April 25, 2024
Last Sunday we explored a passage in which the Apostle Peter stands before the religious authorities in Jerusalem. He testifies about Jesus Christ and declares: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Peter highlights that salvation is a gift that extends from the “name” of Jesus Christ (meaning the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ).
It’s easy to take a gift for granted, isn’t it? I once knew a woman who had great difficulty breathing. Everywhere she went she had to be accompanied by a tank of oxygen. Her doctor told her that her condition would never improve and that her breathing would get worse and worse. I met with her and she said to me, “I took breathing for granted. You have no idea what a gift it is to simply breathe.” Not long after that, she died as her breath finally left her body.
Salvation is a gift. And many of us take it for granted like our ability to breathe with ease. And, as we discussed on Sunday, the gift of salvation is about more than simply “Thank God I am not going to hell.” Salvation is not just about being saved from something; it is also about being saved for a higher purpose, an identity rooted in love, and a deep sense of belonging.
Today, take a moment simply to thank God for the gift of salvation. Breathe deeply and know that you are loved and you are saved through the power of the name of Jesus Christ.
A Liturgy of Praise to God for Salvation by St. Augustine (354-430)
Late have I loved thee, O thou
Eternal Truth and Goodness;
late have I sought thee, my Father!
But thou didst seek me, and when
thou shinedst forth upon me, then
I knew thee and learnt to love thee.
I thank thee, O my light, that thou
didst thus shine upon me; that thou
didst teach my soul what thou wouldst
be to me, and didst incline thy face in pity unto me.
Thou, Lord, hast become my hope,
my comfort, my strength, my all! In thee
doth my soul rejoice. The darkness vanished
from before mine eyes, and I beheld thee,
the sun of righteousness.
When I loved darkness, I knew thee not,
but wandered on from night to night.
But thou didst lead me out of that blindness;
thou didst take me by the hand
and call me to thee,
and now I thank thee, and thy mighty voice
which hath penetrated to my inmost heart.
Amen
