The word of the day is “works.” In today’s reading of Ephesians 2:4-10, St. Paul proclaims the works of God’s grace on behalf of those whom He has chosen for salvation.  The Apostle has already recounted the mighty works of God, who raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand.  Paul has already revealed that the Almighty has put all things under the rule of Christ, who now is Head of His Body, the Church (Eph. 1:19-23). The Mighty Works of God for the Faithful But now St. Paul rejoices in the works of God that apply to the members of the Body of Christ.  We note that he describes them in terms…
The word of the day is “beware.” “An evil heart of unbelief:” who among us would admit that we are susceptible to having such a hardened heart (OSB vs. 12-13)?  After all, we are members of the Body of Christ and are “partakers of Christ’s nature” (OSB vs. 14). But in our reading of Hebrews 3:12-16, the apostle warns about possessing a heart that has “departed from the living God” (OSB vs. 12). He writes, “Beware lest anyone of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (OSB vs. 13). We Can Possess and Lose It Our reading today warns against over-confidence.  False assurance treats faith as a permanent possession, something that cannot be taken away from us. Yes, we…
The word of the day is “beware.” “An evil heart of unbelief:” who among us would admit that we are susceptible to having such a hardened heart (OSB vs. 12-13)?  After all, we are members of the Body of Christ and are “partakers of Christ’s nature” (OSB vs. 14). But in our reading of Hebrews 3:12-16, the apostle warns about possessing a heart that has “departed from the living God” (OSB vs. 12). He writes, “Beware,.. lest anyone of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (OSB vs. 13). We Can Possess and Lose It Our reading today warns against over-confidence.  False assurance treats faith as a permanent possession, something that cannot be taken away from us. Yes, we…
the word of the day is “works.” In today’s reading of Ephesians 2:4-10, St. Paul proclaims the works of God’s grace on behalf of those whom He has chosen for salvation. The Apostle has already recounted the mighty works of God who raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand. Paul has already revealed that the Almighty has put all things under the rule of Christ who now is Head of His Body, the Church (Eph. 1:19-23). The Mighty Works of God But now St. Paul rejoices in the works of God that apply to the members of the Body of Christ. We note that he describes them in terms of contrasts: dead…