Does God Set Conditions on His Gift of Eternal Life?

Eternal life comes as a result of God's grace. It is His gift, unearned and undeserved on our part.

In Ephesians 2:8-9 [8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

See All..., Paul explains that "by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Eternal life comes as a result of God's grace. It is His gift, unearned and undeserved on our part. No one will ever be able to boast that he or she has earned or deserves the gift of eternal life.

But can we do things—or not do things—that will disqualify us from receiving that wonderful gift?

If there is an authority on receiving eternal life, it has to be Jesus Christ. After all, He is the one through whom we receive it.

In Hebrews 5:8-9 [8] Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
[9] And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

See All..., Jesus is called the author of our salvation: "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him."

Since salvation is God's gift, what does this passage mean when it speaks of "eternal salvation to all who obey Him"? If we must do something to receive God's gift of salvation, how can it be a gift?

Gifts can have conditions

The fact is, the BibleThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. shows that God sets certain conditions for receiving salvation. Some conditions enable us to receive that gift, and other conditions disqualify us from receiving it.

To use an analogy, if someone offered to send you a $100 bill if you would send him a stamped, self-addressed envelope, he would be offering you a gift. If you failed to send the envelope, you would not receive the gift. You might complain, but you still would not receive the gift because you had not met the conditions. On the other hand, if you sent the required envelope and received the $100 bill, you did not earn the gift. You simply met the necessary conditions. The fact that conditions are attached makes it no less a gift.

Since Jesus is the author of our salvation, let's examine a few of His statements that tell us what we must do to receive that gift.

What must we do?

In Matthew 7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
See All... Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." He made it clear that merely acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord and Master—saying "Lord, Lord"—is not sufficient. To inherit the Kingdom, we must do something. We must do the will of the Father, as He clearly stated.

Jesus wants us to understand that there is more to receiving eternal life than just mental acceptance. Our conviction that He is our Savior must be more than just a warm, comforting thought or intellectual concept. Jesus warns that simply calling on His name or recognizing Him as "Lord" is not enough.

At one point a wealthy young man asked Jesus how he could receive eternal life. "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" the man asked (Matthew 19:16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
See All...). Christ's reply, in verse 17, might shock some who think obedience to God's law is unnecessary. Jesus responded, "If you want

to enter into life, keep the commandments."

Jesus didn't answer that nothing is required other than believing in God or in Him. He told the young man that he must obey the commandments of God to receive the gift of eternal life.

As the apostle James points out, belief is pointless unless it is backed up by action and obedience: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe —and tremble" (James 2:19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
See All...).

He goes on to explain that faith—belief and trust in God—and obedience go hand in hand: "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?" (verses 20-22).

James thus explained that works of obedience as a result of our faith maintain our relationship with God and lead to greater faith and obedience, as God requires.

Baptism and laying on of hands

Jesus gave another condition for God's gift of eternal life in Mark 16:16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
See All...: " He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Water baptism—by full immersion—is a symbolic act representing the death of our old self and the beginning of a new life of serving God and striving to avoid sin (Romans 6:1-23 [1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
[2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
[6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
[7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.
[8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
[9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
[10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
[11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
[13] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
[14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
[15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
[16] Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
[17] But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
[18] Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
[19] I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
[20] For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
[21] What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
[22] But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
[23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

See All...).

Baptism is also followed by the laying on of hands, which allows us to receive God's Holy Spirit and truly belong to Him (Acts 8:17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
See All...; Romans 8:9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
See All...). Unless we surrender our lives to God through baptism and the laying on of hands to receive His Spirit as instructed, we fail to meet—whether knowingly or unknowingly—His prerequisites for receiving His gift of salvation. To those who would brush aside these and other plain biblical instructions Jesus replies, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
See All...).

In Matthew 10:22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
See All... Jesus listed another condition we must meet to receive God's gift of salvation: "He who endures to the end will be saved." We can lose out on salvation if we fail to endure to the end. Once we have committed ourselves to obeying God and surrendering ourselves to Him, we must stay the course to the end and not look back (Luke 9:62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
See All...; 1 Corinthians 9:27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
See All...).

Free, but not cheap

You may have heard the expression, "Salvation is free, but it isn't cheap." God's gift of life to us cost Jesus Christ His life. He, the very Son of God, willingly surrendered His life so that we might receive God's wonderful gift of eternal life.

But He expects us to surrender our lives in return. "If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me" (Luke 14:26-27 [26] If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
[27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

See All..., NLT).

Our love for and commitment to Jesus Christ and God the Father must be more important to us than any other relationship. Each of us must be willing to bear his "cross," to faithfully follow Jesus even through life's most difficult challenges.

Verses 28-33 carry that thought, warning us to consider carefully that accepting the gift of eternal life comes at the highest cost we can imagine. "So no one can become my disciple without giving up. everything for me" (verse 33, NLT).

As Jesus gave His life for us, we must be willing to give our lives to follow Him. To better understand this commitment, and the wonderful rewards it brings, request or download our free booklet Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion .