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God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Jesus healed many people who didn't believe. He healed many without faith. He never saved any without faith, never will.
John MacArthur

I don’t think my experience is unique when I say that I invariably find participation at the table of the Lord to be a profound moment of increased spiritual blessing. It is a means, through prayerful reflection, by which the Lord manifests His glory, love, mercy, and kindness to my religious consciousness. The Spirit works profoundly at the time of communion to awaken in my mind and to impress upon my heart the eternal significance of Christ’s finished work at Calvary and His love, not merely for people in general, but for me in particular.
Sam Storms

    • Free Not Cheap

    Posted on

    Free Not Cheap

    FREE, Not Cheap

    The idea that salvation from hell is a totally free gift is often ridiculed today. Many suggest that eternal salvation is very costly to us. They encourage people to whom they witness to count the cost of becoming a Christian.

    However, the Scriptures clearly and repeatedly speak of eternal salvation as a ‘free gift’ which is ‘without cost’ to us.

    The Lord Jesus said to the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God. . . you would have asked. . . and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10).

    Similarly John records these words of Jesus Christ in Revelation 21:6, “I will give to him who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” G. H. Lang said regarding this verse, “The water of life is not acquired by the process of fighting a life-long battle and conquering at last. It is a free gift, imparting spiritual life to the spiritually dead” (“Revelation”, p. 94).

    Revelation 22:17 echoes this sentiment: “And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water without cost.”

    The Apostle Paul called eternal salvation a ‘free gift’ (or ‘gift’) not less than nine times (Romans 3:24; 5:15 [twice], 16 [twice], 17; 6:23; 2 Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 2:8). For example, in Romans 3:24 Paul said that believers are “justified freely by His grace.” Similarly, in Ephesians 2:8,9 he wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it [salvation] is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

    James spoke of the new birth as a gift from God: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father. . . Of His own will He brought us forth [regenerated us] by the word of truth.” (James 1:17-18)

    The author of the book of Hebrews spoke of eternal salvation as “the heavenly gift” (Hebrews 6:4).

    Clearly the New Testament is not at all reluctant to describe eternal salvation as a free gift.

    Gospel proclamation which carefully and clearly offers to sinners eternal salvation as a free gift is far from being a false gospel as some charge today. Indeed, it is the one and only true gospel.

    As ambassadors for Christ we are to proclaim the good news that Jesus paid the complete price for our eternal salvation (2 Corinthians 8:9; Colossians 2:13,14; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:18,19). There is nothing left for us to pay. No cost to count. Just a free gift to recieve by placing our faith in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. Now THAT is good news!

    Brad McCoy

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