A reward is anything given on condition of something else. If the rewards disproportionate to the action, free gift can be added.
Salvation is a reward of faith but also a free gift. Languages difficult to use as both things are true and both only partly describe the whole. It describes why pedantic definitions fail, and striking out peoples views misses the whole.
When we meet Him we will see, now we are still growing, amen to those who seek Him with a sincere heart.
A reward is given to people who work for it
A gift is something that someone else pays for out of his own work, and his own hard earned currency
2 For
if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now
to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Here is romans 4, Paul says clearly, Abraham could not be saved by works, otherwise he could boast. Or take credit. And if he tried to be justified by Works, it is not counted as grace but as debt, Which means you owe God and you will pay. For all eternity
Salvation is a gift, It is not a work, and can NEVER be earned by works. If it could. It is not of Grace, and it is not a gift, It is a reward.
Good luck trying to earn a gift. When someone hands you a gift out of the love of their heart, and you try to pay for it, and not receive it freely. It means you did not trust them when they said they gave it to you as a gift, And by your trying to pay for it yourself. you actually offend the one trying to love you,'
Remember that when you try to pay for the gift Jesus paid for with his own blood. How offensive that is to him. and would be to anyone else.