Just imagine you give a friend a box all wrapped up with a ribbon bow.
He asks what the special occasion is, but you just say you wanted him to have
something special. He opens it and finds a highly valuable rare coin that
he has only seen in magazines. Amazed he asks if you are sure it is for
him? You tell him it is a gift.
But he asks if you want any money for it because he knows how much it is worth. You say, "No money. Just enjoy it. It's a gift."
But he tells you he wants to give you his signed football you were admiring a couple years ago. You tell him again, "Thanks, but no thanks. When I saw it I knew you would like it and I wanted to give it to you free and clear. It's a gift."
Persisting he begins to wear on your nerves, and asks, "Well, can I wash your car?" You finally say, "I guess so, if you really want to wash my car." He thoroughly washes your car with the best of attitudes and goes home singing into the sunset.
You see him a few days later at a party and he is showing off the coin, and someone asks where he got it. To your amazement you sadly hear him proclaim he earned it washing a car.
It is so hard for some people to accept the free gift - God's grace!
You can't earn it.
You can't trade a commitment for it.
You can't promise enough promises for it.
It is totally undeserved by the receiver at the most cost to the giver - beautiful, free grace!
In Romans 3:22-24, Paul writes through the Spirit that the righteousness of God "is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
In other words, no degree of law keeping, striving in good works, or anguish over your good work that you are going to do for Jesus will ever bring you into right standing with God according to His requirements. Praise God for sending Jesus to be that payment once and for all to atone for the sins of the world. The real question is, "Do you know this grace? Do you have the free gift of redemption that only comes through Jesus?"
But he asks if you want any money for it because he knows how much it is worth. You say, "No money. Just enjoy it. It's a gift."
But he tells you he wants to give you his signed football you were admiring a couple years ago. You tell him again, "Thanks, but no thanks. When I saw it I knew you would like it and I wanted to give it to you free and clear. It's a gift."
Persisting he begins to wear on your nerves, and asks, "Well, can I wash your car?" You finally say, "I guess so, if you really want to wash my car." He thoroughly washes your car with the best of attitudes and goes home singing into the sunset.
You see him a few days later at a party and he is showing off the coin, and someone asks where he got it. To your amazement you sadly hear him proclaim he earned it washing a car.
It is so hard for some people to accept the free gift - God's grace!
You can't earn it.
You can't trade a commitment for it.
You can't promise enough promises for it.
It is totally undeserved by the receiver at the most cost to the giver - beautiful, free grace!
In Romans 3:22-24, Paul writes through the Spirit that the righteousness of God "is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
In other words, no degree of law keeping, striving in good works, or anguish over your good work that you are going to do for Jesus will ever bring you into right standing with God according to His requirements. Praise God for sending Jesus to be that payment once and for all to atone for the sins of the world. The real question is, "Do you know this grace? Do you have the free gift of redemption that only comes through Jesus?"
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