Zawadi ya Mungu, the Gift of God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” - Ephesians 2:8

 I don't know of anyone who does not like to receive a gift. And, what better gift is there than eternal life? The fall of man (Adam and Eve's sin) caused us all to be born into sin. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”- Romans 3:23. We became captive to the wants and desires of our flesh. Some refer to them as the seven deadly sins; pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. The Catholic church considers these contrary to seven heavenly virtues; prudence, temperance, justice, courage, faith, charity, and hope.

 Only through the Gift of Grace, the sacrifice of God's Only Son, Jesus Christ, are we able to be reconciled to God. We know that Jesus died on the cross for ALL; no matter the color of your skin, the size of your bank account, the house you live in, the car you drive, or the clothes you wear. However, that Gift is not truly ours until we receive it and own it. We do that, as the above verse says, through faith, that belief that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died and rose again to conquer death for us all. We humble ourselves, repent and turn from our wicked ways and live a new life in Him.

You see, the wages, or penalty, of sin has always been death. In the old testament times, a burnt offering required the killing of one's animal, usually a lamb, to atone for sin. Jesus became the ultimate sacrificial lamb to end the shedding of blood. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."- John 3:16-17.

It is through His grace and mercy that we can be free from our sinful nature. We cannot boast or brag of this gift, because we did nothing to deserve it.

It is truly Zawadi ya Mungu.
 

 Image created with photos courtesy and copyright of Annie Spratt and Ron Dauphin of Unsplash.com.