The Gift Box

THE GIFT BOX

The old man trembled as he caressed the box. It wasn't just a box. The old man spent nearly a year crafting it. He had worked hard, giving his own blood, sweat, and tears to create the beautiful box, hand crafted from the finest wood.

His friend, the young man down the road, was an avid coin collector, and the box was designed to display his coins in a beautiful fashion.

When the young man came to the door, the old man smiled and handed him the box. The old man had not felt such emotion in many years. He was so pleased with the box, and to give it as a gift to someone he loved so very much, that even his toes tickled with joy.

The young man was indeed surprised. He immediately recognized the value, the tremendous price it must have cost, and the extreme effort to provide such a wonderful gift.

"This is absolutely beautiful," the young man exclaimed, "Exactly what I need, more than anything in the world."

"It's my special gift to you," the old man said.

"Well, that's fine," the young man replied, "I must pay you for this. Here's some money, and I'll mow your grass every week. I'll paint your house and I'll do all kinds of things for you... you'll see."

"No, no," the old man cried, tears filling his eyes as he began to back away. "i don't want your money, and I don't want you to do all those things for me. The box is a free gift. I just want you to be my friend."

We likely are saying, 'How terrible. Can't the young man see that he insulted the old man?' And yet, that is exactly what many of us do with God.

Our wonderful God and Lord, by His blood, sweat, and tears crafted the free gift of eternal life for all of us; exactly what we needed more than anything else in the world. This gift by His Son is the supreme expression of His love for us.

The Watchtower admits that eternal life is a free gift, but then they say, "Yet, it does require effort on our part." (2-1-96 Watchtower, pg.7) They next outline all the supposed "requirements" we must meet and "works" we must do to "earn" that gift. They insult the living God. They detract from His free gift of love, implying that He requires something from us.

Salvation is 100% of God. All the praise and glory go to our God and Lord who provides for us and graciously bestows upon us the free gift of eternal life. All He desires is to be our friend and have a relationship with us.

The "works" we do are a result of the faith given us by God. God planned them in advance and He accomplishes them through us. (EPA. 2:10) There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve the free gift.

Romans 3:23,26, says, "For all have sinned... and it is a free gift that they are being declared righteous by His grace, through the release by the ransom by Jesus Christ."

Romans 11:6 says, "Now if it is by grace, it is no longer due to works, otherwise, the grace no longer proves to be grace."

Let us never "outrage the spirit of grace," but accept with thanksgiving the free gift by drawing close to our God and Lord. (Heb.10:29)

Religion has us working for what we already have, trying to become who and what we already are, by doing what has already been done!

Story from the March 2003 Revealer reproduced with permission

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