What’s more important? Belief or action? Proper doctrine or godly living? How do you get into heaven? Is it by what you have done or thanks to what God has done?

Most of you will be reading these words on the weekend of Oct. 30^th, when we celebrate Reformation Sunday. “We are saved not by our works, but by the gift of God’s grace, through faith in Christ.” Martin Luther championed this central truth of the Christian faith, a truth that had been obscured by misguided practices of the church of his day. These practices said one’s actions and behavior – “good works” – are what saves a person. Luther insisted that it always boils down to the gift of God’s grace.

Luther never said, however, that good works were optional! He spoke of “faith active in love,” and said it was “impossible to separate works from faith, as impossible to separate heat and light from fire.” His point was that Christian behavior sprung from belief and deep faith in God.

Here at RLC, the “PoWeR SuRGe” marks of discipleship articulate some of the practices of faith that help bridge the gap between belief and behaviors. We certainly do not view these practices as a list of achievements that “save” a person, nor religious rules that separate spiritually superior persons. In fact, the more the marks are practiced, greater is the sense and expression of humility and gratitude to God. When the desire to live all of life is based on faith in the grace, love and forgiveness of God, any self-righteous claim of spiritual perfection disappears.

Real Faith for Real Life

So, as we visit once again these “marks of discipleship” this fall, the point is not that disciples expect to be perfect. Disciples, however, do expect to live close to God! Our sermon series assumes that followers of Jesus want to learn, to grow, and enjoy an ever-deeper connection to the source of abundant life. That is what the “PoWeR SuRGe” marks of discipleship are all about. Practicing them does not make one perfect. Rather, practice makes progress.

Real Thanks

Our Reformation heritage says that faith and life grow out of our response to the gift of God’s grace. All of life, in essence, is a “great thanksgiving” for all that God has done for us. It is very appropriate, then, that our fall “Real Faith for Real Life” series will end with a stewardship emphasis we will call “Real Thanks!” As we head into November and are mindful of all of our blessings, we engage in a very “Lutheran” stewardship appeal that focuses not on budgets, obligations or rules, but on faithful practice, a grace-filled mark of discipleship, rooted in thanksgiving, that helps us bridge the gap between belief and behavior.

Growing in Discipleship,