"Irrespective of Works... Iniquities Are Forgiven."

I ask that we may be transformed to be better disciples, better followers of Christ.  That we may reject cheap grace, and works righteousness and seek to be public in our proclamation, intentional about learning our place in history and how we benefit from injustice and disparity, and explicit in our attempts to live in right relationship, to make amends with those we have wronged, and to be reconciled to ourselves, to each other, to creation and to God.


Romans 4:6-10
⁶So also David speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God reckons righteousness irrespective of works:
⁷ ‘Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven,
   and whose sins are covered;
⁸ blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.’
9 Is this blessedness, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, ‘Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.’ ¹⁰How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.


1) "blessedness;" "...irrespective of works;" "...blessed are those who iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;" "blessedness;"


2) It was prior to Abraham being circumcised that he was reckoned as righteous, as in, before he was following the law... in fact, Abraham was reckoned righteous before there even was a law to follow... several hundred years according to the texts.  Paul uses this as an argument against all forms of works righteousness and legalism.  And who are the "Blessed... whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered"?  All of us, circumcised and uncircumcised alike.  Paul has spent a great deal of time emphasizing this point.  No boasting because you think your works are better than others.  We don't do works because it earns us favour.  We work as a grateful response to God's grace, not to earn it.  Thank God, The lord "will not reckon sin" against us.  But God does command that we change our ways.  There is something terribly liberating, subtle, but liberating here.  We don't have to earn anything, just follow.  God's goes on ahead.


3) to relax into God's graciousness, to let the blessedness come on all of us, and respond with deep gratitude.


"Holy One, thank you."


Breathprayer: "Irrespective of works... iniquities are forgiven."