Gift or Wage?

Webster's dictionary defines a gift as:

noun: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation

The same dictionary defines a wage as:

noun: a payment usually of money for labor or services usually according to contract and on an hourly, daily, or piecework basis —often used in plural

With these definitions in mind let me ask you a question. Before I ask the question let me set the context of the question for you.

Imagine you and I have a face to face friendship and that one day I told you that I had very special GIFT that I wanted to give you. That the GIFT I wanted to GIVE to you was very precious and would bless your socks off. I assured you that I was giving you the GIFT purely out of the kindness of my heart. BUT that there were some CONDITIONS to your receiving this GIFT. Here are the CONDITIONS.

1. YOU HAVE TO meet with me every day for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. YOU HAVE TO read, study and master the content of all my writings.
3. YOU HAVE TO give me 10% of your gross income for the rest of your life.
4. YOU HAVE TO encourage other people to read my writings.
5. YOU HAVE TO participate in a weekly small group that is dedicated to reading and discussing my writings.

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So here is the question, is the GIFT that I am promising to GIVE you really a GIFT or is it a WAGE?

I truly would like your answer to this question. Please take a moment to leave your answer in the comment box below.

Comments

[Carey]

Wage! Conditions, conditions, conditions ~ I do not HAVE to do any of those 5 things but I sure WANT to.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=735656195]

Definitely a wage, by definition.

For it is by grace we are saved through faith and this is not of ourselves it is the gift of God not of works (where we get wages) lest any man should boast.

This is opposite of what many in the modern seeker friendly, purpose driven, semi-pelagian churches teach today.

[Dorian Jones]

If the "Gift" you offerd REQUIRED the mentioned conditions, I would inform you that It is not a Gift

I would say no it is NOT a gift.

[Becky Gardner]

Definitely a wage.

[jude newman]

Definately wage

[George Elerick]

Great question Chris!

I would posit there is a third way to see this, and mostly from the perspective of the person creating the requisites. I would say from their perspective it seems there is a distorted view of how relationships should and could work. It seems like this person feels the need to over-define the relationship to the point that the receiver isn't really receiving anything but is under the guise of receiving something lieu of the requirements. if anything the receiver is the one who is giving and the "gift-giver" is the one who is taking under the guise of giving.

Thanks for the stimulation bro.

[Martin Jack]

I would say its a wage, because the gift is based on a written contract.

[Jhay Phoenix]

This seems more like work. Its as if someone offers you a free sample of a product and then snatches it away from you as you go to take it and then lists conditions upon which you were to received it. With the aforementioned question, it seems like you have to prove yourself by your own efforts as worthy of receiving something - just like working for a monthly salary (or the 12 Tasks of Asterix). However people often forget that the Law does not just command that we do the things written in it - but do them perfectly.

[Liz]

Wage...

And just because it is so obvious... what if you wanted to offer your gift to an illiterate Afghani woman? Just saying, not the universal Gospel.

[Gusstx]

not to answer your question......the conditions are payment for the "gift". An the payments never stop, what kind of a gift is that.. not a gift at all... But if you want to know more about the giver then the conditions can show you how.

[Tennessee]

Looks like wage, sounds like wage, must be wage! :o)

[Chris Shrader]

It is a wage if you consider the Have Tos as compensation. That is living life under the Law. I may want to meet with you every day for 20 or 30 minutes but I'm starting to wonder what kind of friend you are with all the HAVE TOs there as the condition for the gift. What if I get sick one day and can't make it to meet with you? And I would wonder if the gift is worth it to have so many conditions attached. And if you are my friend, like you say, then why all the conditions?

[Kim]

No. Those 5 strings that are attached make it something other than a gift. I don't think it fits the definition of a wage either. But not a gift. Perhaps I'd call it a prize.

When I see those annoying Internet sales pitches that say free gift, but I have to buy something to get the gift, I do not consider it a gift. The "free" item just sweetens the pot a little, so to speak.

[Caleb Phillips]

It would be a wage, because it's with strings attached. Let's apply this to Salvation, for example. In Romans 5:16-17, 6:23, Eph. 2:8, 3:7 & 2 Cor. 9:14-15, Salvation is described as a gift. But, if Jesus came offering salvation with these strings attached, it would no longer be a gift, or of grace, as Paul argues in Romans 11:6: "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." If Salvation were to be found by works, it too would be a wage & not a gift.

Although in your scenario, the "gift" would be a down payment, you still would have to work to earn, or I guess, keep the gift. Plus, despite the fact that you would have assured me that you had no ulterior motives, the conditions would cause me to think otherwise.

[Jen B]

The fact that there are conditions makes it a wage by definition. You've illustrated an agreement; a contract.

Many Protestants would say that we must have faith as a prerequisite, or that we must choose Christ. This is not true. But we do forfeit the benefits of the gift if we reject the giver.

I think most Christians see it as a sort of zero-value transaction. God's gift is priceless and our fruit/works are merit-less. Nevertheless, there is an exchange of sorts. Nothing we give to God originates with us. First He gives, then we give back. But this is never to earn brownie points. This is never out of fear of having salvation revoked. This is always out of love and trust in Jesus Christ.

When a Christian hears lots of law-heavy life-application sermons they become convinced that they can actually succeed at keeping the law. Often these sermons are sprinkled with warnings of being lukewarm or disqualified which makes the hearer subconsciously believe that it is a wage. They either pat themselves on the back thinking they're doing a good job, or they are eventually driven to despair over their sin and failures. No matter how externally holy we may seem, our hearts are sinful and every good work we do is corrupt. We must rely on Christ 100% and our salvation must be a gift (not a wage or a transaction) or we're sunk.

[Brett I.]

While the question you ask is surely intended to carry over to proper theology (salvation), this question is strictly is of a non-theological nature.

Because Webster's also defines "condition" as "a premise upon which the fulfillment of an agreement depends," the obvious answer to the question is that it is not a gift (which requires no conditions), but a wage (which requires services).

Imagine as a parent your 10 year old boy wants a Wii for Christmas. You have had a great year swashbuckling and terrorizing others on the open seas, and you have the cash to make his wish come true (and, secretly, you want one too but your wife won't let you!). You tell him that you will buy him the Wii on the basis that he is a good boy. If he is not a good boy, he does not get the Wii. A good boy includes: cleaning your room when you're told, sweeping the porch, and helping clean up after dinner. Your kid happily obliges, and by Christmas you get him his Wii.
Is this in any sense a gift from the parent? My first thought is that it is because the kid doesn't deserve Wii. However, because you gave him CONDITIONS by which he could receive the Wii, he DOES deserve the Wii (he held up his end of the transaction). Therefore, while one can argue whether the chores the child did merits the Wii, at the end of the day, it is not a gift; it is a wage.

[Daniel Kassis]

If you really were giving me a gift out of the kindness of your heart, it would likely move me to want to do any number of the things you list as conditions. But if the conditions were a requirement for accepting the gift, it would then become a wage.

[Celeste Coy]

Unfortunately, wage.

[Jim Heinrichs]

To the one who works his wages are not counted as a gift but what he deserves. So if you're required to work for what you receive it is not a gift. If you want what you deserve, you'll get just that, your wages; death. If you don't work but just believe in Him who hands out the paychecks, you'll receive one anyway, as a free gift. And the envelope will contain holiness which leads to eternal life. Romans 4:4 & 6:22,23

[Barbara]

That would be a wage.

Conversely, we have instead a gift that comes to a broken, repentant heart to comfort and make new (blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the poor in spirit) and part of that gift includes a new heart with new desires to love and serve the Father and the Father's children and to live for the Father's very special kingdom.

Big difference between a work and a fruit.

[Shelia]

If you were giving it out of the goodness of your heart then I wouldn’t have to do all that stuff. You would just give it to me & all that is really required (if anything at all) would be a thank you.

That gift would be a wage & if I felt like I had to do all that stuff just to keep the gift , it would no longer “bless my socks off” & turn into a heavy burden. I would want to give the gift back. At the same time I would tell others to not even dare get caught up in your mess by accepting such a gift. It would not be worth it & the relationship between you & I would also probably get ruined.

I would probably end up not wanting to have any relationship with you.

[Travis Mamone]

From the way you describe it, I would definitely say a wage. However, I'm sure this is a metaphor for how we should respond to Christ's sacrifice, and I see that more as a gift. Let me explain why.

I think that if we truly love Jesus and appreciate what He did for us, we would not need any "conditions." We would naturally spend time with Him, study His words, and give Him our resources as a token of appreciation. If your friend saved your life, you're naturally reaction would be, "Thanks man! How can I ever repay you?" Your friend would not say, "Okay, before I save your life, you gotta do all this stuff for me."

So yeah, those are just my two cents.

[Joel Cruz]

Wages. (Romans 4:4-5)

[Stefan]

If I give my child a gift of a car, is there not an unspoken condition that they look after it, put fuel in it, check the oil and tyres and generally keep it running as it should, for that gift cost me a lot to give?
If they did not do so would it not be a display of unappreciation for the gift and a lack of respect for me the giver of gifts? If they do not know how to treat the gift of a car, then would I offer to give them advice or do I expect them to ask for advice about the gift?

In your scenario, the gift is expecting compensation and has specified exactly what compensation is required. There is no 'unspoken' conditions but the conditions are clearly laid out - thus it is no longer a gift.

Coming back to my car example, in terms of the Webster definition, I am not expecting compensation for the gift, but appreciation, care and respect for the gift would be assumed and is not compensation that benefits me, but benefits my child, the user of the gift.

In your scenario, having to pay 10% of my income back to you is compensation which may eventually exceed, in monetary terms, the value of the gift you gave me and thus it is no longer a gift. Having to enslave myself to your other conditions is also compensation for you, especially if others also have to give 10% of their income - actually, this becomes almost a pyramid scheme.

If you give me the gift and told me that the conditions would be of great benefit to me, enabling me to have full utilisation of the gift (much like an owners guide on how to look after the car would benefit my child), then the scenario changes once again if the utilisation and benefits of the gift in terms of the conditions imposed, far exceeds the assumed losses I think I would suffer by adhering to the conditions you imposed.

[Paul Golder]

A wage. Although when I read the list of conditions, I thought perhaps I was reading a Paul Washer sermon on Christian living...