Such devotion is manifested not only through gratitude and public praise, but loyal obedience.įaith in Christ - calling Jesus “Lord” (Rom 10:9) - necessarily entails obedience to Jesus as our Lord (Rom 1:5, Rom 16:26). ![]() In response to God’s Amazing Grace through Jesus Christ, we are to respond in good faith - in complete and utter devotion. 10 Faith: Our Grateful Response To God’s Grace He in turn mediates the gift of the Spirit and all of the charismatic gifts that empower the church (Luke 24:49 Acts 1:4–5 Rom 12:3–8 1 Cor 12:1–31). As mediator, Jesus becomes the broker who grants access to the Father for all who believe in him (John 15:14–16 Rom 5:1–2). The Father’s matchless gift to all humankind, regardless of race or status, was the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16 Gal 3:28). To him be the glory forever! Amen.(Rom 11:35-36, NIV. Paul ends the eleventh chapter of Romans with a fitting doxology:ģ6 For from him and through him and for him are all things. In Scripture, God is “the ultimate atron.” 7 Every good and perfect gift comes from God (Jas 1:17), who gives both to the just and the unjust, the ungrateful and the wicked (Mt 5:45, Lk 6:35). # TrueFaith # DivinePatronClientRelationship # MisreadingScriptureWithWesternEyes Properly understood, biblical faith(fulness) is active trust (e.g., gratitude, public praise, and loyalty) in response to Amazing Grace. 5Ĭontrary to Mark Twain and more modern redefinitions, “faith” is not “believing what you know ain’t so.” 6 Neither is such faith mere intellectual assent. In response to the grace (charis) of God (Patron) through Jesus Christ, they write that we (clients) should respond with faithfulness (pistis). When the New Testament authors speak of grace (charis) and faith (pistis), they are employing this patronage language. ![]() The Godfather (patron) does a favor for a client in need the client is supposed to respond in good faith. One might recognize remnants of this patron-client system in The Godfather. The clients were to respond with faith(fulness) - gratitude, public praise, and loyalty. This unmerited favor was called “charis” (like charity). ![]() In the Greco-Roman world, there was an intricate system of patrons who would do such favors for clients who were in need.
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