Dr. Nilo H. Flores – Business for Christ

Dr. Nilo H. Flores

August 14, 2026

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23 (KJV)

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your wonderful grace and mercy. Thank You for giving us Your Word so that we can know the truth about salvation and understand the great gift You have provided through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Father, I know that I could never earn eternal life by my own goodness. My works are not enough. My religious activities are not enough. My achievements are not enough. I need Jesus Christ.

Thank You for the gift of eternal life.

Help me understand more deeply what it means to have everlasting life through Christ. Teach me to appreciate Your grace and never take my salvation for granted.

Help me live each day with gratitude, faith, obedience, and joy. Give me opportunities to tell others about the greatest gift they could ever receive.

May my life point people to Jesus Christ.

In the precious name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen.

Introduction

In the previous lesson, we learned about the penalty of sin.

Romans 6:23 begins with a serious warning:

“For the wages of sin is death…”

Sin has a penalty.

Sin brings death.

Sin separates mankind from God.

But praise God, the verse does not end there.

It continues with some of the most beautiful words in Scripture:

“…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

What a wonderful contrast!

Sin brings death, but God gives life.

Sin brings condemnation, but God offers salvation.

Sin separates, but Christ reconciles.

Sin earns a wage, but salvation is a gift.

This is the heart of the Gospel.

We could never earn what God freely offers.

That is why salvation is called grace.

What Is a Gift?

Original Greek Study

Greek Word: χάρισμα
Transliteration: charisma
Pronunciation: khar’-is-mah

The Greek word χάρισμα (charisma) refers to a gift freely given, especially a gracious gift.

It is closely related to χάρις (charis), which means grace.

This is important because salvation is not something God owes us.

It is something God graciously gives.

Think about receiving a gift from someone who loves you.

You do not receive it because you worked for it.

You do not receive it because you were good enough to purchase it.

You simply receive it from the person who chose to give it.

In the same way, eternal life is God’s gracious gift.

Salvation is not earned. Salvation is received.

1. Eternal Life Is the Gift of God

Romans 6:23 says:

“…the gift of God is eternal life…”

Notice the source of this gift.

God.

Salvation begins with God.

God loved.

God planned.

God provided.

God sent His Son.

God offers salvation.

John 3:16 declares:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…”

The gift of eternal life begins with the heart of a loving God.

We did not first search for God.

God reached out to sinful humanity.

We did not first provide a way of salvation.

God provided the way.

We did not first offer ourselves to God.

God offered His Son for us.

That should humble our hearts.

2. Eternal Life Comes Through Jesus Christ

Romans 6:23 does not merely say that God gives eternal life.

It tells us how God gives it:

“…through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Eternal life is through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
— John 14:6 (KJV)

Jesus is not merely a teacher who shows us the way.

Jesus is the Way.

He is not merely someone who teaches truth.

Jesus is the Truth.

He is not merely someone who talks about life.

Jesus is the Life.

Therefore, the sinner’s greatest need is not simply more religion.

The sinner needs Jesus Christ.

3. Eternal Life Cannot Be Purchased

People can purchase many things.

Money can buy food.

Money can buy clothing.

Money can buy a house.

Money can buy transportation.

Money can provide education.

Money can provide comfort.

But money cannot purchase salvation.

Psalm 49:7 says:

“None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:”

Eternal life is too valuable to be purchased with earthly wealth.

No amount of money can remove sin.

No amount of influence can erase guilt.

No amount of education can make a sinner righteous before God.

No amount of religious activity can substitute for the sacrifice of Christ.

Only Jesus Christ can save.

4. Eternal Life Cannot Be Earned by Good Works

Many people sincerely believe that if they do enough good things, God will allow them into heaven.

But salvation does not work that way.

Ephesians 2:8–9 says:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

“Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Our good works cannot save us.

We cannot balance our sins with good deeds.

We cannot make ourselves righteous by human effort.

Isaiah 64:6 reminds us:

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…”

This does not mean that believers should stop doing good.

Quite the opposite.

After salvation, God desires believers to live obedient and fruitful lives.

But we must understand the order:

We are not saved because we do good works.

We do good works because we have been saved.

5. Eternal Life Is Received by Faith

If eternal life is a gift, how do we receive it?

The Bible teaches us to believe on Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 says:

“…whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Notice the wonderful word:

Whosoever.

God’s invitation is broad.

The Gospel is for the rich and poor.

The educated and uneducated.

The young and old.

The businessman and laborer.

The pastor and ordinary church member.

The religious person and the person who has lived far from God.

The Gospel is for sinners.

And that includes all of us.

The question is not whether God has provided salvation.

He has.

The question is whether we have personally trusted Jesus Christ.

6. Eternal Life Means Knowing God

Eternal life is not merely existing forever.

Jesus gave us a deeper understanding of eternal life.

He prayed:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
— John 17:3 (KJV)

Eternal life means knowing God through Jesus Christ.

It is a relationship with our Creator.

Before salvation, sin separates us from God.

Through Christ, we are reconciled to God.

That is why salvation changes everything.

We are no longer simply trying to live a religious life.

We have entered into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

7. Eternal Life Gives Us Hope

Life is not always easy.

Sometimes we experience disappointment.

Sometimes our plans fail.

Sometimes people we trust disappoint us.

Sometimes we experience financial difficulties.

Sometimes we experience grief.

Sometimes we do not understand why God allows certain things to happen.

But the believer has something the world cannot take away:

Hope in Christ.

Jesus said:

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish…”
— John 10:28 (KJV)

Our circumstances may change.

Our health may change.

Our finances may change.

Our position may change.

People may change.

But our salvation rests in Jesus Christ.

That gives us hope even when life becomes difficult.

8. Eternal Life Changes Our Priorities

When a person understands eternity, earthly things begin to look different.

Money is important, but it is temporary.

Possessions are useful, but they are temporary.

Business is important, but it is temporary.

Positions are temporary.

Fame is temporary.

Even our physical life on earth is temporary.

But eternity is forever.

Jesus asked:

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
— Mark 8:36 (KJV)

That is a question every person should consider.

What is the value of gaining everything in this world if we lose our soul?

Eternity should influence the way we live today.

9. Eternal Life Should Produce Gratitude

When we understand that salvation is a gift, we should become thankful people.

We did not deserve it.

We could not purchase it.

We could not earn it.

Yet God gave it.

Romans 5:8 says:

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Think about that.

Christ did not wait until we became perfect.

He died for us while we were yet sinners.

That should produce gratitude in our hearts.

A grateful Christian does not ask:

“How little can I do for God?”

A grateful Christian asks:

“Lord, what can I do for You?”

The Greatest Gift Ever Given

There are many gifts people treasure.

A parent may treasure a child’s first drawing.

A husband may treasure a gift from his wife.

A wife may treasure something given to her by her husband.

A family may treasure an old photograph because of the memories attached to it.

The value of a gift is often connected to the love behind it.

God gave us the greatest gift because He loved us greatly.

John 3:16 begins:

“For God so loved the world…”

And then:

“…that he gave…”

Love gave.

God gave.

Christ came.

Jesus died.

Jesus rose again.

And eternal life is offered through Him.

The greatest gift is not something God placed under a Christmas tree.

The greatest gift was Jesus Christ Himself.

Business for Christ

In business, people understand the difference between a wage and a gift.

A worker receives wages because he has worked.

A customer pays for a product because the product has a price.

But salvation is different.

Romans 6:23 deliberately contrasts wages and gift.

We earn the wages of sin.

But eternal life is God’s gift.

This truth should influence the philosophy of Business for Christ.

Our businesses, professions, resources, and influence should never become more important than our relationship with God.

We should work honestly.

We should treat people fairly.

We should keep our promises.

We should avoid dishonest gain.

We should use our influence wisely.

And above all, we should remember that people are more valuable than profit.

A business can make money and still fail spiritually.

But when our work becomes an opportunity to honor Christ and influence people toward the Gospel, our work takes on eternal significance.

Practical Application

Take a few moments and ask yourself:

• Have I personally received God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ?
• Am I depending on Christ or on my own good works?
• Do I truly appreciate what Christ has done for me?
• Does my life show gratitude for God’s grace?
• Am I living for temporary things or eternal things?
• Am I telling other people about God’s gift?
• Does my business and daily work honor Christ?

If you have trusted Jesus Christ, thank God today.

Do not take salvation for granted.

If you have never trusted Christ, understand this clearly:

You cannot earn salvation.

You cannot buy it.

You cannot inherit it from your parents.

You cannot receive it merely because you attend church.

You must personally trust Jesus Christ.

Today’s Challenge

Read and meditate on:

      John 3:14–18
      John 10:27–30
      John 17:1–3
      Ephesians 2:8–10
      1 John 5:11–13

Today, take time to thank God for your salvation.

Write down three reasons why you are thankful for Jesus Christ.

Then think of one person who needs to hear the Gospel.

Pray for that person by name.

Ask God to open an opportunity for you to share the Gospel with them.

Remember:

Eternal life is not a prize for the deserving. It is God’s gracious gift to sinners who trust in Jesus Christ.

✍️ Quotation by Dr. Nilo H. Flores

“Eternal life is God’s greatest gift, because it gives us what money cannot buy, works cannot earn, and death cannot destroy. When we truly understand grace, gratitude becomes the natural response of the heart.”

— Dr. Nilo H. Flores

😊 Flores Faith Smile

A Sunday school teacher asked a little boy:

“What is a gift?”

The boy answered:

“Something somebody gives you for free.”

The teacher smiled and asked:

“Then what is God’s greatest gift?”

The boy quickly answered:

“Eternal life!”

The teacher asked:

“And what did you do to earn it?”

The boy thought for a moment and said:

“Nothing. That’s why it’s called a gift!”

The teacher smiled and said:

“Exactly!”

The little boy then added:

“But I know somebody who paid a very big price for that free gift.”

The teacher smiled.

“Yes. His name is Jesus.”

Lesson to Remember:

Salvation is free to the sinner, but it was purchased by the precious sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Closing Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the wonderful gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thank You that salvation is not something I have to purchase or earn through my own goodness.

Thank You for Your grace.

Thank You for Your mercy.

Thank You for Your love.

Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins and rise again.

Help me never to take Your salvation for granted.

Teach me to live with gratitude.

Help me to value eternal things more than temporary things.

Give me wisdom in my work, my business, my family, my ministry, and my relationships.

Use my life as a testimony of Your grace.

Give me courage to share the Gospel with those who still need Jesus Christ.

May everything I do point people toward the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ.

In the precious name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen.

Memory Verse

Romans 6:23 (KJV)

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Today’s Prayer Focus

🙏 Thank God for the gift of eternal life.

🙏 Thank God for sending Jesus Christ.

🙏 Thank God that salvation cannot be purchased with money or earned through works.

🙏 Pray for someone who needs to hear the Gospel.

🙏 Ask God for opportunities to share Christ.

🙏 Pray that your life will demonstrate gratitude for God’s grace.

BUSINESS FOR CHRIST

Preaching the Gospel • Equipping Believers • Making Disciples

Tomorrow — Day 10

JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
— John 14:6 (KJV)

Τῷ μόνῳ Θεῷ δόξα

Tō monō Theō doxa

To God Alone Be the Glory