Chaplain’s Corner
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
What Is The Real Cost Of A “Free Gift?”
Greetings, Patriots!
I had an epiphany today. Something I always knew, but it just sort of clicked and made better sense. We use illustrations every day, and I wanted to modify an illustration I have been using for a long time so that hopefully it makes more sense.
I have, for years, talked about the “free gift” of salvation through Jesus Christ. I have even acted out the part in front of audiences where I am reaching out with my hands to pretend to be giving something to someone in the audience, and all they have to do is reach out and accept it from me. I have used that illustration to make the point that our salvation is not earned by any good works we may do. It is a free gift from God, but we still have to accept it. I have marveled at how many people in this world refuse the free gift. I have wondered why so many refuse. It never really made sense to me, because I have been looking at it wrong for a long time.
When you see an advertisement on TV for a free 60” television being given away at the local car dealership, you find out really quickly that it is “free” when you buy a new car. Even people that have won cars, TV’s, etc. in sweepstakes have learned the hard way that even the “free” gift, if it has any real value, will cost you something, even if it is something as simple as having to pay gift taxes on it. Most people understand that in life, there are not a lot of “free lunches” and therefore rightly question the “strings” attached to anything that is purported to be free. All of this then brings us back to the whole idea of salvation being a “free gift.” And in some respects, I guess it really isn’t after all. Bear with me as I try to explain what I mean by that statement.
If you have a child that is not really mature enough to understand the value of money, you can really excite them with a brand new shiny penny. Or give them a shiny new quarter and let them use it in a gumball machine, and they are hooked! Try giving them a bunch of shiny new quarters that they have to cup in both hands. They are thrilled and can’t wait to go spend their money! Now, tell that child that they have a choice. They can keep that double handful of shiny new quarters and use them any way they want, or they can trade them for a wadded up and rumpled, unattractive $100 bill. You tell them that the money you are offering them is worth a lot more than the shiny quarters, and they will have to save it to help pay for college someday. Given this situation, it is not hard to understand why most little kids would just opt to keep the shiny quarters in their hand with the permission to spend them any way they want right now. Immature, yes. Short-sighted, yes. But this is to be expected from a child who really has no concept of value and long-term planning. Children live in the “here-and-now” mentality, and a very important part of their growing up is learning to put off temporary pleasures for long-term goals.
Now, let’s compare this to our understanding of the free gift of salvation. Why would anyone not want such a valuable thing? Possibly because they do not understand their long-term needs, and maybe also because they understand that accepting it means giving up something they already have that they consider quite valuable. At this point in life, they can make their own decisions and practice free will. When a person comes to Christ and repents of his life of sin and debauchery and asks for forgiveness, he is not simply asking for and receiving a free gift. He is also committing to giving up his control over his own life. He is trading in a broken life for a better future, trusting that Jesus will change him and mold him into a better version of himself, and he will experience a new birth spiritually that will change his life forever. With his new heart and the work of the Holy Spirit inside of him, he will find that God starts to “clean house” and make major changes to his life. The things that once brought fun and excitement to his life will now seem futile, dirty, and immoral. He is trading in what he knows, for what he can only hope for and have faith that he will receive. An immature person will have a hard time making a decision like that. And that is one reason why we have so many counterfeit Christians in the world today. Because they “accepted” the free gift in name only, while refusing to let go of the here and now. They want to lay claim on both worlds, and they listen to those people that tickle their ears with promises that they can do both. Sadly, it just doesn’t work that way. This is a classic example of the blind leading the blind.
So, when you find yourself scratching your head, trying to understand why someone is actively resisting the Holy Spirit, and denying their need for Jesus, and pretending that everything is fine with their life, realize that they are just not to that point yet in their life where they can see with maturity the life-and-death decision they are faced with. Hopefully, in time, God will soften their heart to the point where the Holy Spirit can and will draw them to Him, and they will see the long-term benefits of letting go of the here-and-now and control over their lives for the riches and spiritual blessings that await them through faith. Something to think about. Pray that God opens their eyes.
God bless you, every one, and:
God Bless America!
Stephen King
Chaplain@3upi.com
Add comment
Comments