Arbeit Macht Frei -- a Terrible Perversion of the Gospel

Before the Jews were forced into the Auschwitz death camps, they beheld an overarching motto over the entrance gate:

"Arbeit Mach Frei" -- roughly translated to mean "Work makes one free."

In the body of Christ, believers have received salvation by grace through faith, yet they have fallen for the devilish deception that they must work, strive, struggle for everything else.

Have the neglected the glorious, joyful turn of Paul?:

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? " (Romans 8:31 - 35)

Let us review, meditate, and triumphantly rest in the eternal promise of v. 32:

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"

We receive all things as freely given, not striven for, not fighting for, not pining for!

So, rather than "Arbeit Macht Frei", let the arch of grace read over every believer thus:

Wahrheit Macht Frei -- roughly translated "Truth Makes One Free"

Indeed, the Truth Himself declared so:

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

And in case there is any confusion as to what is the Truth, let us look no further than the next few chapters of the same gospel:

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:6)

It is no longer our striving, but His giving and our receiving, which makes us free!

Hallelujah!