"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us..." When David penned this Psalm (67:1), he gave shepherds from that time forward a special blessing to place on the flock. Even today, you may hear your pastor pray those very words as the congregation leaves the sanctuary after worship.

Paul viewed God's grace as unearned and not under the influence of anything we can say or do. But his teaching upset some people and still does today. Theologians will argue forever over the issue that man's faith PLUS God's grace saves us, but in doing so they suggest God's grace isn't sufficient. And therein lies the source of much frustration. It's hard to trust what we can't see and don't control. In other words, if I don't play some part in it, how can I know it's real and how can I prove it to myself and to others?

When we're saved, it is by God's grace alone and that is what Paul is teaching. We must learn to trust God to do what He says He will do or we'll wind up being an actor. Far too many have a false assurance of salvation by pretending to be saved actually lying to themselves and God, saying He is responsible for the good things they do and they are responsible for bad things. That may sound good, but it's not Scriptural.

Men are walking billboards for what they believe, but we should be very careful not to judge something or someone by the wrapper of "why" they do it. Many do the wrong thing with the belief it justifies the "good" result, but you won't find that principle in God's word. Neither will you find endorsement for acting godly. Through the ages men have tried to look holy by crediting their good deeds to God, but they are at best questionable. Simply stated, salvation is defined by WHOSE we are, not by what we say or do.

There has never been anything man created that he didn't in some way eventually mess up. If you're saved but you think your belief plays a part in it, you should thank God everyday for the fact it doesn't!

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( Is. 41:17-43:13 Ep. 2:1-22 Ps. 67:1-7 Pr. 23:29-35 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

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