The Gift or transaction of Salvation?

Ephesians 2:1-10

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Wednesday night I walked into the church and handed a 4 year old a candy bracelet, as soon as I pulled it out the child was reaching toward me with open hands ready to receive what I had brought for her. Later in a class of third and fourth grade girls I held out a bill of $50 and said here I have a gift. Out of the whole class not one child reached out for the gift of money.

One girl said it made her feel weird to take it.

One girl said I would rather earn my money instead of taking it from someone.

Another girl said I don’t understand.

First how many people truly understand a gift? Many gifts that are given between people are with the expectation of something in return even if it isn’t in that moment but it may be expected later, even if is the expectation of gratitude toward the gift giver, which we have all had the one person in our lives that may become upset if we do not show their expected reaction and gratitude to a gift.

There are many people that feel weird taking and accepting gifts, its hard for them. They feel obligated to give a gift in return or they feel like they owe something to the person they accepted the gift from. Even if the gift seems small many people feel the need to have to give something in return or feel obligated to give a gift on a special occasion because that person gave one to them for their special occasion.

It is a lot of back and forth with emotions, obligations, and cultures working a part in how we see gifts. Like the one girl in the class said, she would rather earn the gift rather than take it. Now how much does that sound like so many of us, we feel like receiving something must always be a situation of transaction rather than the true meaning of gift taking place.

We know the gift of salvation is free yet we feel the need to constantly try to earn that gift of salvation. We know the gift is free but we feel weird reaching out and receiving that gift so we sort of accept it but we accept parts of it in moments of convenience. We often find ourselves doing good deeds or good works thinking it will build up to earning that salvation. We know the gift is free and we may not know what to do or think about such a gift.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We may know this verse, but for some it has not sunk down into their hearts and minds. It is a gift of God-

According to the Oxford dictionary a gift is a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.

If the simple definition of gift is not enough for us, Paul goes on to write- not a result of works.

There is nothing that we can do that will ever pay for our Salvation, this is why Jesus the son of God and the man with no sin had to make that sacrifice for us.

If something is a “gift of grace,” it cannot be earned. To work for something is to deserve it, and that would produce an obligation—a gift of debt. That is why works destroy grace.

Romans 4:1–5 ESV

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Romans 11:5–6 ESV

So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

No matter what you have done in the past, you have been chosen by God by His grace to receive the free gift of salvation. No strings attached, no obligation of debt. Even if you once received the salvation but struggle with your salvation today and need to receive that gift entirely as it was meant to, today is the day to put all human tendencies aside and open our hands reaching out like a little child to receive the gift of salvation with no feelings of it being weird, or obligations to pay it back in some way.