I don’t know if it is technically correct to call something you buy for yourself a gift. But I’ve heard people say that.

So, I decided to do a Google search. I typed in “buying yourself a gift.” I was surprised to find that there were 566 million results. The first result said, “Research has shown that spending money on others can bring us more happiness than spending money on ourselves. However, this does not mean that buying yourself a gift is not a good idea” (emphasis added).

The next article was “Happiness Is Buying Yourself a Gift: You Deserve It!” The next title was “Why You Should Buy Yourself a Gift.” Then “40 Best Gifts to Buy for Yourself in 2024.” “How to Embrace the Act of Self Gifting.” “Treat Yo’self: 4 Legit Reasons to Buy Yourself a Gift.” On and on the articles went.

But what about the gift God gives people who believe in His Son? Can we buy ourselves that gift?

The Lord Jesus called everlasting life “the gift of God” (John 4:10, 14), and the Apostle Paul did as well (Eph 2:5, 8-9).

The Lord Jesus Christ bought the gift of everlasting life by His shed blood on the cross. We often sing, “Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe.” Yet the expression He paid it all is not found in Scripture. The word paid is never used in Scripture to refer to Jesus’ death on the cross.

Several words are used concerning Jesus’ death. One is the word bought (agarazō). “For you were bought with a price…” (1 Cor 6:20; 7:23). Another is the related word redeemed (exagarzō). “Christ has redeemed us…” (Gal 3:13; 4:5). “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold…but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:18-19). “You…have redeemed us to God by Your blood…” (Rev 5:9). There is also the word ransom (antilutron). “Christ Jesus…gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:6).

But might it not be possible for the gift of everlasting life to be paid by the Lord Jesus and yet there be a price for us to pay?

Many pastors and theologians say that everlasting life is a gift that costs us everything. Jerry Moyer has an article titled “Salvation Is a Free Gift that Will Cost You Everything!” See here. Brandonweb.com has this article, “The High Cost of the Free Gift Romans 6:23.”

Drs. James Boice, John Piper, and John MacArthur all teach that the gift costs you everything. See this 6-minute video by me.

While that may sound reasonable, it is like Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Emperor Has No Clothes. Scripture is clear that our salvation is “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8-9). Everlasting life is given to us free, without cost to us (Rev 22:17).

If you have to give up everything to have everlasting life, then it is not God’s gift. When God gives the gift of everlasting life, it is absolutely free to the recipient.

I don’t know whether speaking of a gift we buy for ourselves is right. But if it is, then we bought it.

I don’t know if speaking of a gift paid for partly by someone else and partly by us is right. But if it is, we bought it with a little help from a friend.

Throughout my life, I’ve received scores of gifts for my birthday and Christmas. I’ve never once been asked to pay my share. Have you?

Of course, we who know we are eternally secure by faith in Christ, apart from any payment on our part, should be highly motivated to live for Him. Gratitude is a powerful motivator. So is a desire for the approval of the One who means the most to us (1 Cor 9:27). We should live each day in light of the Judgment Seat of Christ. But to say that we must live for Him to get into His kingdom is to pervert the promise of life.