Question: Dear Greg,

It seems to me that it is correct to say that eternal life is a gift of God as well as saying we gain eternal life by the way we live our lives here on this earth. What do you think?

David

Answer: Dear David,

You suggest that "you gain eternal life by the way you life your life on earth" and "eternal life is a gift of God" are both correct.

With respects, both cannot logically be correct, and even more importantly, they both cannot be biblically correct. Salvation is by grace alone, Christ alone, faith alone. Not by works, lest anyone should boast.

Our obedience to God does not earn us eternal life. The free gift of eternal life is not conditional – if it were it would not be free, and it would not be eternal. Let God be true, and every man a liar. He tells us that the life he gives us is eternal, he tells us that it is free, by his grace.

The presence of both of these words (free and eternal), and even more importantly, the presence of God, makes what we do of no merit in terms of gaining or earning salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-10 is a good text to study in this regard. The text teaches us that we are not saved BY our works, but we are saved FOR our works. What we do, our obedience – FOLLOWS our salvation. We are not saved because we obey. We obey because we are saved. All of the glory goes to God, for he alone can save. He alone is good enough to give us eternal life. We cannot earn salvation.

Whether we obey Jesus Christ is not in question here – not at all. Of course, Christians obey Jesus Christ. What is in question is the effect, benefit, merit or gain that comes by our obedience, and what is in question is HOW we obey. The only way that Christians are able to live a Christ-like life is for Jesus to live his life in us (Galatians 2:20). That can only happen once we are saved.

We cannot behave as Christians apart from God. We can build character. We can resist lying, stealing, etc. – as in fact atheists do, as in fact those of other world religions do. But they are not saved by such behavior or such character. Salvation is by Christ alone – by the finished, complete, sufficient work of Christ on the cross – and nothing else. Once we accept that and trust in him – surrendering to him and admitting that he alone can save us (and this is not easy to do, because humans would rather continue to think that they are in control and that what they do – our works – do make a different in terms of our salvation) – once we accept Christ we are saved and he will live a new life in us. The life of Christ will empower us, and we will be his "workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10) – he will do in us what we are absolutely incapable of doing ourselves.

Hope this helps!

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht