Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Are you working or are you receiving?

What is the difference between wages and gifts? What is the definition of gift?

• Something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance (dictionary.com/)
• A direct or indirect transfer in which the giver doesn’t expect an equal amount of consideration in return. (Internal Revenue Service)

For clarity, if someone gives you money or any other asset, and they are not asking for goods or services in exchange; it’s a gift. A wage, on the other hand is:

• A fixed regular payment, typically paid on a daily or weekly basis, made by an employer to an employee, especially to a manual or unskilled worker. The payment is usually on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis. (dictionary.com/)
• All remuneration for services performed by an employee for his employer (Internal Revenue Service)

When you sin; you are an employee of the enemy. He does give you a wage, it’s death.

Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked [a]by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and [b]that only is what he will reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition)

That’s just the truth of the matter. Every time you sin, you punch your timecard. Isn’t it a wonderful thing Jesus gave you the gift of salvation?

Romans 3:23-24 since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] [a]grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, (Amplified Bible)

You could not work for it even if you wanted to. You know it is a gift because He was not looking for you to give anything back. Actually, He knew you were not even considering giving anything back at the time He gave it. He wants you to pay it forward, but that was not even a prerequisite to His giving. He died to give you the gift of life and it more abundantly.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (New King James Version)

His desire is for you to accept His gift and live like you’re grateful for it.

Please agree with me as I pray:

Father, because of Jesus, I have turned in my letter of resignation to the enemy. I will no longer work for him and I thank You. I repent for all of the times I took part time work for the devil when I should have been working full time for you. I have received what Jesus did for me. I did not have to work for it and what I do now is not drudgery and is not labor. I can not earn what I have already been given. All I had to do was open my heart, allow Jesus to come in and acknowledge Him as my Lord and savior. I am excited because there were no other requirements. I am humbled and filled with gratitude just thinking about that. The world tells You nothing in life is free. Jesus said. I give myself freely, come and receive. Now I will live a life that speaks of the free gift that not only was available for me, but is available for all…