Our President has spoken to our nation regarding jobs and the importance of labor and hard work. It’s a topic dear to our hearts. We know good things do not happen unless someone or some group pours toil and sacrifice into projects. I believe it because of this understanding that some of us grow uneasy when we hear people like me say that salvation and eternal life are free. We become fearful that we have cheapened salvation and have given people license to continue in their sinful ways. Therefore, it is important to say just because salvation is free it does not mean it was cheap. It was by far the most expensive purchase ever made. God gave His Son who bought salvation for us with the most expensive price tag ever written.
The next important thing to say is because it is a gift; we cannot sit back and fail to recognize the incredible obligation of grace. While we cannot purchase something already given, we must realize the task set before us, which is nothing less than never-ending character development. Our task is not to be saved. Our task is to become like the One who saves us. In a world saturated with selfishness, in a mind and body driven by appetites, this is an unbelievably difficult task. Anyone who says or thinks otherwise has yet to tackle the high standard to which we are called.
The Good News is this. We are not in this fight alone. We are called to battle and we have an ally. Jesus promised that He would not orphan us but send us the Holy Spirit, who upon our request, will pour out heaven in support of our quest. While victory is promised, the confrontation can be fierce.
Written by Roger Bothwell on September 9, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org