A Lutheran and a Presbyterian walk into a bar …
Presbyterian: ‘’Hey friend, the other day I was thinking about you. I was crossing a very busy street and I prayed that God’s grace would keep me from being run over by the cars! I know you always tell me to have faith. I wonder what is more important, God’s grace or my faith?
“From my part, I like to say that if I am going err theologically, I’d rather err on the side of grace. I love St. Augustine’s concept of prevenient grace. This fancy phrase means that grace – unmerited favor from God – is irresistible. God is constantly and intentionally reaching out to us as our Creator and Sustainer, as a mother or a father would to a child.”
Lutheran: “Okay my Presbyterian friend, consider this. Let’s think of faith as a turning or a responding to God’s reaching out to us. It’s as though we are saying that the pure gift of God’s grace becomes real for us ‘through faith.’ I think that’s what Paul is getting at in those big verses in Ephesians 2:8-9.
“Yes, God is initiating and intentionally reaching out with incredible love to us all. But what we do is respond by yielding or leaning in toward God.
“There is a Scripture passage that says, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please God.’’’
Presbyterian: “Well, Scripture also assures us that God’s grace is given to us despite the fact that we don’t deserve it. I have seen God’s grace in my own life when I have not had faith and have failed God. We look back and see how God’s grace has been working in our lives even when we have felt separated from God!
“We see in the stories of God’s dealing with humanity God’s desire to always forgive, to always reach out to human beings when they made mistakes – sometimes major mistakes – with love, mercy and compassion.
“God’s grace shines forth clearly in the Exodus story, where God delivered the Israelites from slavery toward freedom.
“The prophets regularly refer to God’s gracious favor to Israel by constantly forgiving the Hebrew people and restoring them in spite of their failure to follow God’s commandments for justice and compassion toward every nation.
“In the Gospels Jesus said he did not come to condemn the world, but to save the world. That’s grace indeed!’’
Lutheran: ‘’However, Paul without a doubt is the one central spokesperson who has described, defined and detailed the intricacies of grace. But as you know so well, Paul didn’t leave out the faith part by a long shot.
“Saving faith is trust in God’s grace. Faith opens us up to grace. Grace is offered with such love, but we still have our part to do. And that’s faith. Our part, however, is to turn, to walk, to trust, to have faith!’’
Presbyterian: ‘’Now I get it my friend! I believe all this means that faith does make a difference because through faith we hold on to God’s grace at the same time that God is holding on to us by grace! What a wonderful concept! God’s grace and our responding in faith create the synergism necessary for our lives as Christians.
“Our faith is made evident when we give witness to the grace of God. When we show solidarity with the poor, the migrant, the oppressed and the marginalized, we are acting upon God’s grace in our lives. Our faith is demonstrated when we work for justice and full inclusiveness.
“Our assurance, our glory and the sole anchor of our abundant lives is that Christ the Child of God is ours. We are children of God and heirs of the kin-dom of heaven, called to be transformers and justice-seekers in a cruel world, by God’s grace, responding in faith and not by our worth. Praise be to God.’’
Antonio (Tony) Aja is an honorably retired PC(USA) minister. He is the moderator for the National Hispanic/Latinx Presbyterian Caucus, elected member of the Racial Equity Advocacy Committee and an adjunct professor at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He lives in Poinciana, Florida.
