The gift of salvation is free. I need to believe this so I can stop trying to be being good enough. I can rest from working to become righteous. I didn’t earn any part of my salvation. I didn’t earn the daily reprieve from condemnation. I didn’t earn deliverance from alcoholism either. But those things are mine always. I can’t work to get the gift because it is already mine. If I feel pressure to work in order to receive it, then I’m without understanding of true salvation. If I think righteousness is up to me, I still am not utilizing the priceless, limitless free gift. I received it one day when I initially got saved, but then I stopped believing the freedom. Why? Because my heart believed the lie that I was still unworthy and that I needed to rely on my own works.
Salvation is forever. Salvation is for every day of my life.
The gift of salvation is not a one-time experience. It is constant. Salvation
extends to the next right now. I am under no condemnation now and
forever - every single day of my life. Christ did not die in vain. I
have new life from the time of salvation and on and on forever. I can enjoy
this. I can feel secure in this.
When I don’t act on this freedom from condemnation, it is as
though there is a huge wrapped package sitting in my living room, but I never
open it. I can’t really receive it if I leave the package unopened. It’s probably
too extravagant for me. I decide that it would be better if I earned the
gift so I ignore it and I continue to strive and work in order to feel worthy
of opening the package. Days, then weeks go on, and I never open the gift
because I’m sure that I need to earn it. I believe I need to do good works in
order to obtain right standing that will give me favor. Then I could
open the gift. I think maybe someday I will be able to open it. That is what I’ve
been doing with salvation through Christ! Saving the freedom for later!
The truth is that salvation is a gift every day, not just on
the first day when we receive Christ. There is a wrapped gift sitting in my
living room always. There are glorious new things constantly being dropped into
the package.
Will I open it? Will I feely receive what is inside?
