~The gift we return and try to earn~

 Have you ever had a birthday when you have said "don't get me anything"...."I don't need anything"..... "I've got every thing I need"?!?!?! Well if your an adult I know at one point or another you have said this or someone has said it to you. I think way too many of us "Christians" carry this mentality within us spiritually over to God without even realizing what we are doing because we are so wrapped up in church, christian organizations, us having the mentality.....the more we do.....(or don't do for that matter) the more we are holy and acceptable to God. 
 Now have you ever heard a kid say " nahh....don't get me anything for my birthday"?!?!?! hahahaha Well I have never in my life. Kids are very accepting to gifts. They know that we do not love them more or less because of what they do or don't do. And they know that more than likely we r gonna get them a gift for their birthday.....no matter what horrible things they have done.
Jesus talks about how we should have a childlike approach in Luke 18:17  17 I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God."  
("their" meaning children)
We need to have faith that God does not love us more/less by the things we chose to do/not to do. His gift is always available.


Romans 4:4-5 says When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. 5 But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.


Some synonyms of righteous include - holy, godly, good ....etc. 


Definition of "gift" - something given voluntarily without payment in return, 


In other words: 
If we could earn salvation it would not be a "gift"

Romans 4:16 says: So that's why faith is the key! God's promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.


Romans 5:16 says: And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but we have the freegift of being accepted by God, even though we are guilty of many sins.


Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.


Isn't it amazing how many times it says FREE GIFT!!! In this economy if ne-1 sees the word "free" they jump all over it. I think people would be alot more likely to come to believe in God if we emphasised the word FREE more often. I believe there are so many Christians who believe you must wear certain clothes/not wear certain clothes, listen to this kind of music/ not listen to this particular kind of music, cut your hair/ not cut your hair, go to church/not go to church, read this bible/don't read a certain bible......and the list goes on and on. But the bible specifically states that nothing we can do will get us saved.....it's only when you believe in Jesus Christ that you are saved and......NOTHING ELSE!!! All of these things are fine to do or not do.....it's all in personal preference but we should never think that we are more saved for how we dress, where we go to church, what music we listen to, what bible we read......and so on. It's all about BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST!!!


Ephesians 2:8-9 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 


How many of us are pushing aside God's FREE gift and trying so hard to be right. It is time to stop trying to be right with what we are doing, but believing Jesus is right with what he has already done.


                   ~Thanks 4 Reading~
                   ~God Bless w/ Love~
              ~Kimberly R. Hutchinson~