The gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
—Romans 6:23
Life is tough. To survive it you have to grit your teeth and clench your fists.
But you can do it. Yes sireee. You can do anything you set your mind to do, get anything you set your mind to get, and be anything you set your mind to be.
You can grow strong on your own; survive on your own; win on your own.
But you can’t be saved on your own.
With a credit card and a wad of cash in your wallet you can get anything you need.
Almost.
But the one thing you need most can’t be bought; it can only be received as a gift.
Unclench the fist. Salvation, the gift of God’s grace, is received only by those who come with open and empty hands.
Without grace heaven would be empty.