One of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith is that sinners are saved by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). But what does this mean? Wages and gifts are one of the beautiful contrasting concepts in Scripture I find helpful and best explains for me salvation by grace through faith.
Wages are simply financial reward due a worker(s) for work done or service provided. A wage is deserved. A gift on the other hand is something of value willingly given another person who doesn’t deserve it. Paul is using the concept of wages and gifts to explain the righteousness of God. Gifts, in contrast to wages, are not earned or deserved.
The point then is that God’s rigtheousness leading to salvation is a gift. It is not earned or deserved. It is not something we work for. But God imputes it on the basis of faith: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3). In Romans 4, Paul speaking about the righteousness of Abraham argues that Abraham wasn’t justified by any good work (Romans 4:1-3). And to further explain his point, he uses the contrast between wages and gifts.
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness (Romans 4:4-5).
Wages and Gifts teaches us that the justification that brings the rigtheousness of God leading to salvation is unmerited. It is freely given by God and undeserved. Paul uses this same contrasting analogies in Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This text simply means death is the payment or reward for sin. We die because we deserve to die. We are sinners and the punishment for sin, which we have earned like wages is to die. But then in contrast to this death, there is eternal life offered us as a gift which we don’t deserve. What can we do to earn salvation? Nothing. Because we cannot earn it. We only have to receive by faith what God offers freely to the sinner: “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:9).
Grace and Truth 