The scriptures today invite us to ponder the right relationship between faith and works. We are justified by faith alone. We are made right with God by God's gracious gift. We cannot earn it or deserve it by any works of the Law or any good deed. In love God forgives us our sin and shows us the way but we also need to respond. We need to act and move forward lest we fall backwards. Faith without works is dead or dying. By keeping the commandments, by doing God's will, by listening and acting on His words we cooperate with God's sanctifying grace and draw closer to God.

There is a saying it was not easy to get the Israelites out of Egypt. Ten plagues and crossing a sea got their bodies out of Egypt and into the desert. But then the more difficult part was really getting Egypt out of the Israelites. They had to free their hearts and minds from their attraction to the pleasures and comforts of Egypt so they could move forward and enter into the Promised Land.

We cannot free ourselves from the bonds of sin. Some weakness within us inclines us to choose what is quick and easy and gratifying even when we know it is wrong. But Jesus Christ died for us and has shown us the way to live in freedom as sons and daughters of God. With God's grace may we live our faith and be justified and sanctified and slowly, step by step draw closer to God so God's image may be more clearly seen in us.