forgiven.  He says God doesn't like it when we play with His mercy.

While grace may be freely given, acceptance of that grace requires a commitment.  We can't just say we will cash in our chips later and continue to do whatever we please now, for that shows we are not truly repentant.

Sirach is saying God knows.  He will judge whether or not our convictions are true.

So, there is work on our part.  We need to want it bad enough to live like we have it and treasure it.

The choice is ours.  We can accept God's grace and do all we can to live in it, or we ca reject it.  And once rejected, we might not get it back, not because God doesn't offer it, but because we wait too long to come home.

More to come...