Did Jesus Give Us a Free Gift?

The Americans like to give no strings attached gifts. We talk about Jesus incarnation sacrificial death as a free gift. Some translations translate Romans 6:23 as a free gift such ESV, NASB2020, Good News Bible and some others translate Romans 6:23 as a free gift.  However, NIV, The Message, KJV, Holman Christian, and the modern CCB Chinese Bible says simply gift.

In China and in much of the developing world, gifts are intended to have strings. Americans recoil at the thought.

It can be a burden to closely keep track of gifts if seen wrong, but it is so sweet to have connections of every kind in a relationship.  A friend loaned us a car for a day, and Jo gave them fruit after.  I borrowed $50,000 from my friends to finish my house. I have $12,000 out to a friend who needed more for the down payment on his house now.

However, lets think more about Jesus gift. Did Jesus die to give us a free gift, no strings attached?

Really, Did Jesus Give Us a Free Gift?

What did Jesus want from us when he died for us? He wants a response. In fact, there was nothing free about it.  He gave a shockingly big gift to create the basis for a deep connectuon with people. Furthermore, it is a gift that needs a response. Also read about the Main Thing.

Thanks be to God. Jesus had strings attached. He wanted connection with us. Do we connect with Him in response? God is not an American, and we should not see Him that way.

Jesus gave a warm gift that we desperately needed to wake us up. God be praised. He wants to draw us and does it with an unforgettable gift.

God help us accept your heartfelt gift of love for a wayward people.

God honored us in asking us to give up being slaves to sin to be children/slaves of the King.

He did not see us as unable to respond. As a matter of fact, Jesus wanted a balanced relationship. Therefore, He gave us a strings attached gift. We return the gift of our lives.

Given what God did, we can come to him in Love and walk away from fear. Even more so, His gift of commitment reaches us and invites us.

He initiated, and we respond.  If I had not moved to China, I would never have seen how great a thing Jesus did nearly 2000 years ago.