Children of
Abraham
Richard
L. Shafer[1]
Just the other day, a group of folks in a
Christian education class were discussing and trying to define “grace.” My Webster’s
says grace is “unmerited divine assistance given man for his
sanctification.” The discussants generally
concluded that God’s forgiveness (or mercy, or pardon) is available to all,
without their need to “earn” it. So the
question arose: Do Muslims and Jews also
believe that God’s grace is freely available?
The answer for Muslims may be “yes.” Allah “accepts the repentance of his servants
and pardons their sins...He answers those who have faith and do good works, and
enriches them through His bounty.”
(Qur’an 42:25-26)
In Bounties are Allah's Grace (http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=368),
Dr. Ja`far Sheikh Idris
writes, “...according to the
Qur'an, bounties (spiritual or material) are not bestowed on men as a result of
any good they do. They are given to them as a grace from God. God is Rahman,
which means that He initiates good and gives it gratuitously, and does not wait
until people take the initiative of doing something good and only then reward
them for it.”
Yet, “good works” and “doing right” are
expected. “As for those who have faith
and do good works – We never charge a soul with more than it can bear – they
are the heirs of
This sounds so much like James’ letter to Christians scattered
throughout the
For Jews, while grace may not be “unmerited” or “freely
available,” anyone can repent.
“Although there is no Christian notion of saving grace in
Judaism, it is taught that God always offers even the most evil men the
possibility of repentance (teshuva,
"turning"). After such repentance one can atone for one's rebellion
against God's ways by positive action.”
(http://wri.leaderu.com/wri-table2/judaism.html)
Rabbi David Wolpe, speaking about salvation, says,
“We do not know who will get into heaven ... but we do know
our responsibilities on this earth. It is, as the prophet Micah teaches, to do
justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. [Micah 6:8] As I understand it, walking humbly with God
means, as so many of my Christian sisters and brothers agree, allowing God to
make the decisions about salvation, in the fullness of time, and the greatness
of divine wisdom.” http://www.beliefnet.com/story/173/story_17374_1.html
I hope it sheds a little light on the complex relationship
of unmerited grace to doing good works, believing, and repenting. Certainly, what we do matters. What do you think?
Copyright Richard L. Shafer 2006
[1] This is one of a series of occasional columns in which the author, raised in the Christian tradition, searches for common ground and common history among the teachings, beliefs and practices of adherents of the Abrahamic faiths -- Islam, Christianity and Judaism.