Grace and Love

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The phrase "works of grace" is a confused term invented by someone who had or has very little understanding.

Grace does produce "works" in our lives, but, historically, Christians have taught one of two worldviews:

Either you "get to heaven" by "works," or you get there by grace. It is difficult and confusing to try to embrace both.

The most ancient and venerable of Christian writings, those of the so-called "New
Testament," clearly teach that salvation arises from grace alone. We are "saved" (from ignorance and the lower humanimal nature) by Love alone. This Love comes not from us, but to us; it arises from the cosmic Mind (God) within.

Because of grace, you really do not have to perform any "works" to "get to heaven." If a person did nothing, she could, and would, ultimately still be saved by grace. For God loves equally His/Her active children, and His/Her inactive ones.

But grace is Love. So, when grace is active within our hearts, it does produce Love, including the feelings and the actions of Love. The person in grace is kind, good, gentle, forgiving, tolerant, inclusive, generous, etc. These are the expressions of grace, but the phrase "works of grace" is unclear.

But it is very important to get the order or sequence right: Grace produces the works of Love within us; works can never "produce" or even alter, the grace that ultimately enlightens and saves us.

We believe in the infallible and universal saving Power of grace extended to all sentient beings. We believe in Love, of which grace is an expression.

In fact, knowing that "God is Love," we worship Love. This leaves absolutely no room in our heartminds for fear, which is Love's conceptual (but not real) opposite.

The text says, "Fear and Love cannot coexist. For Love, when it has become complete, casts out fear." (1 Jn. 4:18)

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