“The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:23 NLT
“In the matter of salvation you can only get what Someone else paid for!”
My thoughts today ask, “Deal or no deal?”
Don’t you love coupons? Sales? Discounts? Buy one; get one free? We love bargains and free things, but we are suspicious folk much of the time. When offered something free for no apparent reason, you might immediately think to yourself, or ask aloud, “Okay, so what’s the catch? What’s it going to cost me this time?” For people who have worked hard for most everything they have ever received, it is hard to believe anything is free.
You may have heard someone say, “In life, there is no free lunch,” or “You get nothing for nothing,” or “You get what you pay for.” Most of the time, I would have to agree with those statements. In the world those things are true. There really isn’t much in the world that is truly free, or else that’s about all it was worth anyway. In life, you pretty well get what you deserve – what you work for, what you earn.
But there is one wonderful exception. In the matter of salvation you can only get what Someone else paid for! In salvation, you don’t get what you paid for; you receive what Jesus paid for. There is just no way that you can earn it on your own. “And if you are saved by God’s kindness, then it is not by your good works. For in that case, God’s wonderful kindness would not be what it really is – free and undeserved.” Romans 11:6 NLT.
How does God do that? You could listen to man’s opinions, but human reasoning can neither understand nor explain such a free gift. Let’s hear and believe what the Bible says, “And what a difference between our sin and God’s generous gift of forgiveness . . Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God’s bountiful gift . . after (Adam’s sin), came the judgment of ‘Guilty’; but after so many sins, comes the undeserved gift of ‘Not guilty!'” Romans 5:15-17 NLT/TEV.
Why does God do that? “He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right.” Titus 2:14-15 NLT. Hear those words clearly and carefully: free you by forgiveness; cleanse you by His blood; make you His own by redemption! Imagine if you could finally be “totally committed to doing what is right”?
What is the result of that? “All who receive God’s abundant grace and are freely put right with Him will rule in life through Christ . . one righteous act sets all mankind free and gives them life.” Romans 5:17-18 TEV.
What do I do to receive that? “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life . . anyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge.” Revelation 22:17 NIV and NLT. See 1 John 1:8-10 NLT. You just believe and receive; it really is that simple! “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free . . if the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:32/36.
Let’s see; the “wages of sin is death . . the gift of God is eternal life.” Romans 6:23. Would you insist upon the wages you have earned or accept the gift that God freely gives? Do you want what you’ve got coming to you, or the gift of life God gives? You have to decide: deal or no deal? Your life depends upon making the right choice. I’ve chosen life!
My prayer for you is to celebrate the free gift God gives, and the life that brings.