Russell Haffner
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he wrote, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The word "gift" is a translation of the Greek word (CHARISMA). This term is related to the original Greek word that is often rendered as "grace" (CHARIS). Therefore, it indicates a gift that is given strictly as a favor; it is unmerited (undeserved). In Romans 6:23 the term "gift" is set in contrast to the term "wages" (OPSONION), that represents a deserved payment for services provided.
It is wrongly assumed by some, that since salvation is an unmerited "gift," there is absolutely nothing we need to do to gain the remission of our sins. However, that is very far from the truth. Jesus said, "Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). This shows us that receiving pardon is conditional on obedience. Acts 2:38 states, "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
There is also a revealing passage in the Gospel of John that teaches us that even when a gift is offered, there can be conditions required to receive that gift. Jesus once said, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you" (John 6:27). Even though "everlasting life" is called a gift, the Lord emphasizes that there is "labor" (work) to be done (by us) in order to receive that gift.
It is obvious the disciples understood the meaning of Jesus' words because they asked, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" (John 6:28). They knew that there was something for them to do. The phrase "works of God" refers to those things He has commanded us to do. Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29). It should be noticed that the phrase "work of God" literally means "work from God" (a genitive of source). This shows us that even believing is classified as a "work" which must be done by those who desire heaven. Everlasting life requires faith and obedience. They work together for our righteousness.
There is no reason for the confusion in the religious world today concerning the issue of faith and works. One extreme says faith only and the other extreme says works only. The Bible is clear that neither extreme is correct. God's word teaches that we are counted as righteous when faith and works of obedience combine (Galatians 5:6; James 2:18-22). The "gift of God" is given to us only if we meet the requirements commanded by our God.
Perhaps you have lost your password and don’t know how to proceed. In our records student passwords are encrypted and not visible, but there are steps you can take to reset your password if it has been lost:
- From the homepage of the School, select the "LOGIN" button on the blue menu bar at the school website, which will take you to the bottom of the page to the login form.
- Choose the "Lost Password" link below the form.
- A new page asking for your email address will be presented. Simply enter the email address you used when setting up your account, click the reCAPTCHA checkbox and then click the "Get New Password" button.
- At this point an email will be sent to the email address you entered. In the email there will be a reset link to verify that you do indeed own the email address you entered.
- After clicking the reset link in your email, you will be given the opportunity to create a new password. The website will auto-populate the input field with a randomly generated set of characters, but you can type-in whatever you choose. Click the "Reset Password" button, then click on the WVBS Online Bible School logo to go to the main page and login using your new password. If you experience problems in resetting your password "please let us know"