{"id":386,"date":"2015-11-02T16:49:19","date_gmt":"2015-11-02T15:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/?p=386"},"modified":"2015-11-02T16:49:19","modified_gmt":"2015-11-02T15:49:19","slug":"gods-free-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/blog\/?p=386","title":{"rendered":"God’s Free Gift"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT)
\nWork hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God\u2019s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master. (The Message)<\/p>\n

God has so many blessings for us as Christians<\/p>\n

Forgiveness of sins<\/p>\n

Life instead of death<\/p>\n

Freedom instead of slavery to sin<\/p>\n

Life in all its fullness here and now<\/p>\n

The Happy Certainty of Heaven<\/p>\n

The Holy Spirit living inside us<\/p>\n

Being God\u2019s children<\/p>\n

Being part of God\u2019s family<\/p>\n

Access to God through prayer<\/p>\n

And all of these blessings are God\u2019s FREE GIFT to us as Christians.<\/p>\n

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith\u2014and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
\nReasons we find it hard to accept God’s gift
\n\tWe think that things that are free aren\u2019t worth having<\/p>\n

Debate \u201cthe best things in life are free\u201d
\n\tWe tend to think that things that are free are cheap and not worth having- the throwaway plastic gifts in the cornflakes packets of life.
\nBut God\u2019s gifts are always worth having!<\/p>\n

Pretty amazing grace is what You showed me
\npretty amazing grace is who You are
\nI was an empty vessel You filled me up inside
\nand with amazing grace restored my pride<\/p>\n

Pretty amazing grace is how You saved me
\nand with amazing grace reclaimed my heart
\nlove in the midst of chaos calm in the heat of war
\nshowed with amazing grace what love was for<\/p>\n

You forgave my insensitivity and my attempt to then mislead You
\nYou stood beside a wretch like me
\nYour pretty amazing grace was all I needed.<\/p>\n

Came to You with empty pockets first
\nwhen I returned I was rich man
\ndidn’t believe love could quench my thirst
\nbut with amazing grace You showed me that it can<\/p>\n

You overcame my loss of hope and faith
\ngave me a truth I could believe in
\nYou led me to a higher place
\nshowed Your amazing grace when grace was what I needed<\/p>\n

Reasons we find it hard to accept God’s gift
\n\tWe know we don’t deserve it!<\/p>\n

Eph 2:1 \u00b6 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.<\/p>\n

The Bible tells us what we know in our hearts to be true. Without God we are all dead in our sins, running away from God, led astray by the ways of the world and by the Evil One, the Tempter, the devil. This is true of ALL of us, living to satisfy our sinful nature and following its desires instead of pursuing God. Because of our sins we all face God’s judgement – we are all objects of (God’s) wrath. We are rightly judged to be guilty and deserving to pay the penalties for our sins.<\/p>\n

Without God we are lost. Not just lost like you\u2019ve missed your turning and you have to turn round and go back and take the right road. Not even lost like you\u2019re up a mountain and you can\u2019t find the way down, because usually when you are up a mountain most ways down will get you to the bottom. Lost like you\u2019ve crash landed in the middle of the jungle and you don\u2019t need to decide which path you want to take because there aren\u2019t any paths \u2013 and those lions over there are looking rather hungry. That kind of lost.<\/p>\n

Without God we are lost and we are doomed. Doomed! Up the creek without a paddle. Drifting in your canoe where there\u2019s no point in trying to swim for the shore because if the crocodiles don\u2019t get you the hippo\u2019s will. And you are drifting faster and faster towards the edge of the waterfall crashing down over the cliff. That kind of doomed. Only much much worse.<\/p>\n

But here’s the GOOD news!!!
\nEph 2:4. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

We were dead because of sin. But Jesus has died for our sins on the cross. As we share in His death our sins are forgiven. But even more than that! We were dead\u2013 but God has brought us to life with Christ! We are raised up with Him and seated in heavenly places! We share Christ\u2019s resurrection life, eternal life, life in all its fullness! That\u2019s grace. Getting the punishment we deserve for our sins would be justice! Being spared that punishment which we deserve would be mercy. But sharing the benefits of Christ\u2019s glorious resurrection, receiving blessing upon blessing, that\u2019s grace!<\/p>\n

We know we don\u2019t deserve any of those blessings. In our hearts we confess that \u201cAll have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God \u2013 there is none who is righteous, no not one!\u201d
\nReasons we find it hard to accept God’s gift
\n\tWe like to think we can earn anything we need<\/p>\n

I read about an instant cake mix that was a big flop. The instructions said all you had to do was add water and bake. The company couldn\u2019t understand why it didn\u2019t sell\u2014until their research discovered that the buying public felt uneasy about a mix that required only water. Apparently people thought it was too easy. So the company altered the formula and changed the directions to call for adding an egg to the mix in addition to the water. The idea worked and sales jumped dramatically.
\nThat story reminds me of how some people react to the plan of salvation. To them it sounds too easy and simple to be true, even though the Bible says, \u201cBy grace you have been saved through faith.; it is the gift of God, not of works\u201d (Eph. 2:8-9). They feel that there is something more they must do, something they must add to God\u2019s \u201crecipe\u201d for salvation. They think they must perform good works to gain God\u2019s favor and earn eternal life. But the Bible is clear\u2014we are saved, \u201cnot by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy\u201d (Titus 3:5).<\/p>\n

In most religions there is a cost \u2013 so sometimes people think there should be a cost in Christianity too.
\nThe article stated, “A West German businessman has completed his conversion to the Hindu faith by piercing himself through the cheeks with a 1\/4-inch thick, 4- foot-long steel rod, and pulling a chariot for 2 miles by ropes attached to his back and chest by steel hooks. Others walk through 20- foot-long pits of fire, don shoes with soles made of nails, or hang in the air spread-eagle from hooks embedded in their backs.” <\/p>\n

The truth is we can never earn or deserve the blessing God gives us! Never ever!
\n\u201cGrace is everything, for nothing, for those who don\u2019t deserve anything.\u201d!
\nLike for the thief who died on the cross next to Jesus.<\/p>\n

LUKE 23:39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: \u201cAren\u2019t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!\u201d
\n40 But the other criminal rebuked him. \u201cDon\u2019t you fear God,\u201d he said, \u201csince you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.\u201d
\n42 Then he said, \u201cJesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.\u201d
\n43 Jesus answered him, \u201cI tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.
\nReasons we find it hard to accept God’s gift
\n\tWe don’t like to be in anybody’s debt<\/p>\n

The story has been told of a wealthy man who became a Christian. He tried to reach his friends for Christ and told them, with tremendous enthusiasm, what had happened to him, how the Lord had changed his whole life and even saved his marriage. But he found that his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. His friends were not interested.
\n Since this man had great wealth, he developed a plan that would use this wealth to reach his friends. First he wrote out a check for a million dollars, which everyone knew he would easily be good for. He then visited his friends in turn and said, “I have always highly regarded you as a friend and have wanted to do something for you. Would you receive this check as a gift from me?”
\n People would look at the check and, when they saw the amount of it, they would hand it back and say, “I can’t take that from you.” He tried to give the check to many of his friends, but no one would take it, although it was a valid and sincere offer. Finally the man realized that people are not willing to receive great gifts without having some part in it. <\/p>\n

John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, \u201cIf any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.\u201d 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
\n9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, \u201cWoman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?\u201d
\n11 \u201cNo-one, sir,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cThen neither do I condemn you,\u201d Jesus declared. \u201cGo now and leave your life of sin.\u201d <\/p>\n

There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve God\u2019s wonderful salvation! All we have to do is accept it!<\/p>\n

Reasons we find it hard to accept God’s gift
\n\tIt seems too good to be true \u2013 where’s the catch???<\/p>\n

There is no catch. Only grace. The Free gift of God! Grace that welcomes back that wasteful prodigal son. Grace that welcomes a slave trader like John Newton, and tax collectors like Matthew and Zacchaeus, and thieves like the man who hung on his own cross alongside Jesus. Grace that welcomes sinners of all kinds, prostitutes and murderers and drunks, \u201cscumbags, every one\u201d. Even miserable sinners like you and me! <\/p>\n

A young man came forward in a Gospel meeting, earnestly asking, “What can I do to be saved?” The Counsellor replied to the anxious inquirer, “You’re too late!” “Oh, don’t say that,” the distressed seeker cried, “I really want salvation; I’d do anything or go anywhere to obtain it.” “I’m sorry,” replied the other, “you’re too late for that. Your salvation was completed many hundreds of years ago at Calvary. It’s finished work! All you have to do is simply receive Christ. Then the blessed gifts He offers will become yours. At last the young man found peace by realizing that his great debt was paid by Christ.<\/p>\n

A young boy had just given his life to Jesus and sat on a bench next to old man who looked upset. The little boy said to the man, “Sir, do you need to get saved?”
\nThe man replied, “I\u2019ll tell you I\u2019ve been a Sunday School teacher and a youth leader and Deacon in this church for over 30 years!”
\nThe little boy responded, “Sir, it doesn\u2019t matter what you done, Jesus still loves you and He\u2019ll still save you!”<\/p>\n

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT) <\/p>\n

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith\u2014and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT)…<\/span><\/p>\n

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