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By Neal Griffin
Suppose that I offer you a free gift but attach the following terms of acceptance: You must first submit to a ritual of my choosing and then live according to my dictates the rest of your life in order to receive the free gift . Would the gift yet be a "free" gift? Wouldn’t it rather be a contract of completion? God intended for salvation to be free. The Bible says so in several places: Romans 5:15-18 for example. As a matter of fact it is impossible for man to gain this free gift by means of his effort. See Matthew 19:25-26 and Titus 3:5. It is an insult to our Divine Host when we try to pay Him for His free gift. To be humbly truthful we have nothing worthy of this free gift except the blood of Jesus. Anything we might have to offer God already belongs to Him.
There is as much difference between a free gift and a contract of completion as there is between grace and law. Salvation is of God via His grace. To Him belongs the glory. If it (salvation) were possible on the part of man we would have "somewhat of which to boast". The Bible truth of the matter is that we have nothing of which to boast except the blood of Jesus. Jesus did the saving work, and when man points to his own efforts toward salvation he does tremendously err. Is it not so that when a man works for his salvation the reward is NOT reckoned to grace but of debt? Romans 4:4. To attach terms and conditions to a free gift is to render it a contract of completion. The misdirected of Galatians Chapter 5 attached terms to God’s free plan and Paul announced to them, "Ye are fallen from grace". This is a serious matter.
The main argument of our works oriented brethren is presented thusly: "If I offer you ten thousand dollars as a free gift you would yet be required to get up and receive it from my hand, but your getting up etc could not reasonably be called "meritorious effort". This statement is true except for the fact that it comes up far short of addressing the real issue. It is pointless in relation to the question at hand. The real issue is whether or not man accomplishes salvation via meritorious effort. Let me rephrase the statement to represent their actual position: "If I offer you ten thousand dollars as a free gift you would yet be required to be water baptized and faithfully serve me the remainder of your life". If this is not "meritorious effort" there is no such a thing as meritorious effort. If this is not a work contract there is no such thing as a work contract. God’s salvation is a "free" gift. Thus saith the Lord. It is either free or earned. God says "free".
The rich young ruler wished to be the author of his salvation by reason of his own effort. He was accustomed to paying his own way, and pride rendered him incapable of accepting the charity Jesus had to offer. Whatever other passages there are that seem to downplay this vital principle need to be resolved with the issue of free salvation. Where then do works fit into God’s plan of free salvation?
Some would argue that God’s free salvation is wrapped up in a work plan through which man is saved, that it is a six step formula by which man gains this free gift, but God’s plan of free salvation is not so burdened. It is instead wrapped up in a man, the Man, Jesus. Salvation does not involve a plan by which man gains salvation via his own effort. God’s free gift is not a plan. It is a Man. To Him belongs the glory. What then is the requirement of man?
What was required of Abraham in order to be counted righteous? It was his continuing trust that God could and would do what He promised. That is what saving faith is all about. Abraham believed and it was imputed to him as righteousness. "Now, it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead". Romans 4:23-24.
Your brother and servant by reason of Calvary,
Neal
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