The Free Gift of God

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).

Many use this verse to show that we are saved by the grace of God and that there is nothing we can do to affect our salvation. That is, works (acts of obedience) are not necessary for salvation. We all recognize the fact that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," so it is true that all are deserving of spiritual death. But those who say grace is unconditional try and say that those who believe it is conditional believe they can earn their salvation.

Let's assume for a moment that it is possible for one to live his entire life without sinning. Has that person earned heaven? Since he has not sinned, he is not due the wages of sin; therefore he does not deserve to go to Hell. But that is all. He has not earned eternal life. That is still a "free gift of God."

We must realize that we will never earn a home in heaven. But that does not mean God's grace is unconditional. He expects us to be obedient to him (yes, that means "works") in order to be saved. Jesus is "to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation" (Heb. 5:9).

Let us obey God faithfully in order to receive the free gift of eternal life. But when we obey him, let us not think we've earned anything. Instead, let us have the servant's attitude commended to us by the Lord. "So you too, when you do all that things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done'" (Lk. 17:10).

Looking at the Big Picture

"The sum of Your word is truth" (Ps. 119:160)

Considering only one verse to prove a point can be dangerous. Many verses, when taken out of context, have several plausible interpretations. But if we conclude on one interpretation without considering the sum of God’s word, we can easily find ourselves with an improper understanding of God’s will. Consider the following example in reference to salvation.

Ephesians 2:8 – "For by grace you have been saved through faith"

A plausible explanation of that verse is that we are saved at the point of belief in Jesus Christ. But notice another verse.

1 Peter 3:21 – "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you"

A plausible explanation of that verse is that baptism is the only thing that is necessary for us to be saved. While these are both plausible explanations for these two verses, neither one is correct.

We must look at the sum of God’s word. Is faith necessary for salvation? Yes! Is baptism necessary for salvation? Yes! These passages do not contradict each other. Rather, they compliment each other.

When studying the Bible, let us be careful that our interpretation of a passage does not conflict with another passage. If it does, we need to reexamine our conclusion. The word of God is truth. Truth harmonizes with truth. As Jesus said, "the Scripture cannot be broken" (Jn. 10:35).