Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Lectionary: 470

Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,
though testified to by the law and the prophets,
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
for all who believe.
For there is no distinction;
all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.
They are justified freely by his grace
through the redemption in Christ Jesus,
whom God set forth as an expiation,
through faith, by his Blood, to prove his righteousness....




As Saint Paul describes it, the Law of Moses set the Jews apart from gentiles; that was its primary function. That might sound simplistic and even offensive to the Jewish religion, but it's not hard to imagine that kind of "conspiracy theory." Catholics, at one time, were identified by their abstention from meat on Friday. If it began as a way of honoring the Lord on the weekday of his death, it might have degenerated in the popular mind to a way of separating Catholics from Protestants. To explain religion people sometimes overlook the obvious to create outlandish reasons.

Saint Paul, discovering the Crucified Lord outside the walls of the Law, insisted that the boundary between Jews and gentiles had been erased. Salvation no longer depends upon one's conformity to the Law of Moses. It is freely given without distinction to those who believe in Jesus.

For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.

Setting out on this new Way, one must acknowledge sin. Recently many people were astonished to hear The Pope say, "I am a sinner." I expect any Christian to acknowledge readily his or her guilt. But apparently, outside the walls, that simple, truth-telling confession is rare.

No one has dibs on God's generosity, neither pope nor pew sitter. No one can claim to live well enough to deserve heavenly bliss. The very idea is absurd. You might as well walk uninvited into your neighbor's house, open the pantry, the refrigerator and the cookie jar, and scavenge for food. It's not done. How would anyone dare to think they have a right to heaven, or calculate his virtue by another's vices?

They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his Blood, to prove his righteousness....

Saint Paul once again reminds us, your salvation is not about you. It's not because of your beauty, social standing, wealth or education. It's not because you have hidden your sins under the radar of law enforcement. 

Your salvation is God's gift through the expiation of Christ's death and resurrection, by his blood, to prove his righteousness.