New Beginnings

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.“ Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift, but as something that is due. But to one who without works trusts Him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also, David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness irrespective of works:

Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin. (Romans 4:1-8)

One of the central messages of this podcast is that God’s grace – his forgiveness, his strength, and his friendship – are gifts that are freely given to anyone anywhere who accepts them. As we begin our New Year, it is a good and right thing that we should remind ourselves about this relationship that we can have with our Creator.

We do not earn this grace by our good works. As Paul says in his letter to the Romans, a worker is due his wages. They are not a gift.

But God’s grace is a gift. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, called this “prevenient grace.” it is Grace that exist even before we ask for it. We simply have to accept the gift. It is there waiting for us.

Wesley takes us a bit further in our understanding by writing that “prevenient grace elicits the first wish to please God, the first dawn of light concerning His will, and the first slight transient conviction of having sinned against him.“ This grace causes us to respond with good works. Our good works are a way of telling God that we accept his gift of grace.

So, as we start our New Year, our first act should be acceptance of God‘s grace. And after that, our New Year’s resolution is to demonstrate to God, and to others, our acceptance by our good works.

Our Heavenly Father, help us to understand that our works do not earn us a place into the Kingdom of God. Rather they are a response to the gift of your grace, a gift that is freely given to us all. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.