One of the more memorable television commercials of recent years was the late John Houseman’s commercial for an investment banking firm. You remember his famous words in that commercial when, in a beautiful British accent, he would intone, “We make money the old-fashioned way. We earn it.” Houseman expresses the deeply held belief of many people that what resources one has should be earned. Expecting to get something for nothing is wrong. Gains that come too easily or too quickly or as the result of taking advantage of the benevolence of the government or some other means of attaining wealth are unacceptable.
As I think of that television advertisement it strikes me that John Houseman, gold watch encircling his vested girth, perfectly fits the image of God the scribes, Pharisees, and legalists of Christ’s day envisioned—proper, solid, dependable, tolerating no nonsense, a comfort to do business with. They gained God’s favor the old-fashioned way. They earned it.
In the religions of the world, only two methods of salvation have ever emerged. One method is salvation by works which characterizes all legalism. Somehow by moral improvement, appeasing sacrifices, and prayer, often accompanied by physical pain, men have sought to find favor with God. But in the amazing revelation of grace in the New Testament, it becomes clear that all efforts of securing favor with God by works, however sincere and however costly, are to no avail. The New Testament way, simply and directly put by Paul, is this: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
What wonderful light breaks upon the human soul when for the first time man realizes that he does not have to obtain favor with God by his own works! Through faith in Christ and his sacrifice on the cross, we are already the objects of God’s love. Instead of punishing us for our sins, God can give us the opposite—his wonderful favor and blessing. We do not have to secure favor with God. We already have it.
Let us proclaim the message of grace. Let us preach this good news in every place where God gives us opportunity. Let us thank God for his wonderful salvation through Christ, and let us urge people to accept God’s best—to be in Christ. For to be in Christ is to be in grace.