“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8)
This was one of the scripture readings at our wedding. This was one of the Scripture readings at our wedding. We didn’t exactly choose it. We were married during the regular Sunday morning service in the congregation that my husband was then serving as pastor. So, we simply used that Sunday’s lessons from the Revised Common Lectionary. What a gift it was to be blessed with this reading about grace as a gift!
This text was not only at the center of our wedding. It’s also a central text for the Lutheran expression of the Christian faith. When those who supported Martin Luther’s view of reform presented their confession of faith publicly in 1530, they stated clearly and boldly “that we receive forgiveness of sin and become righteous before God by grace, for Christ’s sake, through faith.” These phrases ground us deeply in the heart of the Gospel—God’s Good News for the world through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When the American Bible Society published the Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible in the 1990s, the editors made the decision to avoid using the word “grace” in their translation. Their goal was to produce a version of the Bible that was easily understandable to readers who weren’t familiar with religious language.
“Grace” is such a familiar word to Christians that we may not recognize how others may misunderstand it. In common usage, “grace” often refers to a kind of elegance or beauty, as in the grace of a ballet dancer or the graceful lines of a work of art. Oddly enough, we use the same word to refer to an extension of time to pay a bill, a “grace” period. But being brought into right relationship with God is not about style or beauty or a delayed deadline. So how do we communicate what Christians mean when we talk about grace? The letter to the Ephesians gives us the key when the author describes being saved “by grace … through faith” as “the gift of God.” Grace is a gift from God, freely given, freely received.
Martin Luther emphasized the importance of understanding this gift on an intimate, personal level. He once wrote that Christians, in faith, receive Christ “as a gift, as a present that God has given you and that is your own.” The bold proclamation that “God so loved the world” is incomplete, until we also hear that God so loved us: you and me! When my Great-Great-Aunt Anna died, the first words of the pastor’s sermon were: “Jesus died and rose again so that Anna might live!” Yes, God so loved the world! And yes, God so loved Anna! And yes, God so loves you and me!
God’s grace is a gift. What do we do with a gift?
First, we receive it. We can’t earn a gift. The giver gives, and we receive. When the giver is God and the gift is grace, faith is how we receive the gift. In this sense, faith is not a statement about what we believe. Faith is trust—trust that God is good, and that in Jesus Christ, God acts for the good, for you and for me. For all of us. For the world. In grace, God says “I love you,” and faith says “Yes” to God’s gift.
Next, we open it. However long the gift sits under the tree, the gift comes to life when it is opened. The ribbons, bows and shiny wrapping paper are only the packaging, not the gift itself. How does faith open the gift of God’s grace? Through reading and studying the Word of God, through participating in worship and through prayer—both individual and communal. The gift is already ours, but as we unwrap and open it up, we are able to appreciate the gift more deeply.
Finally, we use it. A gift book is meant to be read. A sweater or scarf that is gifted is meant to be worn, not placed on a closet shelf and saved for a special occasion. The giver’s joy increases when they see that the gift is used and enjoyed.
One special way to use a gift is to share it. Sharing is relational. Unlike re-gifting, where we pass on something we don’t want to someone else, genuine sharing invites others to receive and use a gift that we treasure. Think of passing around a box of chocolates or giving away some sourdough starter. Sharing a gift extends the impact. Now more people can experience the joy of the gift that has been given.
Some of the ways that we open the gift for ourselves— reading and studying the Word, participating in worship and prayer—are also ways that we share the gift with others. Just as “God so loved the world” is incomplete until we know, deep inside, that God so loves us, so too is “God so loved me—and you—and us” incomplete apart from the Holy Spirit working within us to share the Good News that “God so loved the world.” By grace, we are united not only with God in Christ but also with others.
The next time you “say grace” before a meal, take a moment to think about other ways and other places in which you might “say grace.” How can your words and your actions communicate the gift of God’s love for the world—a gift made real in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? How can people experience your congregation as a place where God’s gift is received, opened, shared and celebrated?
By grace, through faith, receive the gift of God. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. And each of us is a part of it. Thanks be to God.
Kathryn Kleinhans is a fifth-generation Lutheran pastor, currently serves as Dean of Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio. She and her husband Alan Schulz have two adult sons.
This article appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of Gather. To read more like it, subscribe to Gather.