Have you heard of the free gift? If you heard that someone was offering you a free gift, would you not be enticed to know what it might be? Surely everyone has a natural tendency to gravitate toward items that are being offered for free. However, simply because something is free does not mean that the free item will be of any worth. Junk is offered for free quite often. However, there are moments in life when free gifts are offered that have much value. The Bible tells us of a free gift that is worth more than the universe itself.
There is another crucial component concerning the topic of free gifts. When someone offers another person a free gift, the gift must also be received. A free gift may be a free gift, but unless someone takes the free gift, he cannot claim the free gift as his own. With that being said, why don’t we see what God so freely offers?
Paul does not start with telling the Christian what the free gift is just yet. But his approach is beneficial to us, as we will soon see. The focus of the article today is Romans 5:15-17. In this text, you will see a key phrase shining through the text: free gift.
The free gift is not like the offense
Scripture says, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift…” (KJV, Rom. 5:15) . Here, we see that Paul’s approach to speaking of the free gift is in terms of a negative (in terms of what the free gift is not). The free gift, Paul tells us, is not like the offense of Adam.
Prior to Romans 5:15-17, Paul spent time telling us that Adam was a type of Christ. Having an understanding of Adam as a type of Christ is essential in understanding the Scripture that will be discussed in this article. Adam was the first man who had ever lived, and upon Adam was bestowed the weighty responsibility for being the legal representative of all mankind.
When Adam sinned, it is properly said that all mankind sinned with or in Adam as a result of Adam’s headship. One can see quickly what the offense of Adam brought to humanity in Genesis 3. The curse of God came upon all mankind due to the sin of the first man. Despite the fact that the world has been corrupted through the sin of Adam, Paul tells us that the free gift is not like the offense.
Christ is declared to be the last Adam. The reason for this is that Christ has been offered to the world as a legal representative. The free gift that is offered through Christ’s headship is not like the offense of Adam. It is much different. But the question remains, “What is this free gift?”
The free gift is by grace
While Paul tells us what the free gift is not, he also tells us by which means the free gift comes to mankind. Scripture says, “… For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ…” (Rom. 5:15) . Paul tells us that the offense of Adam brought death. This also means that the free gift is not like that; the free gift is much different than death.
Paul also tells us that the free gift is by grace. Paul is attempting to highlight a crucial matter of significance concerning the free gift. To hear that something is a gift, would it not, generally speaking, necessitate something that is free? Nevertheless, Paul chooses to tell us that the gift is a free gift – as though saying it is a gift is not enough. To hear that something is a free gift surely highlights the fact that the individual does not have to work for it or pay for it.
Still, it is as though Paul wants to stress the matter as far as he can. He does not merely say that there is a gift being offered to mankind. He does not simply say that it is free. He goes on to say that it is “by grace.” Grace is God’s unmerited favor. This means that the free gift is not only free but is undeserved. It is not a free gift given for a job well done. It is a free gift given despite a job done poorly. Who does that sort of thing? Paul tells us that God does.
The free gift is offered to many
Scripture goes on to say, “… For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Rom. 5:15) . The sin of Adam abounded to mankind. In much the same way, the free gift that is being offered in Christ also abounds to mankind.
God is calling the unbeliever to Himself. He is offering a free gift. However, the unbeliever must accept the free gift. The believer must also rejoice in the free gift that God has given him.
The free gift is not like the result of Adam’s sin
Paul has still refrained from telling us what the free gift is. He does not completely fail to tell us what it is; he has merely structured his letter strategically to reveal to us the free gift in the end of this section. Scripture says, “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift…” (Rom. 5:16) . Here again, we see Paul telling us that the free gift is not the same as the result of Adam’s sin. While mankind finds himself in a bad place in Adam, for those who are in Christ, the free gift that is offered unto them will be seen as much different.
The free gift brings justification
As we draw toward the end of our text for the day, we are coming closer to hearing Paul’s revelation regarding what the free gift actually is. Paul tells us, “… for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification” (Rom. 5:16) . As we get closer to the end, we see that Paul tells us that the free gift brings about justification.
To be justified before God is to be legally declared righteous in God’s sight. But what is it that brings about the justification of the believer? We have seen that the free gift is what brings about justification, but that does not answer the question: “What is the free gift?”
The free gift of righteousness
Finally, Paul tells us what the free gift that God is offering to humanity is. Scripture says, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17) . Here we have it: Paul tells us that the free gift is righteousness before God.
Paul started the book of Romans with a popular portion of Scripture. Paul tells us that the Gospel is the power of God that brings about salvation in the life of the believer. The reason for this is that, in the Gospel, there is a righteousness that is revealed to humanity that comes by way of faith.
In our text for the day, we see that the righteousness that is being offered to humanity comes by way of Christ’s headship, also known as Christ’s legal representation of the believer. Thus, the righteousness of Christ is credited to the believer, and the believer is justified before God as a result.
Will you accept the free gift today? To be righteous before God is to be in right standing with God. Would you not desire to be in right standing before God? Lay hold of the free gift of righteousness that comes by way of God’s super-abounding grace.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for the free gift of righteousness. I recognize that I do not deserve it; I have not earned it, but I also see that it is by grace. Thank You for Your amazing generosity toward me.