It’s decision time. Do I have use for this Christmas present? Do I try to return it to the store from which it was purchased? How do I do that if I don’t have the receipt? Do I save it until next Christmas and regift it? If so, I better label who gave it to me lest I give it back to the person who gave it to me. Or worst of all just throw it away!
I have known people who have regifted salvation. (I know. That is crazy, but who says everyone is sane?) They accepted Jesus’ offer and did one of two things. They decided they didn’t want it so they gave it back to Jesus. Or they first shared it with another and then threw it away. Or they consciously or subconsciously decided once saved they had to start contributing toward the cost by living a life according to law. It is a normal reaction. When we receive something wonderful we want to do something back. And we can. We can with God’s help live a Christ-like life. The important issue is motive. If our motive is to pay back we nullify the gift. If my motive is love for God and growing love for people that He plants within us then our good works do not nullify grace.
Paul refers to this in Galatians 2. He wrote, “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” The last thing we would ever want to do is to cause Jesus to have died needlessly. So as we give good gifts to others we always remember we are NOT contributing to the cost of our salvation. We are not regifting. We are reproducing.
Written by Roger Bothwell on December 28, 2015
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