This is a reply to an email I sent T.J. He has a good sized church in Hollywood Florida. and has adopted 3 black children who are now grown up. TJ was a 1980s punk rocker and fell off a roof where he is now paralyzed from the waist down. we used to run together and talk about the things of God .
Here is his letter in discussing grace and works this week.
Thanks for the interaction Chuck and for reminding me of simpler days when we could get up early and fly around Lake Hollingsworth...very vivid and wonderful memories.
I'm not sure how to respond to your words except to say thanks and maybe to point out one of those places where Paul sort of boiled it all down , Galatians 5.6 "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love."
Faith and love are essentially the same as receiving and giving. We have to receive first, have to believe/receive grace before we can give (love , obey, serve). This is the whole thing with the sisters (Luke 10). Martha reversed the order, wouldn't see her gaping need , wouldn't see that even her best efforts were filthy rags, could only see that she should "love " and serve Jesus. That's when the filth of her efforts floated to the top and boiled over on to everyone. Mary chose to receive and Jesus commends her publicly for it. So, Chuck let's you and I receive grace by repentant faith and then let's love where it's easiest to do so (our wives and kids) and move out from there to love even our enemies. It's all about that: receiving (by faith) and giving (by love). "THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS FAITH EXPRESSING ITSELF BY LOVE" (paraphrase)
A short letter from a pastor friend of mine
