I was always taught you had to earn something before you got it.

You had to earn respect from people by treating them with the respect you wanted.

You had to earn trust by always telling the truth.

You had to do something to earn something; and the better that thing was, the harder you had to work for it.

While this is true in many cases, it’s not true with salvation.

In addition to today’s verse, Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” If we’ve all sinned, and the wages of sin is death, then what are we to do?

Thank God the verses don’t stop there. Both today’s verse and Romans 3:23 remind us that God’s free gift is eternal life in Jesus.

God knows that we could never earn eternal life for ourselves. We’re too sinful.

So, in His love, He sent His only Son to live the life we should have led, and die the death we should have died, so we can be with Him forever in heaven. We don’t have to earn heaven. God gives it to us freely through His Son Jesus Christ; we only need to accept Him as our Savior. God has already done the rest.