September 30: Saved and Called

But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, "It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses." The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter… Peter stood up and said to them, "…God, who knows the human heart, testified to them (the Gentiles/uncircumcised) by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us… we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." (Acts 15:5-11)

WARNING: IF YOU WANT CLEAR CUT ANSWERS AND MONOLITHIC UNDERSTANDINGS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH DO NOT PROCEED ANY FURTHER.

Okay now that I have that warning out of the way… welcome to my whirling and twirling world. The more time I spend with the Bible the more questions I have… and the fewer answers. Today we are told that we are saved by grace and there is nothing for us to do but avoid a couple of particularly problematic practices as part of our salvation. But just a few days ago we read: "It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)

So which is it?

Do we have stuff to do for our faith… or not? Because I’m getting confuzzled here and I sure wouldn’t mind if the Book of Acts would be a bit more consistent!! (Okay actually I’m reveling in it because I have a love of ambiguity and paradox and believe it to be the heart of our walk with God… but I can certainly see how such inconsistency would make many of us quite frustrated!)

So what is going on here?

Well, once again, I’m lacking in the book of God’s authoritative interpretations of Holy Scripture… so I’m just going to have to tell you what I think might be going on.

It might just be that there is, in fact, a difference between being saved and being a disciple.

We all are called to be disciples, I firmly believe that. But we aren’t all ready to act on that calling… many of us – like many of those in Biblical story – are still weighted down with other concerns be they lifestyle, family, or trust. And truth be told those concerns never go away, disciple or not. But many of us still follow in the footsteps of the rich young ruler, and the various would-be followers of Luke 9, and the crowds of disciples in John 6 (the list goes on) who choose to walk away from Christ because discipleship just asked too much for them at that time. (I would remind you that Nicodemus walked away in John 3 as well… and yet at the cross it is Nicodemus who is ready to claim Jesus body when the disciples are conspicuously absent.) So discipleship is hard – and we aren’t all ready or able at all times in our lives. However… just because we aren’t ready to answer the call of discipleship doesn’t mean we aren’t saved.

That we are saved by Grace just is… it isn’t a fact because I can’t give you observable evidence – but it is a faith claim that is just true, regardless of whether I choose to acknowledge it or not, believe it or not, live into or not. If God is sovereign (and I believe that God is) and God has, in Jesus Christ, died and risen to save all of God’s creation (which I believe God has done) then we are saved: like it or not, accept it or not!

We do not need to be circumcised… we don’t need to earn it; we do not even need to live into it. God loves us BEFORE we can even do any of that… and in love God has named, claimed, saved and redeemed us… still BEFORE we can do any of that. This is what the disciples are discerning and claiming in our text today.

However…

The story doesn’t end there. Salvation isn’t simply for salvation’s sake.
Salvation is ultimately about entering in, living in, and witnessing to, the Kingdom of God.

This is where discipleship and apostleship comes into play. This is where the discomforting and transformative power of God comes into play. This is where our “right” becomes our responsibility.

That we are saved and inheritors of the Kingdom of God is a done deal. But actually living into the joy of that Kingdom here and now – seeing the Kingdom of God as tangible reality (fact) and living in that Kingdom even as we walk the highways and byways of this world is a matter for our journey of discipleship. Anyone, everyone, is saved. Being a disciple requires answering the call and embarking on the journey… and yes… it does require “doing” things.

Do you feel the blessing of God’s salvation that claims you as one in whom Christ dwells and delights?

Are you seeking to see, live and show others the Kingdom of God?

What helps you know when you are walking in the Kingdom and living kingdom ways, and when you are not?

Almighty Savior God,
You have saved us. It is a done deal: signed and witnessed. Help us to feel the joy of your love in our life, and to answer the call of truly living into that joy in all that we do and all that we say and all that we are. Let us be a window to you for the world. Amen.