“Salvation is a free gift.”
How many times have you heard this statement? Probably even said it yourself? This affirmation is one of the most often repeated statements in Christian parlance, and although there is a lot of truth in this statement, its overuse has rendered it a virtual half–truth that does very little to promote true discipleship and potentially gives people a false sense of security.
Now I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you are already turning to Romans 6:23 to prove to yourself that you don’t need to read this post any further, because Paul clearly says:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
And yes, this is how the New Living Translation renders this passage (as well as many other versions, admittedly) but there are just as many translations that omit the adjective “free” and still others that translate it as “gracious gift”, instead. So why is there a difference? Which one is “right”, and are the others “wrong”? And in the final analysis, does it really matter?
Suffice it to say that there are good reasons for the differences between translations, and exploring those reasons can certainly make for an interesting exercise. But in this case, trying to settle on the “right” translation would be nothing more than a distraction. Because if we really listened to what Paul is trying to tell us in this well-known verse, whether we read it as “gift”, “free gift”, or even “gracious gift” wouldn’t matter all that much.
Here and Now
Quite frankly, we miss the full import of Romans 6:23 whenever we paraphrase it as “salvation is a free gift”, because that isn’t even what Paul says… Take a closer look, because regardless of your translation, he doesn’t say that the “gift of God is salvation through Christ Jesus” (even though that’s part of it); rather, Paul clearly states that “eternal life through Christ Jesus” is the gift that is freely, graciously given. So even though I’m quite sure that Paul wouldn’t disagree per se with the notion that “salvation is a gift”, I’m equally sure that he would take issue with our somewhat self-serving view of “eternal life”.
If you asked the average Christian to define “eternal life”, their answer would probably be something along the lines of: “All who put their faith in Christ have been forgiven of their sins and will receive mercy and/or escape judgment because of what Christ has done.” True enough, but this definition not only puts the emphasis on what we get, but it also belies a false assumption that too many Christians have become conditioned to implicitly accept: we think of “eternal life”—aka “the gift”—as the life that believers will experience “when we die and go to Heaven”…someday.
In other words, for most Christians the notions of “salvation” and “eternal life” are predominantly future, ultimate realities. Again, while this is partially true, the problem is that I don’t think this is what Paul, John, or Jesus had in mind when they talk about “eternal life” or even “salvation”. For them, “life” and “salvation” are present realities that start here and now.
What is the Gift?
We need to remember that the future consummation of “eternal life”–namely the escape from God’s wrath which will one day be every believer’s “gift”–is simply an irrevocable outcome of the spiritual transformation that has previously occurred in the heart of the believer. You cannot separate one from the other, and even though the authors of the New Testament certainly do not hesitate to remind us of our future hope, their primary concern is always how believers should live now in light of the “life” we have already been given.
Indeed, Paul stresses in his letter to the Corinthians that we are new creations in Christ…not that we will be new creations one day, when our bodies are finally resurrected:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
So what does it mean to be “in Christ”? What is this “new creation” that Paul is referring to? He is calling our attention to the spiritual change that occurs when we repent and embrace Jesus Christ as Lord: a restored relationship with God through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.
In other words, the actual “gift” of Romans 6:23 is not some future outcome that we experience after we die, it is God’s Spirit abiding within us now and forever…something none of us deserve or can hope to earn (which, incidentally, is why it has to be “free”). Indeed, the gift isn’t merely escaping God’s wrath at some point in the future, but being able to call God our Father today! That relationship, that gift, is the reason why God’s children will ultimately be shown mercy; moreover, according to Jesus that relationship is the real meaning of eternal life:
"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
John 17:3 (NIV)
Why do you think Paul appeals to us being “new creations” once we are “in Christ”? Because just as God’s spirit hovered over the chaotic deep “in the beginning”–bringing order, beauty, and purpose to a physical world that was dark and devoid of life–when someone gives their heart to Jesus, God’s Spirit starts working within them to transform hearts that have been wrecked and marred by the consequences–the “wages”–of sin. And in place of the chaos and devastation that sin has left behind, His Spirit brings forth authentic, spiritual life that results in fruit of lasting value: love, joy, and peace…just to name a few. We are spiritually reborn from the moment of conversion, new creations in Christ by the power of His Spirit. And it is good.
Put differently, when Paul says that “the new is here!”, he is reminding us that since the “gift” is given now, the “life” that flows out of that gift is also a present reality. We are “in Christ” from the moment we put our faith in Him, so eternal life…at least on the spiritual level…is something that starts “here and now”, not “there and then”. And Paul is not alone in this declaration:
"I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."
John 5:24 (NLT)
Furthermore, not only does Jesus indicate that “eternal life” starts now, but he also seems to distinguish between the notions of “eternal life” versus ultimately being raised back to life. Not because they are somehow separate, but because He wants us to remember that they are inextricably linked:
"For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."
John 6:40 (NIV)
Faith that Works
So why does this matter? Because when we conceive of “eternal life” as something that is future, far-off, and a gift that we possess, we can easily be lulled into a sense of complacency and shallow religiosity that emphasizes “believing the right things” over “living out the Gospel.” It’s the danger that John chastises the Churches about in the book of Revelation, and it’s what James famously warns us about in his epistle:
"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James 2:17
In similar fashion, while many Christians are quick to quote Ephesians 2:8-9…
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast..."
…Paul doesn’t stop there:
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Ephesians 2:10
Furthermore, while Romans 6:23 is clearly a favorite among Christians, the connection between eternal life and our actions is right there as well. Just go back one verse:
"But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:22-23 (NLT)
Becoming a “slave of God” is what this gift entails, which means that we don’t live our lives to please ourselves; rather, we pledge ourselves to serving and obeying our new Master. But does any of that come through when we simply recite the platitude that “salvation is a free gift”? This phrase almost makes it seem like salvation is a kind of “get out of jail free” card that we just happily accept now…to be redeemed later.
Willing Servants
Indeed, the very essence of the gift is that we are given the privilege of counting ourselves as servants to a new Master who has good plans and is actually for us, rather than remaining slaves to the master who abuses us and wants to destroy us. Accepting this gift changes everything, because when we receive it, we simultaneously renounce the kingdom of the world and become children of God who are able to enter into His Kingdom! But this gift is given not because we have earned that right (because we can’t), or because we deserve a chance to prove ourselves (because we don’t). It is offered only on account of the compassion that God has extended to us through His Son:
"But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."
John 1:12-13 (NLT)
In the final analysis, then, the New Testament is clear that we are all servants regardless. Our “default condition” is living out our lives in slavery to sin and reaping the wages of disobeying God: immorality, depravity, hostility, strife, jealousy, anger…in a word, death. But God invites us to trust Him, to live our lives based upon faith in Him and in His promises, because even when it’s hard, we know that serving Him always results in blessing: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness…in a word, life. The problem for us, though, is twofold: not only does our sin necessarily separate us from the only Source who can actually give us that kind of life, but without His presence we have no hope of living otherwise.
Indeed, we would all be hopelessly “trapped” and forever beholden to our cruel master, but the good news—the Gospel—is that God made a way to be in constant communion with Him through the death and resurrection of His only Son. God made a way to be reconciled with Him so that we can experience the kind of genuine, abundant life that comes only from knowing and walking with Him who is the truth, the way, and the life. This is the gift, and as His servants we seek to do His will, to please Him, and to serve Him from hearts that are full of gratitude…not pride, merit, or boasting. And it is in this “free gift” —the right of Christ’s disciples to be counted as God’s child—that we find life:
"I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
John 10:9-11 (NET)
Don’t be fooled! Accepting the gift and becoming a child of God means rejecting the wisdom of the world and choosing every day to live your life in the light of God’s revealed truth. And our model for how to do this, our example of how to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God, is none other than the one who died to redeem us: the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is what being a child of God looks like. He is the perfectly obedient Son who always did His Father’s will…regardless of the personal cost. He alone is worthy to call God Father, He is the Son who is without equal, and if we claim to be His disciple—if we presume to call Him “Lord” and God “our Father”—we must strive to do the same:
"Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Luke 9:23 (NET)
So the next time you hear someone say “salvation is a free gift”, remind them that the gift is actually the life of endless blessing that comes from being reconciled with our Heavenly Father through what Jesus has done for us. It’s the privilege of being able to walk with our God today and every day, not a “membership card” that we will redeem on the day of Judgment to escape His wrath.
And remind them that this gift is anything but free. Because this gift not only demands that we die to ourselves, but it required Jesus to sacrifice Himself for us.
Socratic Christianity 