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Faith

Hard work and grace

If being a Christian is all about grace, all about accepting the free gift of eternal life which we can do nothing to earn or deserve, then it seems contradictory when we are told that we need to undergo training and hard work to grow as disciples. The effort and pain is not to earn our salvation – which has already been paid for in full by the death of Jesus on the cross – but to make us more effective agents in God’s plan for the world. The 12th chapter of the letter to the Hebrews says:

Enduring hardships is a type of training. God is treating you as his children; what child is there that is not trained by a parent? If you do not go through the training which everyone gets to take part in, then are you not legitimate children. Furthermore, we have all had human parents to train us, and we respected them for it. Should we not more willingly submit to our spiritual Father, and really live?… At the time, training seems to bring misery rather than happiness, but afterwards it produces the results of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained.

The gift of eternal life might be free, but that does not mean that you are instantly and at no cost transformed into a highly effective disciple. Discipleship is a process that lasts for the rest of your life as your relationship with Jesus grows and you gradually learn to love the things which God loves and see the world and other people through God’s eyes.