A young man giving his testimony on Easter Sunday doing the COVID-19 Pandemic 3/5/21.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” — Ephesians 2:8

What a precious Scripture! God couldn't be any planer in His Word... eternal life is a free GIFT from God. A “gift” means something acquired without compensation, that is, you cannot earn it. If a person were required to do anything to have eternal life, other than simply receive it, then it wouldn't be a gift. Romans 5:15 states...

Romans 5:15, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

May I say, you don't have to qualify to receive “a gift.” There are no obligations before, during, nor after receiving “a gift.” You don't have to live a certain way to authenticate if you've really received “a gift.” A gift is a gift is a gift! Eternal life and forgiveness of sins is a free gift offered to us, but it cost God His only begotten Son (John 3:16 - all quotes from trustworthy King James Bible). God paid the greatest price because He loves us! Anyone who personally receives the Biblical good news (Gospel) of Christ crucified, buried and risen is saved! It's that free and simple! If you believe that Christ died on the cross for your sins, and that He rose, you are saved! It is a gift! John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

And again in Romans 5:18 we read...

Romans 5:18, “Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Jesus] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”

God freely offers eternal life to all mankind, to anyone who desires to have it, by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that Jesus died upon the cross for our sins. Jesus was buried. Then Christ miraculously resurrected bodily from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus took His literal physical blood and ascended into Heaven, entering into the Holy Place and SPRINKLING His precious blood upon the Mercy Seat in the presence of God the Father (Hebrews 9:12; 22-24).

My friend, get that word into your mind concerning eternal life... it is a GIFT. A free GIFT! It cannot be earned, nor merited, nor are there any living requirements to obtain it. Our churches today are plagued with all sorts of false teachings on salvation that add human effort to faith, corrupting “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). Eternal life is a gift, no different than a gift that is sitting under the Christmas tree just waiting for you to open it. Nothing you can give will earn for you eternal life. God promised to save them that believe the Gospel. Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” It's that easy to be saved.

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Whether doing good works or ceasing from bad works, both are DEAD WORKS!

Jesus Paid For Everyone's Sins

Jesus paid for the sins of all mankind with His own precious literal blood. We read in 1st John 2:2 that Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world...

1st John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Notice that Jesus is the SAVIOR OF ALL MEN (which includes women too)...

1st Timothy 4:9-11, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach.”

Jesus paid for the sins of all unbelievers, including false prophets who refuse to receive God's free gift of salvation...

2nd Peter 2:1, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”