Pastor's Circle - Bill Ury

Dr. Bill Ury is Professor of Systematic Theology at Wesley Biblical Seminary and hosts the Hour of Holiness on AFR on Sunday mornings. He joined the Pastor's Circle to discuss Ephesians 2:8 - 10. Below are the "CliffsNotes" of his interview.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

How strategic is this verse in Christian history?

I think apart from maybe a couple verses in Romans, it has been the most pivotal. Hundreds or more theologians have made this verse the foundation of our faith.

We are saved only by faith, not by going to Church, not by sacraments, but by faith alone. This is what distinguishes Christianity from all the other religions.

I've been preaching for over 35 years, and the more I preach on grace, the more I realize how little I understand. Grace takes me out of the picture almost completely.

I think that's what bothers Americans. This takes all the focus of me. It's a mystery, but it's a crucial thing for all of us.

Do we play a role?

We do. And that role is never outside of the grace of God.

His grace provides, His grace illuminates, His grace reveals. His grace enables us to receive His grace.

This is not some game for God, this is a personal relationship. That is the center of Christianity.

Many people tend to embrace a "saving" rather than a transforming faith.

That's a total misreading of Ephesians 2. God has, from eternity, offered himself to anyone who believed.

But any theology that emphasizes just one aspect of salvation is off-track. If you believe you're saved for all eternity, you still have to deal with where you are with God this hour.

We can lie to ourselves, but we're rejecting his convicting grace.

What about verse 10? Paul says that works don't count, and then he comes back and says they do?

One thing's for sure, Paul's not confused, and he's not trying to confuse us.

That's the mystery of it. We get all of God, all of Jesus, and He wants all of us.

His Work is with a capital W, my work is with a small w, but they both are needed.

We realize that works don't save us, but they are the only adequate response to what Jesus has done for us.