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The Citizen, 2018-05-17, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2018. From the Minister's Study Don't try to pay God for his gift: Ireland By Charmila Ireland Melville Presbyterian Church, Brussels John 3:16-17 and Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. Now, to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work, but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. Imagine that you've just finished a long, hard day at work. You've been watching children, dealing with people on the phone or planting fields. You're tired and sore and you don't want to deal with another person or take another step. Your back is aching, your patience is gone, you're stressed out. Then your boss comes up to you and hands you your paycheque for the day; the money that you've earned. Now that's better. You start to smile. Then... your boss says, "Here. It's a gift." I would be upset. Probably downright angry. That money isn't a gift. It's earned. It's wages for work completed - most definitely not a gift. To call it that devalues the work. This idea is in Romans 4. Paul writes, "Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due." So true. So take this attitude and apply it to Christianity. Think of God's love, salvation and eternal life. Now imagine this: on the day that you die, you march up to God and say, "Okay. I helped people, I ran Bible studies and I worked at homeless shelters. I'll take the keys for my mansion in the sky now" After all, you did the work. And to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift, but as something due. So, if you do good works here on earth, God owes you a reward in heaven, right? I'm pretty sure we all recognize how wrong that attitude is. And that's why we don't read only Romans 4, verse 4 - we might be tempted to take the standards of our world and culture and apply them to God. That simply doesn't work. Paul uses Abraham as an example of a righteous man. Abraham believed God and trusted God to love him, even without doing any works. For Abraham, and for us, the grace and love of God rest on faith, not on works. This idea reaches all the way back to Protestant Reformation tenets - Sola Fide - faith alone. Martin Luther called it the "doctrine by which the church stands or falls." He wasn't being melodramatic. Faith alone, this is it: the heart of the church. We are saved through faith, not by our works. In the eternal words of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." It's not "everyone who belongs to the Ladies Aid may not perish but may have eternal life." It's IN i BRUSSELS United Church not "everyone who is nice to kittens" or "everyone who tithes." No. It's "everyone who believes in him." It is on that faith alone that our salvation rests. And it is a solid foundation indeed. I'm not saying that you shouldn't do good things. By no means. Rather, all of those good works are not what saves you. They are evidence of your faith. Evidence of your salvation. You do them because you believe, not to earn something. You follow Jesus because of the love you bear him, not because it will get you into heaven. We live in an "earn" and "work" culture. Right from kids getting allowances for cleaning, to a promotion because you put in the hours. Whatever you get in this life, Welcome to Sunday morning worship & Sunday School at 11:00 am Hillary MacDonald (905) 246-7386 Macdonald.hillary@gmail.com Everyone welcome The Regional Ministry of Hope cz citX2-0 Everyone Welcome! Trinity Anglican Church St. John's Anglican Church BLYTH BRUSSELS ( 9:15 am 11:15 am MINISTRY OFFICE 519-357-4883 Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector © email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca The Regional Ministry of Hope COME WORSHIP WITH US! MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS SUNDAY, MAY 20 We invite you to join our church famfy in: Worship & Sunday School - 11 am Coffee & Snacks following the service Come out and meet our new minister, Rev. Charmila Ireland Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Soup & More 2 - a free community meal held in Melville's basement, and made possible by the Brussels churches working together. Nursery care available 519-887-6687 THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS. OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday 6:00 p.m. 17 Flora Street Winaham: Sacred Heart Sunday 9:00 a.m. 220 Carling Terrace Listowel: St. Joseph's Sunday 11:00 a.m. 1025 Wallace Avenue N. you earn it by working for it. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Except with God there is. With God, that whole culture of working and earning is turned on its head. This matters in two ways. First, God does not owe us. No matter how much we pray or how long and hard we work on God's behalf, God still does not owe us. What God did on Calvary puts us forever in God's debt. Then, where this bumps up against everything we've been taught, is that no matter how hard we work we'll never earn God's love. Picture this. Your best friend needs help moving. So you go and bring your truck and help them move all day. At the end, your friend opens their wallet, pulls out some $20s and gives them to you. How does that feel? For me, that wouldn't feel very Continued on page 17 You're e9nvited a join Gus Jn Worship SUNDAYS Morning Service 10:00 am Evening Service 7:30 pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743 You're Invited to come hors( p wit!i us Sunday, May 20 at 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. 650 Alexander St. (former Brussels Public School) Sunday School for children 4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m. Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers during the sermon. Coffee & cookies after the morning service. For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621 Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173 Blyth United Church Est. 1875 Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 9:30 am - 2:00 pm blythunited @tcc.on.ca Worship Service at 9:30 am Drive Thru Lunch & Supper Thursday, May 17 Potato, macaroni, broccoli and cauliflower salads, ham, tea biscuit and cheesecake 11 am - 12:30 pm and 4:30 - 6 pm - Tickets $12.50 Take out & Delivery only Pre -order with Donna Moore 519-523-9855 Orders on May 17th 519-523-4224 6, Accessible n Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches OFFICE: 519-523-4224 ,ope"". Row Can I Overcome AN;XIETY? This Sunday At Huron Chapel we have sought after counsellor, Bob Bramhill from Caring For The Heart Ministries with us in both Sunday morning services speaking on anxiety and depression (9am and i l am in Auburn). Bob and Gwen Bramhill