Good Morning - Wednesday, September 7, 2005

Good Morning! 

 

Did hear yesterday that Joey returned over the weekend from the Gulf Coast.  Valerie's brother Ron was reassigned enroute to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. 

 

Don't forget that you can find all of the back issues of the daily email on the web at www.leapclass.blogspot.com.  

 

The new unit for this week is Unit  19 Justifying Grace  

 

Focus Scripture for the Week:   Titus 2:11  

 

 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all. 

 

Today's Scriptures:    Galatians 2:15-21     

 

Today's Discussion:   

 

-- this passage talks about a topic that we discussed in the past during our study of Romans.

 

-- the Jewish approach to salvation was all centered on the keeping the law -- not just the Ten Commandments, but all of various rules and restrictions, many of which are outlined in the early Old Testament books.  Some of the law had been developed by various rabbis as elaborations or explanations of the scriptures.  The net result was a overwhelming number of rules that a Jew had to follow in order to follow the law, including rules on food, housing, work, relationships, rest, worship, etc. etc.

 

-- the Jewish approach was that someone could earn God's favor and salvation through careful adherence to the law.  In some sense, there was a feeling that God could owe them salvation, if they were very good in keeping the law. This was clearly an example of a works-based approach to forgiveness.

 

-- in this passage, Paul spells out (again) the fact that keeping the law will not bring you to salvation; that man cannot earn salvation. As Paul says, if you could earn your salvation on your own by keeping the law, then why did Christ die?

 

--  while this passage is focused on the particular case of the Jews and their beliefs, its teachings are transferable to anyone who thinks that if they are a "good person" and "always do the right thing" that they will earn God's salvation, without having to profess a belief in Jesus Christ.  Again, it is the Pearly Gates vision of salvation -- do more good things than bad things, so that when St. Peter checks your account, if you are ahead on the good things, they have to let you into heaven.  That is what the Jews thought, and that is what many people are deceived about today.  There is only one way in.

 

Question for Sunday:   

 

-- do you know someone who is trying to earn their way into heaven, rather than believing? 

 

Today's prayer request:   Natalee Holloway's family

 

This story has been pushed completely out of the news due to Katrina and Chief Justice Reinquist dying, but it has been a heart breaking week for the family, with the release of all the suspects and seemingly no resolution in sight at all.  I think that the only prayer now for them is that they find the strength to go on with their lives without the resolution that they had hoped for, and pray that the resolution they want comes one day.

 

Today's class member prayer: 

 

Monica Harbarger

 

Have a great day.

 

Jay