Suppose you were to receive an envelope in which there was a check made out to you for one million dollars tax-free. You didn’t earn it by hard work or even clever investments. It was a totally free gift that was unearned and unexpected. However, it is not unconditional if one wants to use it. There are some steps required with which you must comply to make it usable. First you must believe in the validity of the check itself or you might just tear it up or frame it and put it on the wall as a joke. Next you must prove your identity, then endorse it. Now it is finally viable to cash or deposit. Compliance is the act of conforming, yielding and cooperating. It is taking or receiving something offered by obeying the conditions requested.
Many kind and decent people have been led to believe that salvation is totally unconditional and universal because it can’t be earned by works of merit (Eph 2:8-9). Since the beginning of time the Godhead has laid out conditions to be accepted and obeyed (Gen 2:16-17). The promise to the Israelites on Mount Sinai was that, “…IF you obey me fully and keep my covenant…you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex 19:5-6) The people promised that they would (v8) but continually reneged and most of them died in the desert without reaching the promised land (Heb 3:16-18). It was a free gift that they hadn’t earned but they never received it.
Jesus Himself told us that, “If anyone loves me he will obey my teachings…” (Jo 14:23) His teachings continued on throughout the New Testament in words given the Apostles by inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Pe 1:21). The Spirit taught only what Jesus wanted known (Jo 16:13-15). It is not total compliance to simply pray for Christ to come into one’s heart (Mt 7:21). Jesus’ teaching here is that calling Him Lord, Lord, does not get one into heaven, rather it is by doing the will of God the Father who is in heaven.
It is the Godhead’s will that a person who believes (Mk 16:16), confesses Christ publicly, repents from the heart (Lk 13:3), and is immersed INTO Christ Jesus for forgiveness of sins, will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Rom 6:3-6) (Gal 3:26-27) (Act 2:38). Also one is then given salvation and assurance of safety from condemnation (Rom 8:1).
These are all available to everyone not by works of merit, but rather by a humble, obedient compliance to God’s conditions. Much like the secular check, one must take hold of the free gift and take possession of it by fulfilling God’s teachings and commandments. The gift cannot be earned, it must be received and appreciated.
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-Jim Bailey