How To Receive a Gift...and Reject It At The Same Time

For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.  

 

  One day, I will die. This is certain. As a man who has existed a few years, this is also obvious. But it is as certain that a healthy child born this very day will also die. Death has no question of if, just when. Paul points to death as the Adamic legacy. Through Adam's sin, death arrived and plagued mankind with its certainty. In spite of this certainty, we never quite get accustomed to it. I lost a sister to cancer this year at age 57. I still can hardly believe she is gone.

 

  What kills me physically is Adam's sin. What kills me spiritually is my own. Humankind has

never developed a method of immortality, and it has never developed an method to erase sin and bring spiritual immortality. Left to our own devices, both are absolutes. Still, we try.

 

   Paul wrote - For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God... We kind of get that, so when we know we're in trouble, we look for our own solution. God knew we would, and reminded us and the Ephesian church (and us 2:8-10) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast

   When an occasion warrants that I get someone a gift, I take the task seriously. I like to get people gifts that they will appreciate. The best gifts provide a solution to a problem. If your car is old and broken down and someone gives you a new one, that's a great solution! I've received some great and timely gifts. Even if they weren't of great financial value, if they provided a solution to a problem that was concerning me, my appreciation of the gift was great. I while back, when I was without funds, someone stole the tires and rims from my car. The sister I mentioned earlier bought me new tires and rims. The ones that were stolen were old and worn. The replacements were new and better. I still appreciate those tires every time I drive that car.

 

   The bible says that as believers we have received from Christ the gift of righteousness  There is no greater gift. It provides the solution to the problems of both my physical death initiated by Adam's sin, and my spiritual death initiated by my own sin. The solution to the sin problem that has plagued humanity is available by grace....through faith in Jesus' work on the cross. Jesus hand is always extended, offering this gift to all. I simply need to receive it.

 

   But there is a strange phenomenon in the church. Many professing born again Christians still walk out their days in a continuing effort to accomplish self earned righteousness, to attain worthiness of the gift, to repay God for something of infinite value. They struggle and suffer (two things they believe they deserve) and they rarely experience Peace. The idea of Grace is more than they can accept. They still bear the weight of the sin Jesus has lifted from their shoulders. They profess Christ, but never share the Gospel. You cannot give away what you have never received. You can't explain what you don't understand. In fact, they often argue for limited Grace, expressing a conviction that some work must be added to Grace for it to be effective.

 

    Yep, The wages of sin is death.... That's true. ....but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. That's true too. In your heart have you received the gift of righteousness by Grace through Faith, or are you professing Christ and trying to earn His favor?

 

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