www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Why is grace a free gift that no one can earn?

Why is grace a free gift that no one can earn? This is my understanding..

Do any of you agree with my interpretation?

A individual commits a crime worthy of death. The authorities arrest them, charge them guilty in court and locks them inside a prison cell while placing them on death row. While in prison the criminal has a change of heart and becomes a law-abiding citizen. Now that they are guilty, charged with a crime worthy of death, will obeying the law save them? Will their works remove their guilt and set them free? No! They cannot earn their freedom! Works cannot save them. The crime has already been committed. So, what can remove their guilt? Perhaps a pardon from the King? So the King pardons them. The criminal is forgiven. The pardon was a free gift that no one can earn. The criminal receives life and is set free. So, can you see how we are saved by grace, through faith, which is dead, without works? So, what are some requirements to receive the pardon and what are some requirements to keep the pardon?


James 2:24
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Isaiah 55:7 - Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Christ is in our midst!!

BlindEyes,

Welcome to the forum. We hope your time with us is spiritually beneficial.

You ask:

Why? Because it is. You pose a question and then you answer it yourself.

I don't know where you are going with this. You seem to point to the Protestant view that one is justified by faith alone: Luther's "sola fide." OTOH, you cite St. James, in one of the Catholic epistles.

I think the confusion is over the idea that one "earns" his salvation by what he does--the idea that the creature can bargain with the Creator. That's something that should make a man cringe. No one of us has a handle on our Creator that He would "owe" us anything. The whole controversy missed the following points:

1. I am commanded to act in theperson of Christ wherever I go because of my Baptism: being "plunged" into Him and being His living image thereafter.
2. Christ has taught us His believing servants that when we have done all that we have done, we are to say "I have done nothing except that which I, as Your servant, am commanded to do, have mercy on me." We have no choice but to get busy being His Presence weverwhere we go. The command is tide to the Parable of the Talents: bury your talent (don't develop the gifts you are given) and be ready for the Lord's anger.

We must develop our faith gift, live it, be Christ's image wherever we go, and live out our lives in fear and trembling--fearing we will lose our salvation if we are not busy about the Lord's work while we still have breath and a heartbeat.

Bob
Moderator

You mention the protestant view being justified by faith alone. That's interesting. What is another view? Like the view of the eastern churches? I think you mentioned some but could you explain even further? Are you saying works are essential to faith but in the end we are just unprofitable servants only doing our duty? Like faith without works is dead, so faith without love is as nothing?

How do we know we have a faith gift? I'm not sure I have one. However, from time to time I pray to God and He answers the prayer with a sign, wonder or miracle. For example, I was in danger in the past. A roommate had recently broken my nose. I asked God if He wanted me to run while taking a leap of faith. Taking the leap would mean I'd be homeless. I asked Him to place two blue birds on a particular fence in the backyard. I said two to make the prayer kind of difficult but easier to understand and not to be mere coincidence. Nothing happened so I prayed for one blue bird and nothing happened while waiting. While I was in the backyard crying out to God two blue birds arrived. One on the fence as I asked and one on a cord nearby. I told God about Him placing one blue bird on the fence, could He now place two blue birds on the fence as asked the first time? Then the second blue bird was on the fence. So in the end God answered both prayers even when I was being fickle. I don't know whether or not this is a faith gift but God does things like this for me from time to time but a lot of the time my prayer goes unanswered. I have a question, if this is a faith gift, how would I develop it and how would I use it for God's purpose? If it is a faith gift what would it be called? Is there anything that can be done to get prayers answered more often? Like I learned this from Gideon and I tend to ask God for a sign to answer a question with a yes or no, do or don't, but a lot of the time it goes unanswered.

Can I just go out into the streets and tell people a testimony of the prayers God has answered for me through a sign, wonder or miracle? I've only had one miracle happen in front of someone publicly, other than myself and that was my mother. I simply told my mom that I missed snow. We were in Texas and it hadn't snowed in years. Then in less than two weeks it snowed. It wasn't necessarily a answered prayer but rather a gift towards my hearts desire. I say this because what if they ask for proof? I don't really know what to do with the testimony of these answered prayers. I also don't want to boast. Is it possible to give the testimony without boasting? I think it could be possible but I am unsure.

2 Corinthians 12:5-6
World English Bible
On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me or hears from me.

Not only that but there are still some sins I have trouble with. My eyes are not cleaned of beams so that I can clean specks out of the eyes of others. Can I still share my testimonies concerning the prayers God has answered?

Christ is in our midst!!

BlindEyes,

We don't challenge God. We don't ask for signs or proofs. We humbly walk along our pilgrimage. We do know that the Evil One and his minions can make signs appear to test the faithful believers and lead them astray. We know that the Evil One and his minions are active in the world today. Ask God to purge the thoughts that what you have seen is a sign from Him. Say with the saints "depart from me, I am a sinful man unworthy of signs or miracles." Ask for His mercy when these tricks come along. If they are from Him, He will be pleased at your humility. If they are not from Him, you may save your immortal soul because you did not fall for the Enemy's temptations.

I will not pray to God then say it is of the devil when the prayer is answered. I must be careful of blaspheming God or His Holy Spirit. I see nothing wrong for asking God to show me something to give me direction in life. A simply yes or no, do this or don't do that. How am I challenging God? What wrong have I done? I try to follow the examples of those before me.

Christ is in our midst!!

I think you need to understand that God is not some sort of Divine Vending Machine. By that I mean He is not bound to our prayers of petition, whether to answer or not. Father Seraphim Rose in his book "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" touches on the phenomenon you cite. He reminds us that the Enemy can fake miracles, signs, and wonders--and he does in order to lead astray believers not grounded in the Fatih.

The examples of those "before" us are the Desert Fathers, the saints whose lives are written for us, and our spiritual fathers. The idea of asking without reference to these sources and to the Church is one that poses danger to all of us. God will give you direction in your life through the Church. Put this in the hands of your spiritual father.

Remember that Christiantiy--following Christ--is not a "do it yourself" project.

I do believe the dark side can manipulate through signs, wonders or magic. I don't want to say I've seen it but there is a chance I have. I just don't want to accuse God for being evil. It's like I could be desiring something evil then temptation dealing with that particular something surrounds me sometimes. Sometimes all it takes is a thought and something seems to read my mind. Like I was talking to people about the lottery and covetousness. I get on the bus and in front of me, written on the back of a seat, it says money. Things like this happen often. One day I was talking to God about Odysseus being taught to us in school but not Jesus. I go looking on social media and found a channel I liked dealing with Jesus and some music I think. Not sure what I did but I think I clicked on something or looked up the song and it lead me to Odysseus. How could something of Jesus lead me to Odysseus? It was images of Christ which could be idolatry so that's possible. Not sure what the reason for this was but I tried to resist temptation. So, if a sign, wonder or miracle is good and without sin I believe it to be from God. For every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights.

As for God, I was looking in my backyard and I saw a squirrel. I asked God to protect the squirrel from backyard cats and birds. Like in this area where I live. Eventually I go outside to take out the trash. While walking to the dumpster I see a bird on a post. It swoops down right past me and flies into the backyard after the squirrel. The squirrel runs up a tree and gets away. This was literally minutes after praying. I personally believe God is teaching me and molding me like clay. The someone I told mentioned birds needing to eat. So I prayed for that. Then shortly after, maybe a couple days, with the prayer still fresh on my heart, I believe God showed me a bird with something in its mouth flying down the street. God does things like that for me from time to time. He even instills within me fear. One of my prayers led to a dog biting me in the face. Yet the other places me in jail and another prayer left me bleeding in strange places. I believe God is training me as He shows me mercy. He is my teacher.

Is salvation a free gift, or do we earn it?