Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.
Romans 3: 23-24 The Message
“There is no free lunch.” How often have we heard that expression? We live in an “earn your own way” culture, where we admire those who pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Our society encourages and rewards individual initiative, and self-determination is highly valued in American society.
However, there are exceptions to this “you only get what you earn” thinking. One might be summarized in yet another popular saying, “The best things in life are free.” This expression implies that it is hard, and maybe impossible to put a price on some of the things we value the most. Things like the natural beauty that nature offers us, loyalty, friendship, family, and love. These are the “best things in life”: things we esteem and greatly value. There are some things in life which we cannot purchase from a store. The Beatles sang a couple songs with these sentiments, “Can’t buy me love”, which expressed that “All you need is love”. (A little musical humor).
Hopefully, no one in their right mind wakes up and says, “I want to be destroyed, or to destroy my life!” Many people, even non-Christians, envision going to heaven. It is something we should all desire.
Given the almost universal appeal of salvation, what would we pay to receive it? Yet what if the price was out of our reach? How then, can anyone ever be saved?
Out of sheer generosity, salvation is a free gift from the Lord. We cannot earn it, for it has a price that was already paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross. The truth is that salvation from our Holy God, who is the purest good, does not have a price tag on it. It is out of our reach if we were to try to attain it by ourselves. There is no earthly price tag.
This is a gift without strings attached. (Gifts with strings are not really gifts, so much as they are bargains by another name, or even traps.)
God loves us with a pure love, and gives us the gift of salvation for free, as a pure gift. Add “Salvation” to the list of things which fit with the expression, “The best things in life are free!” (At least, free to us. Salvation cost God the Father His own beloved son.)
So, what do we do with this knowledge? Do we keep it to ourselves, and put it on the mantel as something special, never to be touched? Absolutely not! This is where we can become a gift giver. We can share this amazing news with others. We must never hesitate to do so when the opportunity presents itself. “Hide it under a bushel, NO!”.
True gifts are a sign of love. God loves you. Salvation is an expression of God’s love, and it is the most perfect gift. I hope and pray that as many people as possible open this pure gift from the Lord, and then share it with others.
Prayer
Generous and loving God,
I know that you love me, in spite of my imperfections, and my sin. I will never completely understand why You do, except that You created me, and that it is in Your very nature to love. When I buy into the world’s mindset that everything must have an earthly price, or worse yet, when I believe I could never accept a gift, remind me that You have given us the most pure gift. You gave Your Son, to us, and to me, so that I might be saved. Thank you! May I always be eternally grateful. I pray this prayer in His Holy name. Amen.
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