ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tokonaki Sune 11, 2022

ALL THAT IS GOOD

KO E NGAAHI ME’A KOTOA ‘OKU LELEI

EPHESIANS 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

‘EFESO 2:8-9

He ko e kelesi pē kuo mou mo‘ui mei ai, ko e me‘a ‘i ho‘omou tui; ‘io, na‘e ‘ikai meiate kimoutolu ia, ka ko e foaki mei he ‘Otua: 9na‘e ‘ikai tupu mei ha ngaahi ngāue, koe‘uhi ke ‘oua na‘a ai ha taha ‘e fa‘a pōlepole.

 

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone - Ko e Kelesi´ pe   

We must look to Paul's design. He intends to shew that we have brought nothing to God by which He might be laid under obligations to us; and he shews that even the good works which we perform have come from God. Hence it follows that we are nothing except through the pure exercise of His Kindness.

Some, on the other hand, infer that the half of our justification arises from works. But what has this to do with Paul's intention, or with the subject which he handles? It is one thing to inquire in what righteousness consists, and another thing to follow up the doctrine that it is not from ourselves by this argument, that we have no right to claim good works as our own, but have been formed by the Spirit of God through the grace of Christ to all that is good. When Paul lays down the cause of justification, he dwells chiefly on this point, that our consciences will never enjoy peace till they rely on the propitiation of sins.

JOHN CALVIN

Kuopau ke tau muimui ki he fakahinohino ‘a Paula. ‘Oku ne fakaha mai, na’e ‘ikai te tau ha’u mo ha me’a ‘e taha ki he ‘Otuaa, ke ne mo’ua mai ai kiate kitautolu ‘i ha me’a; pea ‘oku ne fakaha mai, ‘oku a’u ki he ngaahi ngaue lelei ‘oku tau fai, ko e fou mai pe mo ia meiate Ia. Pea ko ia ai, ‘oku ‘ikai ha’atau me’a, ka ne ta’e’oua ‘a ‘Ene fakaha mai kiate kitautolu ‘a ‘Ene ngaahi anga’ofa.

Ka ‘oku ‘i ai pe ‘a e ni’ihi ‘oku nau tala tokua, ‘oku ‘i ai pe ‘a e konga ‘a hotau fakatonuhia’i, ‘oku ma’u mei he’etau ngaue. Ka ko e ha ‘a e fekau’aki ‘a e lau ni mo e fakamatala ‘a Paula? Te tau lava pe ke fehu’i ha me’a kau ki he ma’oni’oni ‘oku tau ma’u, ka ko e me’a kehe ‘a ‘etau lau ko e ngaue lelei, ko ‘etau me’a, he ko e ngaue lelei kotoa pe ia ‘a e Laumalie ‘o e ‘Otua kuo ne fai ‘iate kitautolu ‘o fou ‘i he kelesi ‘a Kalaisi. Pea ‘i hono ‘omi ‘e Paula ‘a e ngaahi fakamatala fekau’aki mo hotau fakatonuhia’i, ‘oku ne tuki mo nonofo pe ‘a e kaveinga ko eni, ke ‘oua pe na’a ma’u ‘e hotau koniseniti ha nonga kae ‘oua pe ke tau falala kakato ki he ngaue lavame’a ‘a hono totongi ‘o ‘etau angahala.