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The Daily Word of Righteousness
In What Way Is Salvation a Gift?
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Salvation often is presented as a gift from God with no strings attached. An evangelist will ask, "If someone would hand you a fifty-dollar bill you would take it. Why won't you take the gift of salvation?"
The reason is, the gift of salvation is very unlike a fifty-dollar bill and the sinner understands this even if the evangelist doesn't. This is why he won't always take it.
Romans 6:23 (above) has been preached to the unsaved for many years. It really is addressed to believers.
In the early chapters of the Book of Romans Paul spoke to the Jews. He told them they could not earn God's approval any longer by observing the statutes of the Law of Moses. God now has given us His own righteousness, a righteousness purchased by Jesus Christ on the cross. We receive the righteousness of God by placing our faith in Christ's atonement apart from circumcision, the Sabbath, or any other part of the Law.
The inevitable occurred. People were saying "It doesn't matter if we sin because God's grace forgives us no matter what we do." (Sound familiar?)
Paul, a very moral, God-fearing individual, rose up in protest. "What then, shall we sin? God forbid! How shall we who are dead to sin live in it any longer?"
Paul was referring to the fact that when we enter water baptism we are testifying we have died with Christ on the cross and have risen with Him to the right hand of the Father. Thus we, in accordance with our profession of faith, are to count ourselves dead to sin and walk in the newness of a righteous, holy life.
Paul goes on to teach (in the sixth chapter of Romans) if we, having received Christ and been baptized into His death and resurrection, yield our body to sinful practices, we will die spiritually.
But since we now are a Christian we have the authority and power (which non-Christians do not have) to choose to be the slave of the laws of righteous, holy behavior. If we so choose we will live in the eternal Life of God.
In view of these facts Paul, in Romans 6:23, reminds the Christians that to continue in the practices of sin will pay off in death. But God has given them the gift of eternal life provided they take advantage of their new spiritual position and begin to live a righteous, holy life.
It's not like a fifty-dollar bill. The gift of eternal life is more like the gift of a piano. You have to practice it to get any good out of it.
How about you? Maybe you've been saved for several years. Are you still playing chopsticks or are we hearing something worth listening to?