Faith vs Works

Imagine that you are a father, who has a wayward teenage son.  He goes on a rampage, rebelling against your rules, the rules of society, and unfortunately.... ends up in jail.  You leave him in jail over night, but then - after all, he's your son - you go and bail him out, and take him home.  He's going to be living with you from now on.  You love him regardless, but when he's under your roof - if he wants to be there in the house with you where there is abundant food, warmth and security -  he has to live by your rules.  He has to be on the straight and narrow.  You have expectations. 

If any ex-con off the street shows up at this father's door, and asks for free room and board, says he'll follow all the house rules - do you think you or any or us would say "Sure! Come on in!" ??? Not on your life. He is not family. He is a stranger.   We would say, as Jesus did "I never knew you".

Our Father is no different.  We did not "merit" our release from jail - in fact, we deserved to stay in the slammer for ever.  But, He loves us.  He wants us with Him, at home in Heaven, where we belong.  This is not a free pass, though.   He has expectations of us.  He demands obedience.  And if we break His rules, we are choosing not to live under His roof.   He has given us His law.  And the fufillment of the law is LOVE.  Further, our Father isn't going to take in just any ex-con under His roof - only His own child.  We become children of God through baptism, receiving the seal of the Holy Spirit on our soul.  Our faith is the result of that mark of the Holy Spirit.  We are His. He is ours.  But, in order to be with Him, we still need to be obedient to His rules.   If we "abide in Him", He will "abide in us."  He is there to guide us, help us, teach us - because He wants us with Him.  But ultimately - we need to make the choice to obey or not.  To choose to live where we are loved and safe, with our Father. 

We did not earn this love from our Father, or His magnanimous gift of salvation. He loves us regardless of how miserable we have been.  And we can't "earn" a place in Heaven without knowing our Father intimately, as a child of His very own.  But we can choose to "abide with Him" by our very actions, by living that love in our day to day lives, just as He commands us to do.

There IS NO DICHOTOMY between faith and works. It is a false divide in our Father's house.