ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Sapate Siulai 24, 2022

THE LIGHT OF GRACE

KO E MAAMA ‘O E KELESI

JOHN 1:4

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

SIONE 1:4

‘Ilonga ha me‘a kuo hoko mai na‘e nofo ‘i he toko taha ko ia ko e mo‘ui; pea ko e mo‘ui ko ia ‘a e maama ‘a e tangata.

 

Sola Gratia - Grace Alone - Ko e Kelesi´ pe    

When now Christ, the light of grace, comes and also teaches that we are to be pious and serve God, He does not extinguish this natural light, but opposes the way and manner of becoming pious and serving God as taught by reason. He says: to become pious is not to do works; no works are good without faith. Then begins the fight. Reason rises up against grace and cries out against its light, accuses it of forbidding good works, protests against not having its own way and standard of becoming pious, being thus set aside; but [it] continually rages about being pious and serving God, and so makes the light of grace foolishness, nay error and heresy, and persists in persecuting and banishing it.

See, this is the virtue of the light of nature, that it raves against the true light, is constantly boasting of piety, piety, and is always crying "Good works!" "Good works!" But it cannot and will not stand to be taught what piety is and what good works are; it insists that which it thinks and proposes must be right and good.

MARTIN LUTHER

Pea ‘i he tu’u ko eni, ko Kalaisi, ‘a e maama ‘o e kelesi, kuo ne ha’u ke ako’i ‘a e lotu mo’oni kiate kitautolu mo e anga ‘o ‘etau tauhi ki he ‘Otua. ‘Oku ‘ikai te ne fakata’e’aonga’i ‘a e maama fakanatula ko eni, ka ‘oku ne fakafepaki’i ‘a e lotu mo e tauhi ki he ‘Otua ‘oku fai ‘i he fakakaukau ‘a e tangata. ‘Oku ne talamai, ko e lotu mo’oni, ‘oku ‘ikai ke ngaue’i; ‘oku ‘ikai ha ngaue ‘e ‘aonga ka ta’e kau ai ‘a e tui. Pea ko e kamata eni ‘o e fepaki. ‘Oku hopo hake ‘a e fakakaukau fakaetangata ke fakafepaki’i ‘a kelesi pea ne taa’i ‘a e maama, ‘o taku ‘oku ne fakaikai’i ‘a e ngaue lelei, mo ‘ikai te ne tali ia mo ‘ene lotu mo’oni he ‘oku ngali fakasikaka’i ia; pea ‘ikai ko ia pe, ka ‘oku ne fai tau ki he mo’ui lotu mo’oni mo e tauhi ki he ‘Otua, ‘o ne tala ‘oku ngali vale ‘a e kelesi pea mo fehalaaki pea fai ai pe ‘a hono fakatanga’i ‘a e mo’oni ko eni. 

Fakatokanga’i ange, ko e me’a eni ‘oku polepole ai ‘a e maama ‘o natula; ‘oku ne tau’i ‘a e maama mo’oni mo ‘afungi’aki ‘ene lotu mo’oni mo ‘ene ngaahi ngaue lelei. Ka ‘e ‘ikai ke tu’u ‘a e fakakaukau ko eni. Kuopau ke tau ako ke mahino’i lelei ‘a e lotu mo’oni mo e ngaue lelei; ko e ngaahi me’a ‘oku fatu ‘e he ‘atamai mo fokotu’u, kuopau ke uho ‘i he mo’oni mo e lelei ‘a e ‘Otua.