We have in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Our sinful nature, because it happens to be what we are innately guilty of, attracts the ‘wage’ of ‘death.’ We get paid for our wrongdoings. When it comes to ‘righteousness,’ however, it is not of our toil. Jesus toiled for it, so we can only be a recipient of it through the Divine generosity of being a ‘gift.’ A gift is not an original ownership of the recipient. ‘Gift’ of the above verse is charisma (khar'-is-mah): ‘1. a (divine) gratuity, i.e. deliverance (from danger or passion) 2. (specially), a (spiritual) endowment 3. (subjectively) religious qualification 4. (objectively) miraculous faculty.’ The Greek charisma comes from charizomai (khar-id'-zom-ai) ‘to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue.’ Grace, as we understand it, is an unmerited favour.Read More