Do we really believe salvation is a free gift? Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary gives 49 definitions of “free”. The definition that applies to the topic we are discussing is: “given without consideration of a return or reward”. Does God grant us salvation without the consideration that we will do anything in return?
Mainstream Christians believe that the only way of salvation is to confess our sins and believe in Jesus’ death for our sins. But is not confessing our sins and accepting Christ as our savior taking action? True this is just a one-time action but it is still an action on our part. So does that mean we earn our salvation?
Mainstream Christianity considers that any other requirement other than faith in Jesus’ work for our sins is adding the “demands of obedience to the simple response of faith”. [1] But is this criticism of other viewpoints on salvation valid given that they believe God has imposed the condition of accepting Christ as our savior before we are granted his “free gift” of salvation?
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[1] Dictionary of Christianity in America, edited by Daniel G. Reid, Robert D. Linder, Bruce L. Shelley and Harry S. Stout. © 1990 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA; published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.
