What would it ask of me?

Nothing you have to earn first. Christians call this grace: God comes to you before you have anything figured out.

Jesus told a story about a son who wasted everything he had and came home, planning to ask to be a servant. His father saw him coming from far away and ran to meet him, before the son could finish his apology.

Lutherans say it in one sentence:

• Saved means rescued: forgiven, and kept with God, now and after death.
• Grace means a gift you did not earn.
• Faith means trust. It does not mean having no questions.
• On account of Christ means because of what Jesus did, not because of what you do.

Following Jesus does change a life: how you treat people, and what you do with your time and money. That comes after the gift, as an answer to it. It is not the price of it.

Where it is in the Bible

• Luke 15:11–24 The son who comes home, and the father who runs to meet him.

  Read Luke 15:11–24

  ¹¹ He said, “A certain man had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them. ¹³ Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. ¹⁴ When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. ¹⁷ But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. ¹⁹ I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.” ’ ²⁰ “He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. ²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let’s eat, and celebrate; ²⁴ for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

  World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →

• Luke 23:39–43 A man dying beside Jesus asks to be remembered, and Jesus promises him paradise that day.

  Read Luke 23:39–43

  ³⁹ One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” ⁴³ Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

  World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →

• Ephesians 2:8–9 Paul: saved by grace, through faith, as a gift.

  Read Ephesians 2:8–9

  ⁸ for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, that no one would boast.

  World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →