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Are you seriously saying that in your personal view of things, that unbelievably special life-giving/life-saving gift that John made to Ann (one of his own kidneys) is somehow NOT REALLY A GIFT, just because Ann had to do a number of other things in order to be able to receive that life-saving kidney donation from John?

Consider the following scenario:

1. Six year old Heart-Rest is anxiously waiting to open all her birthday presents (gifts).

2. Mommy hands her her gaily wrapped gift.

3. Heart-Rest rips the bow and paper off and grabs the baby doll she has ALWAYS wanted.

4. Little HR says, "Thank you Mommy!", and runs off to play with her new doll.

Now, what did HR actually have to DO to get that gift? She was a good little girl, you might say? She was born into that family and was her Mommy's little girl. All she did, had to do, was RECEIVE the gift.

I could come up with some more examples like this if you need them. The point is that God used the term that implied something given that the receiver does not earn, merit or, even, deserve. In fact, we don't get what we REALLY deserve - which is eternal separation from God (the penalty/wages of sin is death). Mercy means we don't get what we DO deserve. GRACE means we get what we don't deserve - the favor of Almighty God, the adoption into the family of God, the indwelling Holy Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance, the new birth which frees us from the bondage to sin, eternal life with God in heaven. What God says we need to DO is believe, AKA, have faith, receive the gift by faith. He takes it from there and, since we did nothing to earn this gift, our deeds do nothing that lets us KEEP it, either. What would it take for people to get it that grace means grace? How many ways does God have to say it before they will believe Him?