If I gave you a gift and said, “Here, this is for you.  It is a gift”, what would you expect to pay?  Do you owe me a gift in return?  Do you owe me any money or property?  Do you owe me labor, blood, sweat, or tears?  What do you owe me for receiving a gift – for free?

The Gospel goes out of its way to express that the salvation of God is a free gift.  That means you owe nothing.  That means that if you look at what Christ has done on the Cross and you are able to say, “I can see that this means I am free”, then you owe nothing in return.  You do not need to give up a single thing.  Just accept what has been done and be done with it.

If you accept what Christ has done, you have God’s permission to change nothing.  Those are His words, not mine!

Do not make any changes to your life.  Do not start a Bible reading regimen.  Do not stop swearing.  Do not leave your friends or make new ones.  Do not force yourself to attend church every week.  Do not join a Bible study.  Do not pay tithes.  Do not give up drinking or smoking pot.  Do not change a single thing.  Not-one-thing.

If you do change anything, I want you to promise that you will only make changes that you want to make.  If you want to do something differently, or if you want to give something up, or if you want to take on a new habit, then do what you want, but only do it if you want to.  Only do what you have already been doing.  Only do that which you honestly desire and nothing more.

I am not joking, being facetious, or sarcastic.  I am absolutely serious.  DO NOT CHANGE A SINGLE THING!  Test God.  See if he means it.  Make Him prove to you that His gift is actually free, like He says it is.  If there are any details to be worried about, then let God worry about the details.

You have my permission to be bold.  Put it to Him exactly this way.  Say to God, “Is this really a gift, or do I owe you something?  If it is free, as you say it is, then it does not rely on my effort in any way.  Right?”

Right.

~Sisyphus