Study Number 4: God’s Gift
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
It is very important to understand the two inseparable, yet distinct features of God’s saving grace. There are two gifts. The first gift is a historic fact. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He already gave this gift when He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to die as payment for the sins of all. This was a gift to the world.
The second gift — the second “phase” of His grace — is stated in our text from Romans, the gift of eternal life. This gift isn’t to the world, but to those who believe as the second part of John 3:16 makes clear. Those who believe in the first gift get the second gift.
Perhaps it helps to understand this if we use an illustration. It is as though Jesus Christ set up a great bank account in heaven. It cost Him his own life on the cross to make one great deposit in what we might call the salvation account. Then the Saviour rose from the dead to administer this great investment. He promises to authorize withdrawals on an individual basis for all that apply for eternal life through Him.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the way to make salvation from sin personal and receive eternal life. John 3:16 says, “whosoever believeth in him” receives eternal life. Romans 6:23 says eternal life is, “through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is the repeated testimony of Scriptures. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Many who regard themselves as theologically trained or very religious miss God’s instructions on how to get to heaven, but the Bible way of salvation is simple. A child can understand it and is often more open to receiving it than older people. This article is the last of four basic truths to be understood for salvation. Number one, God has a law and sets the standards of right and wrong according to His own holy nature. Number two God also judges his creatures when they break his laws. Sin leads to death, the grave and then hell. Number three, God is also a Being of infinite sacrificial love. He has given His only begotten Son to take our place and take our punishment for us when He died on a Roman cross. Number four, the gift of eternal life is given freely to those who face their sin problem honestly and will turn instead to Jesus Christ in simple faith. These are the rudiments of the Christian faith.