A free gift to be shared freely

Earn your way to everything. Our marching orders in life.

Earn approval. Earn the promotion. Earn the starting spot. Earn the love of your spouse. Earn more money. Work hard, you get what you earn in life.

So, when confronted with the opposite, it doesn’t feel right. We fight it. It doesn’t work with our logic. If a coach gives his son playing time over others, it isn’t “fair.” He didn’t earn it. Same story with the promotion of another. They didn’t earn it.

The only thing that seems to be justified in our world is earning your way to said gift, goal, job, etc.

The Bible teaches something different. A gift that is not earned.

Paul knew this well.

In Acts 7 and 8, we see Paul murdering Christians. He was schooled in Jewish law. Highly intelligent, he learned under a prominent rabbi named Gamaliel. Paul believed that you needed to earn your way to religion. Follow the law while you wait for the Messiah.

Then, in Acts 9, Paul is visited by the Messiah. In an instant he was face-to-face with God himself, being called out for his persecution of Christians. In an instant, he was given a gift of faith. Not deserved. Not earned. Simply a gift of belief.

The rest of Acts, we see a changed man, never to believe in “earning” again. He knew grace. He had experienced it first hand.

In a world of “earning,” faith is a mystery. It is a free gift and doesn’t jive well with our thinking. But, this is grace. This is the teaching of the Bible. Undeserved grace.

“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.” Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

One of the clearest verses of grace in Scripture. Faith is “the gift of God.” No earning. Pure grace.

Grace is the consistent teaching of the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, we see unwarranted grace. Hebrews 11 summarizes many that received this gift. It is sometimes called the “faith hall of fame” but that description seems to point to earning. After all, you earn your way into a hall of fame. It isn’t given.

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrews‬ ‭11:7-8, 23, 31‬

Faith comes before the person. The emphasis on all of the individuals in Hebrews 11 is not the person, but the faith. And, the faith of these people is a free gift.

The idea that faith is a free gift is tough to comprehend. Why in the world would God give me a free gift? Exactly the question we should all be asking.

A holy God bringing a free gift to the undeserving.

Grace. A free gift. And, since it is free to you, share it freely.

Impact others. Live generously.

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