Saved By Grace Alone

Jesus said, "Where I am going you know, and the way you know." Thomas said, "Lord, We do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus said, "I am The Way, the truth, the light: no one comes to the Father but by me." Philip then said, "Lord, Show us the Father and we will be satisfied." Jesus replied, "Phillip have you been with me so long and you still don't get it?" If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." John 14 This scripture is probably one of the most misunderstood. Thomas did not know The Way, neither did Philip. Probably neither did any of the Apostles, nor do many people today know The Way.

It all depends on what we think The Way is. Some believe The Way is a path to follow Jesus by What we do in this or that or not doing that or this. This Way will lead you into legalism. If you understand The Way to mean How Jesus did things that is His style of being in the Presence of His Father, then The Way will lead you into grace.

Jesus turned the Old Testament legalism into New Testament grace. He was asked which was the greatest Law? He responded the two great Commandments were to Love God and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Then He added, "On these two commandments stand all the Law and the Prophets." In other words The Command of Jesus is to "do the Loving thing". The Law and the Prophets refer to the body of the Old Testament. No matter what they say to do, if it is not the loving thing, do what Love calls us to do. Do the graceful thing.

The Love of God is pure grace. It is inclusive, unconditional and is always with us. When Jesus said no one comes to the Father but by me, He meant everyone is saved not by conditional, exclusive legalism, "but by me" the inclusive, unconditional grace of the Love of God,

St Paul writes in Romans 8 "Who shall separate us from the grace (Love) of God? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? His answer is, "NO, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heights, nor depths, nor any other creature can ever separate us from the grace (Love) of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The Love of God is always with us, but we are not always open to the grace. There are two things that exist. There is the physical seen which we see with our head rationally. There is the spiritually unseen which we sense with our conscious heart. We access the spiritually unseen by consciously becoming aware of the grace Presence of the Love, Joy and Peace of God which passes our understanding. It must be done to be discovered. Right now you could think of someone who is not here. Now sense their presence. If you can get a feel of their presence you did something different than just thinking of them. Stay conscious of the Presence while thinking of something else. This takes practice. Once it is done you will begin to discover the Presence of God's grace that is always with us.