sola gratia

Grace alone. Salvation is through grace alone. Salvation is not inherited by birth in a big family. certainly can not be bought. it can not be obtained through any acts of kindness or generosity. But only through grace alone. not the Grace that i and you think in our minds or see through dreams but illuminated to us through scripture. Sola scriptura.

The scripture that you and I have in our hands is about one person and one act. The person is God-man Jesus Christ who is perfect representation of invisible God, radiance of God Glory, and creator of this universe. The act is the atoning sacrifice of himself for our salvation. Man was created to have close relationship with the creator. But on mans disobedience, separation happened at the garden. Separation is so big that only way to saved back to the creator is through an act of grace by this God-man Jesus Christ.

If we decide to believe this message and follow this God-man as the guiding light to restore the original relation we had with God. If we are to be saved, all needs to believe this message and follow Him. there is no exception. If you are a Jew or a Greek. If you are rich or poor. if you perform miracles in Gods name or not. if you are considered a religious leader or not. if you are a scientist or not.

The parable talked at Luke 15: 11-31 is about 2 sons. Both needed the grace of God. Only the younger one realized it and elder one thought he deserved it because he was going to church for a long time. the parable ends with the Father pleading the elder one that it is - sola gratia :- amazing grace, he was lost and is found.

The parable ends there but Luke continues the story. The story ended with elder son killing the Father for letting the younger son into the home. This elder son behavior i have in me. just because i know the scripture better than others, i want the better share of the inheritance. just because i know a better way to pray, i want to be blessed better than my brother. Just because i spend more time at church, i don't want anybody close to me.

You may start thinking that i fully misunderstood the parable. if you think that way, please contact me. i would love to spend sometime why i think this way.