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Romans 6:23 – The Implications of a Gift
A gift is free and not earned, by definition. Have you wondered if there are implications of gifts? Specifically of salvation being a gift? Do gifts imply reciprocity?
• “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (CSB’17 Romans 6:23).
1. Not all gifts are needed (i.e. socks for Christmas!); but God giving us the gift of eternal life is based on our need and our inability to provide for ourselves.
2. All gifts are given based upon the ability to give by the giver. God has eternal life. We do not because sin brings spiritual death.
3. No gift is earned, but gifts can be refused. So even though free, the condition is acceptance: “Receive a free gift with every new bank account opened.” What if I don’t need or want to open an account?
4. All gifts should – “the moral ought” – be reciprocated if received. The simplest reciprocity is gratitude; and true gratitude leads to more than an empty, hollow, “thank you”. The truest form of reciprocity is relationship. The more needed or valuable the gift, the greater and deeper the reciprocity. Can you imagine an organ donor recipient saying “ehh”?!
When we accept the free gift of eternal life, our gracious response to this grace is an ever deepening relationship of living the type of life we have received. Not only “freely you received, freely you should give” (Matthew 10:8); but even more – “freely you received, freely you should give back”.
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