What does it mean for Salvation to be a gift from God?
The Parable of the Pushup
There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending school in Utah. Mr. Christianson taught at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Mr. Christianson’s class. Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over. One day, Mr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Mr. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, “You think you’re pretty tough, don’t you?”
Steve’s answer was, “Yeah, I do.”
Then Mr. Christianson asked, “How many push-ups can you do?”
Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”
“200? That’s pretty good, Steve,” Mr. Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300?”
Steve replied, “I don’t know… I’ve never done 300 at a time.”
“Do you think you could?” Mr. Christianson asked again.
“Well, I can try,” said Steve.
“Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it”, Mr. Christianson insistent.
Steve said, “Well… I think I can… yeah, I can do it.”
Mr. Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday.”
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Mr. Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited-it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend.
Mr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want a donut?”
Cynthia said, “Yes”.
Mr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?”
Steve said, “Sure,” and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten.
Then Steve again sat in his desk. Mr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk. Mr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe do you want a donut?”
Joe said, “Yes”.
Mr. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?” Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut, and down the second aisle, until Mr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Mr. Christianson asked, “Scott do you want a donut?” Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own pushups?”
Mr. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.”
Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”
Mr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?”
Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!”
Mr. Christianson said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Mr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.
Mr. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?”
Jenny said, “No.”
Then Mr. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?” Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.
By now, the students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve also had to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved. Mr. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he could not bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely. Mr. Christianson started down the fourth row.
During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters located on the sides of the room. When Mr. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
Mr. Christianson went on to the next person, the next, and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.
Steve asked Mr. Christianson, “Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?”
Mr. Christianson thought for a moment, “Well, they’re your pushups… You can do them any way that you want.” And Mr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!”
Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come in”.
Mr. Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him.”
Steve said, “Yes, let him come in”.
Mr. Christianson said, “Okay, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?”
“Yes”.
“Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?” Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
Mr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started among those seated on the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Mr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a doughnut? Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you”.
Mr. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?”
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
Then Mr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?” Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, “Mr. Christianson, can I help him?”
Mr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, he has to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?”
As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Mr. Christianson turned to the room and said.
“And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.” With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died – even for those that didn’t want His gift. And just like some of those in this room, many choose not to accept the gift that was provided for them.
So the big question is what does this parable mean? What does it mean for salvation to be a gift? And how do we explain this gift to those we disciple or share the Good News with?
Let’s start by really understanding what the word gift means in a biblical context.
In Scripture we find that the word “gift” has three senses: gifts men give to men; sacrificial offerings presented to God; and gifts God gives to men, especially in connection with salvation, righteousness, and his grace.
In the New Testament, there are several Greek words translated “gift.” Some of these words are used in contexts other than God’s gift of salvation.
- Such as the reciprocal gift giving of celebrants, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. – Revelation 11:10
- The things received from fathers; If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! – Matthew 7:11
- Offerings to a ministry, Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. – Philippians 4:17
- And the gifts of the magi, And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. – Matthew 2:11
However, when it comes to the matter of our salvation, the New Testament writers use different Greek words, words that emphasize the gracious and absolutely free quality of the gift. Here are the two words most commonly used for the gift of salvation:
1) Dorea, (door-e-a) meaning “a free gift”. This word lays particular stress on the gratuitous nature of the gift, it is something given above and beyond what is expected or deserved. Every New Testament occurrence of this word is related to a spiritual gift from God. It is what Jesus offers to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:10). It is called the “free gift” in Romans 5:15. It is the “unspeakable [or indescribable] gift” in 2 Corinthians 9:15. This gracious gift is identified as the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38; 8:30; and 11:17.
The adverb form of this word is Dorean, (door-e-an) translated “freely” in Matthew 10:8; 2 Corinthians 11:7; Revelation 21:6; 22:17. And in Romans 3:24, immediately following God’s pronouncement of our guilt, we have this use of Dorean: “Being justified FREELY by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The gift of salvation is free, and the motive for the gift is nothing more than the grace of the Giver.
Remembering the context, motive for the gift is nothing more than the grace of the Giver; when was the last time you gave freely of your treasures, those gifts given to you by God?
2) Charisma, meaning “a gift of grace.” This word is used to define salvation in Romans 5:15-16. Also, For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT [charisma] of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 6:23
This same word is used in conjunction with the gifts of the Spirit received after salvation (Romans 12:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Peter 4:10).
Obviously, if something is a “gift of grace,” it cannot be earned. To work for something is to deserve it, and that would produce an obligation, a gift of debt. That is why works destroy Grace.
Abraham Justified by Faith
1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. – Romans 4:1-5
5So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. – Romans 11:5-6
When presenting salvation, the New Testament writers carefully chose words (I believe Holy Spirit intervention) that emphasize grace and freedom. As a result, the Bible could not be more clear, salvation is absolutely free, the true gift of God in Christ, and our only responsibility is to receive the gift by faith.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— John 1:12
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9
a. Recommended Resource: Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification by R.C. Sproul
b. Recommended Resource: Faith Alone: by Martin Luther
c. Bible Hub; http://biblehub.com/
d. Got Questions.org; Bible Questions Answered; http://www.gotquestions.org/
e. Bible Study Tools; http://www.biblestudytools.com/