Which Is It?

But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 6.22-23]

I sincerely wish not to be contentious, but do verses 22 and 23 of Romans 6 not contain great contradiction? Consider this: Paul says, "Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life..." indicating that holiness and eternal life are attained through our first doing something. And then, in verse 23 Paul says eternal life is a free gift.

So which is it? A free gift (unearned and undeserved in every way), or just payment for deeds done?

Yes, this is important to me. Either grace is entirely free or it is no grace at all. Either I am saved by Jesus only or I am doomed to an eternity separated from Him and all that is good.

Once again, I am seeing the struggle in the early church to deal with the work that Jesus performed on our behalf. And, in all of Paul's education, it is all too evident that he too is torn between his old Pharisaical ways and the new freedom in Christ.

Grace defies logical and certainly legalistic explanation. Grace can only be fully confined and contained by the One Who gives it. All we will EVER be able to do is receive grace... and give thanks. And this is done at the very intimate heart level - it is a miracle which may not be fully grasped by word or pen - the only true definition is found in the unspeakable relationship and comprehension between the two parties involved: God and man.

How dare anyone (even the apostle Paul himself) attempt to cheapen God's amazing and undeserved grace with ANY futile effort of man to attain it!

Father, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for Your grace. Thank You that Your Free Gift is something so invaluable that I could never EVER even begin to afford it with any price or effort of my own.