The Fault in Our View

by Lisa Coleman

A parable is told about a little boy who persuades his father to take him to see a great parade that was passing through the village. As they neared the parade route, the crowd grew thick. The father lifted his son and placed him on his shoulders. The boy watched the parade with all its color and wonder, and he grew prideful of what he saw and mocked those who saw less, saying, even to his father on whose shoulders he perched. “If only you could see what I see.”

What the boy did not look at was why he could see.

We tend to become confused in this world of competition, work and achievement and begin to believe that the success is ours. Credit is due but not for our work and efforts. It goes to the One who carries us daily. The One who gave everything for us.

In 2009, a new billboard appeared in downtown Chicago. In big letters it asked: “Are you good without God? Millions are.”

It obviously stirred up controversy as “it was aimed to hearten humanists, atheists, and agnostics who might feel isolated or misunderstood in their quest for alternatives to religious worldviews.” Chicago Tribune

It does pose a question that begs an answer: Can a person, who rejects God’s very existence and authority, do good? What about those that are honest and kind, pay their taxes, give money to the poor?

The Christian point of view would say that those qualities miss the point. As God’s workmanship, we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We just need to remember to check our own view as we practice those good works. They come from the circumcision of our hearts which, according to Paul, comes after our salvation by faith.

Paul takes great care to explain God’s economy of human effort and God’s divine contribution. The Promise came before the Law. Abraham’s faith and subsequent circumcision acted as a sign or seal of the righteousness he had by faith.

Join us tomorrow for a discussion about Authentic Faith from Romans, chapter 4!

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You can download the Bible study materials for this session for your personal use and watch the Zoom video of the in-class session by following the links below:

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Follow this link to find other studies in this series: TRANSFORMED: Knowing & Doing God’s Will.