In Acts the story goes that Paul was hanging out in Athens with all the philosophers in the public square.  It was their “thing” to hear and discuss every new religion, philosophy or belief that wandered into their city.  The height of their intellectual debate happened right out in public.

As Paul walked through the city he was amazed at the diversity of religions which were on display in all of Athens.  There were shrines and temples to a myriad of gods and demi-gods all over.  There was even one to an unknown god, just in case they missed one.

In his address to the crowd he called them all sons God and specifically of that “unknown” god.  Unknown to them but known to Paul as the very living creator of everything, Jesus – Yahweh.  It was not a question of them being outside of the covenant with obligations to perform some ritual to join the club of Jesus.  They were by default sons of the living God as we all are.  Created in the very image of the Lord of all.  Didn’t he actually include them in the kingdom?

Was it merely the new revelation of the Messiah that would transform these Greeks or did they need to perform some religious duty to make it into the club.  Everybody’s already in? Jesus finished the work of the Gospel?  There’s nothing for me to do to make it so?

The cross burial and resurrection was everything that needed to happen.  Not my works but His grace alone.  Just like the reformers preached. Grace and grace alone.