“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” — Ephesians 2:8
What a precious Scripture! God couldn't be any planer in His Word...
eternal life is a free GIFT from God. A “gift” means something
acquired without compensation, that is, you cannot earn it. If a
person were required to do anything to have eternal life, other than simply
receive it, then it wouldn't be a gift. Romans 5:15 states...
Romans 5:15, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
May I say, you don't have to qualify to receive “a gift.” There are no obligations before, during, nor after receiving “a gift.” You don't have to live a certain way to authenticate if you've really received “a gift.” A gift is a gift is a gift! Eternal life and forgiveness of sins is a free gift offered to us, but it cost God His only begotten Son (John 3:16 - all quotes from trustworthy King James Bible). God paid the greatest price because He loves us! Anyone who personally receives the Biblical good news (Gospel) of Christ crucified, buried and risen is saved! It's that free and simple! If you believe that Christ died on the cross for your sins, and that He rose, you are saved! It is a gift! John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
And again in Romans 5:18 we read...
Romans 5:18, “Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Jesus] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”
God freely offers eternal life to all mankind, to anyone who desires to have it, by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that Jesus died upon the cross for our sins. Jesus was buried. Then Christ miraculously resurrected bodily from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus took His literal physical blood and ascended into Heaven, entering into the Holy Place and SPRINKLING His precious blood upon the Mercy Seat in the presence of God the Father (Hebrews 9:12; 22-24).
My friend, get that word into your mind concerning eternal life... it is a GIFT. A free GIFT! It cannot be earned, nor merited, nor are there any living requirements to obtain it. Our churches today are plagued with all sorts of false teachings on salvation that add human effort to faith, corrupting “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). Eternal life is a gift, no different than a gift that is sitting under the Christmas tree just waiting for you to open it. Nothing you can give will earn for you eternal life. God promised to save them that believe the Gospel. Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” It's that easy to be saved.
Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Whether doing good works or ceasing from bad works, both are
DEAD WORKS!
Jesus Paid For Everyone's Sins
Jesus paid for the sins of all mankind with His own precious literal blood. We read in 1st John 2:2 that Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world...
1st John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Notice that Jesus is the SAVIOR OF ALL MEN (which includes women too)...
1st Timothy 4:9-11, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach.”
Jesus paid for the sins of all unbelievers, including false prophets who refuse to receive God's free gift of salvation...
2nd Peter 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
How
could anyone say that Jesus didn't die for everyone in view of such plain
Scriptures? Calvinism is a false doctrine, and
John Calvin
(1509-1564)
was a heretic. Followers of John Calvin believe that Jesus
only died for the saved,
and not for unbelievers.
However, the Word of God condemns such heretical teaching. According to the Bible, from the Scriptures we've read, Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. Thus, eternal life is a free gift that is available to anyone who wants it. Tragically, most people are sinful proud, and refuse to come to God by way of the Son of God. Jesus plainly stated...
John 5:40, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”
Jesus said “will not,” but He didn't say “cannot.” You can be saved if you want to be, but you MUST come to God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son...
John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and bodily raised up three days later. This is the Gospel (good news) by which we are saved. Simply receive the Gospel as full payment for your sins...
1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
Many churchgoers are confused
about the plan of salvation, because there is so much debate over what
it really means to be a Christian. If you keep in mind the Biblical
truth that eternal life is a free gift, than you wont be led astray.
Beware of false prophets like Jehovah's witnesses who say that eternal
life is a free gift, but you must also have works to get it. This is the
demonic forked-tongue, double-talk, that satanic religious cults are
notorious for using. Satan fully knows that the best place to hide a lie
is between two truths. This is why Satan uses false religions like
Mormonism and Seventh Day Adventists, who claim to be Christian, to
deceive people. Get you a King James Bible and don't let religion blind
you. Remember, religion wants to fit you with glasses, but the Lord
wants to open your eyes!
God Has An Unconditional Love For Mankind
The Holy Bible tells us that God has an unconditional love for all mankind...
John 3:16, “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.”
Only a misguided fool would dare claim that God doesn't love all people, sinners included. The truth is that we are ALL sinners (Romans 3:10,23). It's a good thing that God loves sinners, or else none of us could go to Heaven. God loves sinners; BUT, He does not love the sins they commit. God hates all sin. The ONLY basis upon which a person may be accepted by God is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross, and the precious blood that He sprinkled upon the mercy seat in Heaven to wash away our sins (Hebrews 9:12,24; 1st Peter 1:18-19; 1st John 1:7).
God loves you and me because of Who He is, not for who we are. Likewise, the offer of eternal life is a gift based upon what God has done for us by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross, and not upon what we can do for Him. God sent His only begotten Son into the world to die on the cross for man's sins. Jesus (Who knew no sin), because as sin for us (who knew no righteousness). He 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Amen. Eternal life is a completely free gift from God, with no hidden bombshells in the contract. The gift of eternal life is rooted in God's unconditional love for humanity, which compelled Christ to willingly go to the cross to suffer, bleed and die for us (Romans 5:8; 1st John 3:16). Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
No one hates sin as much as God. We read in Hebrews 1:9 that Jesus hated iniquity. In John 2:15 we find Jesus extremely angry because of greedy men who had turned the church into a money-making business.
In Psalm 97:10 the Bible instructs all believers who love the Lord to HATE EVIL. As believers we should hate sin, but love the sinner with an unconditional love. God's love is unconditional, i.e., God loved us enough to send His only begotten Son into this world to pay for our sins, knowing just how sinful we would one day be...
Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Every Christian ought to have a hate life. I realize this goes contrary to the ecumenical compromise of our day that preaches love, love, love; but Psalm 97:10 tells us to hate evil. Psalm 94:16 asks...
Psalms 97:10, “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”
If you think God is a big Teddy Bear Whose love surpasses His moral perfection and demand for justice, then you are woefully deceived! All Christ-rejecters will burn in the Lake of Fire...
“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” —2nd Thessalonians 1:8
Do
not be deceived, anyone who refuses to obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
i.e., to BELIEVE on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of one's sins, they
will burn in Hell one day. Salvation is not a trifle matter, or a
magical prayer, or a religious experience—it is when a guilty sinner (under
the condemnation of God's Law, who deserves to burn in Hellfire) comes to
the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, believing solely upon the Savior to forgive
their sins and save them.
No One Can Turn From All Their Sins
Beware of false prophets who add the unbiblical requirement of “turning away from your sins” as being necessary to go to Heaven. The truth is that no one can turn away from their sins. I don't care how much you reform and clean up your act, you will still have sin in your life. Everyone sins! We all sin every day, whether in deed, word or thought. We sin by not doing good things that we should do (James 4:17), like praying for others (1st Samuel 12:23). Oh, how we are all horrible sinners! The very notion of having to make Jesus one's Lord to be saved, forsaking the world and purposing in one's heart to turn away from sinful bad habits, is a woeful fraud! Who can turn away from all his sins? If repentance means “turning away from sin,” then we are all going to burn in the Lake of Fire forever, because no one can turn away from all their sins!
The truth is that Biblical repentance means “to think differently,” which is entirely different than the modern English definition of the word. On page 114 of the excellent book by Michael Patrick Bowen titled, “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” the author provides an accurate explanation of true Biblical repentance...
“Repent, as Christ meant it to be in terms of salvation, means to change your mind from trusting in what you can do for God to trusting only in what He can do for you.”
SOURCE: Michael Patrick Bowen, a quote from the awesome book, “
I NEVER NEW YOU” (Page 114)