Faith SavesSample

Faith Is a Gift

Have you ever received a gift, or given a gift to someone? When we give gifts or get them, it’s not because they are earned, but because the giver wants to give. It is the same with God. He is generous, loving, and offers salvation to all who believe.

In Ephesians 2, we read that we are saved by grace through faith, and that this is not of ourselves, but a gift of God. Salvation is a gift we do not earn through our works, but rather receive through faith in Jesus Christ. It is so precious that it cannot be sold, bartered, or taken away. It increases in value as we grow in our relationship with God.

I have a twenty-dollar bill and a rare old twenty-dollar coin. The bill represents earned wages from work, while the coin was given to me as a gift from a family member. The earned wages represent the value of my labor, while the gift represents my relative’s kindness to me.

The earned wages and the gift can buy the same number of items up to twenty dollars, but the gift has additional sentimental value. Moreover, because it is a rare coin, despite its face value of twenty dollars, it is now worth over fifteen-hundred dollars.

Similarly, the gift of salvation we receive from God is not something we can earn, but is freely given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. As we grow in our relationship with God, we realize this gift’s importance. We would never want to give away, trade, or sell it. It is a gift that increases in value as we grow in Christ.

Matthew Henry, a famous commentator from the 1600s, once said that he would give anything for peace except for the truth. The peace we receive through salvation is so important that we should hold on to it tightly and never let it go. It is the truth of God in our lives, and it is something we should treasure above all else.

Are we taking this gift of salvation for granted and not fully understanding its value? Are we growing in our relationship with God and realizing how precious this gift is? Let us not take it lightly, but rather hold it tightly and cherish it always.