“Today is the day God brings good news to the poor, proclaims release to the captives, gives sight to the blind, and sets the oppressed free. And so shall we.”* These are the concluding words of the companion litany to The United Methodist Church's Social Creed.

These words come on the heels of affirmations of God’s concern and desire for the well-being of all of humanity—the rich, the poor, workers, families, nations. The creed, which is meant to be continually available to individual believers and emphasized regularly in every local church in my denomination, is a potent reminder that the transformation of the human heart is not an end in itself. Indeed, the complete salvation that is found in Jesus Christ involves much more than a renewal of the human intent, attitude, and disposition.

As John Wesley hinted, holiness of heart and the holiness of life that plays itself out in renewed behavior, conduct, and visibility, are intimately linked. The latter comes in reflective response to God’s incredible grace. It plays itself out in transformative practices and, in turn, fuels ongoing growth in the likeness of Christ. As God continues to invite us to join in God’s transformative work through today’s reading, God reminds us that those who join God through Christ—the Oone who saves completely—are themselves set free and empowered to carry out this mission both efficiently and effectively.

*The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church–2016. Copyright © 2016 by The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, TN.