Family Faith:

“For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is a gift from God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, Holy Bible).

I begin with the above Scripture for a poignant reason: None of us can earn our salvation or even grace. As individuals, none of us is better suited to be saved than another brother or sister in Christ, nor an unbeliever. Each of us is saved when we come to God, confess our existence as sinners and accept Jesus Christ into our lives as Lord and Savior. Then each of us has to decide to obey God’s Word, His will for our lives, and continue in an intimate relationship with Him daily. But none of us is “better” than the next.

If we are ever at a point where we find ourselves feeling more obedient, better equipped to be “called” by God to service, or more loved by Him; the sin of pride has entered in. I have found that the Lord often uses the humble to do the greatest works — those who treat their fellow man with equality and grace.

Merely because we have deserved nothing as sinners and yet were shown grace by God, grace to the point that He served by dying on the cross to save us.

If Jesus, God Himself, is called in this manner, how much more so should we mimic his model and show grace to our family members, our church congregations, our friends, co-workers and the like?

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). God admonishes us to treat others well, to avoid being egocentric and autonomous, and to care about the welfare of others.

This concept is simpler to grasp when we look to our model, Jesus Christ: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:6-7a).

Jesus died for those who continually sinned against Him. This is grace embodied. Reflecting on this should make it achievable to show grace to our brothers and sisters. And even those who sin against us.

However, as Christians we must use wisdom with the grace we show, always placing appropriate boundaries if someone is continuously unhealthy toward us or our family or potentially dangerous.

 The Rev. KIMBERLIE ZAKARIAN can be reached by e-mail at holyhouse9@ gmail.com or by mail at Holy House Ministries c/o the Rev. Kimberlie Zakarian, La Vie Counseling Center, 650 Sierra Madre Villa, Suite 110, Pasadena, CA 91107.