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For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Sometimes people misunderstand when Christians say we are saved by God’s grace, and not our works. People wonder, doesn’t that lead to people not living for God? If you tell people they are not saved by what they do, but entirely by God, don’t you think that people will use that as an excuse to sin?

It certainly could be used as an excuse to sin. But not if a person truly understands who God is and what he has done. What if you discover that God was kind and generous? What if you discover that God sacrificed his life for you? What if someone you didn’t know, never met, died so that you could live? If you had the opportunity to speak to that person who died so that you could live, what would you say? I think you start with “thank you.”

And isn’t that our life of faith, and why we serve? Because we are set free from sin, because Jesus rescued us. We serve and live out of thanks to our God, not so that we might be saved, but because we have been saved. That is freedom, the freedom to serve our God.

Faith wants to be active. Faith wants to serve God. The apostle Paul wrote that, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Jesus has done everything perfectly and has set us free from trying to save ourselves. Faith exults in that. Faith “expressing itself” in the original Greek language is “energoumena.” It’s the same word from which we get “energized” and “energy.”

What can be more important than knowing how God feels about us and what he has done for us? That’s what gives us energy to serve today. We are free from sin and guilt, and we are free to serve our God. To God alone be the glory!

Lord Jesus, strengthen me through your Word that I may love and serve others and glorify your name. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.