Scriptural Reference:
"Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law
of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death... and
those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
Chapter 8:1-2,8

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him
must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
Hebrews 11:6

"and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make
you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 3:15

Reflection:
Are you a "Good" person? What is a "Good" person? So often I have talked to people who have not accepted Jesus the Christ as their saviour. And so often they state that they are good and don't need religion to be good. There are those who even have claimed that if God is good he would never judge someone who is good. As if a human quality of being good is somehow equal to that of a Holy God. This is a problem that I've encountered over several layers.

The first is that their concept of god is that any sort of god can be perceived in human terms. That humans and gods are basically the same. Though, and if they exist, gods' and goddesses are just a little more powerful. But they tend to suffer the same foibles and emotions as humans do. So they can be subject to the same moral logic as humans.

The second is a sort of knee jerk reflex to being challenged. They say they are already good and not in any way corrupt; so how dare a Christian act so self-righteous and call them anything but. This level has the ability to create the image that Christian's are setting themselves up as Gods' morality police. Making out that they alone can take the moral high ground. This forgets the very fact that Christians need to accept and admit that they are sinners. These are two very important features in becoming a Christian.

The third, and not last level, works on the concept that there's no actually "Bad" or "Evil" in the world. This false belief believes that all humans are neither of the two. More to the point it expresses such terms are negative and not constructive in coming to terms with the world. It's oddly within this grey malaise that we are now seeing decrepit people claiming to be perfectly normal. One such group now claims they are "Minor Attracted People"(MAP's for the acronym). They are nothing more than paedophiles making a mockery of morality and the suffering of children.

A brief explanation of several terms will assist us in understanding why Article 13 is important when reading through the Anglican Articles of Faith.

Supererogation:
Definition: the performance of more work than duty requires. Example: Some good deeds are supererogatory: they are optional and yet better than other permissible options. Examples: Enduring injury to save a life, doing a favour, and granting forgiveness.

Nominalist Definition:
Those who adhere to the external forms of piety and godliness while denying its power of faith.

The medieval nominalists, and those who still believe such theology, thought that even after the fall, God's gifts of reason and conscience remained intact. They pointed to the countless unbelievers who showed love for others over themselves as evidence. They also referenced passages like Luke 11:9 and James 4:8 to support their belief. That somehow humans could use their inner voice to decide what is right and wrong. This is an attempt at negating the need for a Holy God to reach out and save them. Yet in this they replace God with a human desire to believe they are good enough to do no harm: A self-delusion that masks insecurity.

Considering these worries, they concluded that there was a preliminary requirement before salvation. They pondered whether if God can give eternal life as a rightful reward for good deeds performed in a state of infused grace, could He also grant grace for good deeds done in a natural state? The nominalist response was affirmative. Those who strive to do their best in a natural state are rewarded with grace. But the question I raise is this; can there be grace without faith? This equation has two sides, and they're not the same, but they're both important: God gives salvation through grace, but you receive it through faith. You can't have one without the other. Without faith, grace is like a signal without a receiver. Without faith, you might miss out on what the Lord has already given. So my answer is that we can't receive Gods' grace without first having faith. It's by that faith that we see and learn that perceived good acts at any stage of life is of no value. As well that good acts after salvation are only valued if they are done to honour and praise God and His Son Jesus the Christ.

It's when God shows us the saving truth of Jesus the Christ, it stirs up a holy fear within us that helps us see our flaws and our urgent need for His goodness and grace. We start to grasp just how far apart His holiness is from our sinful nature, a gap we can't close by ourselves. The more we dive into His holiness and recognise the depth of our sin, the heavier that realisation feels, leading us to exclaim, "What a miserable person we are! Who's going to rescue me from this life of sin?" It's Gods' Son who answers this question.

It's only through this personal revelation that we can truly discern that all humans, that are all sinners, are saved through the atoning sacrifice, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and there is nothing they can do to earn it. For any actions performed without faith in Jesus the Christ and without the guidance of His Spirit are not pleasing to God. They do not prepare individuals to receive grace, nor do they deserve grace as a result. In fact, since they are not carried out in accordance with God's will and commandments, we can consider them to be sinful.

Just remember that as Christians we are called to do works in faith and to honour and glorify God through His Son Jesus the Christ. For these works are seen to be pleasing to Him.

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them."
Hebrews 6:10

 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
I recognise that I am a sinner,
That my nature is of no good,
Yet only by Jesus am I redeemed.

I pray that now that my past is
Washed clean by His atoning blood
I will always seek to please you Father
Through my humble acts of mercy
Towards those in need of your grace.

Steady my hand for the work
Ready my heart for the challenge
Lead me on the righteous path
Feed me on your Holy gospel words.

I pray these things in your Sons'
Precious name above all other names
Jesus the Christ my Lord and Saviour.

Amen