“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 6:23 NLT
Have you ever felt awkward when you unexpectedly received a Christmas gift from someone for whom you had no gift? You hadn’t planned to give them a gift, yet they sacrificed their time and resources to present you with one, leaving you humbled and feeling like you’ve fallen far short of what’s expected or good.
We sometimes refer to gift-giving as “exchanging gifts”, but is it truly a gift if something is expected in return?
A common response to receiving a gift is, “You didn’t have to do that!” The expression stems from our innate understanding that we’re unworthy of the gift because we did nothing to earn it. But that’s precisely why it’s a gift—it’s given willingly and without payment. A gift is not a gift if it’s given out of obligation. By definition, it’s undeserved.
If you and I received what we deserve today, we wouldn’t be here. As sinners who fall far short of God’s holy standard, we have earned death and eternal separation from God. The Bible confirms this contrast: while sin earns death, God offers the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23).
The concept of a “free gift” is misleading, because nothing is truly free; everything costs someone something. This is true of our salvation. We can receive this gift not because of anything we’ve done, but because of who God is and because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who paid for it with His life. Out of the love and kindness of His heart, God chose to grant us what we don’t deserve—eternal life with Him.
Don’t miss the last two words of the previous sentence—with Him. God’s gift to us is life, but it’s better than that—it’s life with Him. When we receive His gift of salvation by grace through faith, we also receive the gift of His presence—God with us, Immanuel. His Spirit dwells in us, and He never leaves us (1 Corinthians 3:16, Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:38–39).
The wonder of Christmas is God’s incredible love for us, His desire for a relationship with us despite the problem of our sinful nature, and the marvelous fulfillment of God’s promise to save us.
Take a moment to thank God for the gift of salvation you could never earn, but that He gave freely because of His great love.
Christmas celebrates the free gift of abundant and eternal life with God, made possible through Jesus.
Additional Scripture:
Romans 5:1
Ephesians 2:8–9
1 Timothy 1:15–17
