ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Monite Me 30, 2022

UNMIXED GRACE

KO E KELESI ‘ATA’ATAA PE

EPHESIANS 2:4-5

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

‘EFESO 2:4-5

Ka ko e ‘Otua, ‘a ia ‘oku ne mohu ‘alo‘ofa, ko e me‘a ‘i he ‘ofa lahi ‘a ia na‘a ne ‘ofeina ‘aki ‘a kitautolu, neongo kuo tau mate ‘i he ngaahi talangata‘a, na‘a ne kaungā fakamo‘ui hake kitautolu mo Kalaisi, (ko e kelesi pē kuo mou mo‘ui mei ai),

 

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone - Ko e Kelesi´ pe   

Paul asserts that the salvation of the Ephesians was entirely the work, the gracious work of God. But then they had obtained this grace by faith. On one side, we must look at God, and, on the other, at man. God declares that He owes us nothing, so that salvation is not a reward or recompense, but unmixed grace.

The next question is, in what way do men receive that salvation which is offered to them by the hand of God? The answer is by faith; and hence he concludes that nothing connected with it is our own. If, on the part of God, it is grace alone, and if we bring nothing but faith, which strips us of all commendation, it follows that salvation does not come from us. Ought we not then to be silent about free will, and good intentions, and fancied preparations, merits, and satisfactions? There is none of these which does not claim a share of praise in the salvation of men, so that the praise of grace would not, as Paul shews, remain undiminished.

JOHN CALVIN

‘Oku talamai ‘e Paula, ko e fakamo’ui ‘o e kakai ‘Efeso, ko e ngaue ‘ata’ataa pe ia, ‘io, ko e ngaue fai manava’ofa pe ia ‘a e ‘Otua. Ka na’a nau ma’u ‘a e kelesi ko eni, fou ‘i he’enau tui. ‘I he tapa ‘e taha, te tau sio ki he ‘Otua, pea ‘i he tafa’aki ‘e taha, te tau sio ki he tangata. Kuo fakaha mai ‘e he ‘Otua, ‘oku ‘ikai ke mo’ua mai kiate kitautolu ke ne ‘omi ha momo’i me’a ‘e taha; ko ia ai, ko e fakamo’ui, ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha totongi pe ko ha fetongi ‘o ha me’a, ka ko e kelesi ‘ata’ataa pe ia.

Ko e fehu’i hoko leva, ko e ha ‘a e founga ‘oku ma’u ai ‘e he tangata ‘a e fakamo’ui ‘oku ‘ataa ke ne ma’u mei he to’ukupu ‘o e ‘Otua? Ko e tali ki ai, ko Tui pe; pea ‘oku ‘ikai ha momo’i me’a ‘oku lave ki tui, ko ha’atau me’a. ‘I he fekau’aki mo e ‘Otua, ko e Kelesi ‘ata’ataa pe. Pea kapau ‘oku ‘ikai ha’atau me’a ‘e fakakau ki ai, ngata pe ‘i he tui, pea ‘oku to’o kotoa ha’atau toe ngaue mei ai, pea ko e fakamo’ui ‘oku ‘ikai ‘atautolu ia. ‘Ikai ‘oku totonu ke tau fakalongo ai, ‘o ‘oua te tau toe lau ‘etau tau’ataina ke fili, ha lelei ‘iate kitautolu, ha tokonaki ke fai, ngaue lelei pe ha toe me’a? Ko e kotoa ‘o e ngaahi me’a ko eni, ‘e kei ‘i ai pe ‘enau kaunga ke to’o ‘a e langilangi ‘o e fakamo’ui ke hiki ai ‘a e tangata, pea ‘e ‘ikai leva ke haohaoa ‘a hono fakahikihiki’i a’e kelesi.