Grace of God (Part 2)
The High Cost of a Free Gift

Romans 5:6-8: "You see, at just the right time, when we were still
powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. {7} Very rarely will anyone die
for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to
die. {8} But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were
still sinners, Christ died for us."

Perhaps you have heard it said: "The best things in life are free!"

This is especially true when you consider that the "best" thing in life
is a gift...
a. I am speaking of that which God offers to all who will accept it:
"grace and eternal life"
b. It is truly a "gift from God"!

3. And yet, though eternal life is a gift...
a. A high cost was paid to offer the gift
b. And a high cost must be paid to receive it!

4. A high cost for a free gift? How can that be?
a. This "paradox" can sometimes be difficult to comprehend
b. However, teachings of Jesus are often found in the form of a
"paradox" (e.g., the Beatitudes: (Mat 5:3-6) ""Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. {4} Blessed are those who
mourn, for they will be comforted. {5} Blessed are the meek, for they
will inherit the earth. {6} Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled."
c. Upon closer examination, such "paradoxes" are not really
contradictions, but expressions of very important spiritual truths!

THE FREE GIFT OF SALVATION
MANY HAVE A WRONG CONCEPT ABOUT HOW SALVATION
IS OBTAINED...
1. They think that salvation is earned by the "good works" they do
2. Consider this statement by a devout Muslim: "All my life I have
obeyed the Koran and worshipped Allah faithfully. If, after death, I
find that there is no paradise and there is no hour is with which a man
may be comforted, as the Koran
promises, I shall feel that I have been miserably cheated."
3. Many professing Christians have a similar concept of attaining
heaven, that their reward is received because of...Their good
life...Their generous giving of their money... Their faithful attendance
at church

BUT SALVATION IS GOD'S GIFT TO UNDESERVING MEN...
1. Offered while we were still sinners, ungodly, and enemies
2. Not because we love God, but because He loved us! (1 John
4:9-10) "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and
only Son into the world that we might live through him. {10} This is
love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an
atoning sacrifice for our sins."

3. And it is offered to all who will receive it!
(Rev 21:6) "He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink
without cost from the spring of the water of life."

(Rev 22:17) "The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears
say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let
him take the free gift of the water of life."

Salvation, then, is offered "freely". But does that mean it costs
nothing? Not at all!
Indeed, we shall see that nothing in all the universe has cost so much...

THE HIGH COST OF PROVIDING THE GIFT

WHAT IT COST THE FATHER
(John 3:16) ""For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life."

(Rom 8:32) "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us
all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all
things?"
1. It cost Him the sacrifice of His only begotten Son!
2. He did not spare His Son in an effort to save us from our sins!

WHAT IT COST THE SON
(Phil 2:1-8) "If you have any encouragement from being united with
Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion, {2} then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. {3}
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility
consider oth-ers better than yourselves. {4} Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. {5} Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in
very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, {7} but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. {8} And being found in appearance
as a man, he humbled himself and be-came obedient to death-- even death
on a cross!"

It cost Him the renunciation of glory and majesty, which He had with the
Father before coming to this world

It cost Him the humiliation of servitude, even to the point suffering and
finally dying by cruci-fixion for our sins

WHAT IT COST THE HOLY SPIRIT
(Eph 4:30) "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption."

(2 Th 2:13-14) "But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved
by the Lord, be-cause from the beginning God chose you to be saved
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the
truth. {14} He called you to this through our gospel, that you might
share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

A ministry through the ages of patiently wooing the stubborn hearts of
sinful men through the call of the gospel Suffering long with men who
treat Him ill, being grieved when they resist Him.

Each Person of the triune Godhead has paid dearly to make the gift of
salvation possible. So certainly from the viewpoint of its "provision",
we can see the "high cost of a free gift".

But the "acceptance" of this free gift is also costly..

THE HIGH COST OF ACCEPTING THE GIFT

IT COSTS THE DENIAL OF SELF, AND THE RENUNCIATION
OF MUCH THAT MEN HOLD DEAR...
1. Paul, who gladly paid the cost, expressed it vividly in several
passages
2. (Gal 2:20) "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in
the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

3. (Phil 3:7-8) "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for
the sake of Christ. {8} What is more, I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may
gain Christ"
4. One cannot accept Christ and His salvation on lesser terms than the
complete surrender of self to Him!

THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST "A HARD
GOSPEL" FOR MANY TO ACCEPT...
1. They want to accept Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord of their
lives
a. Some even suggest that accepting Jesus as Savior and as Lord are two
entirely separate acts. But the two are inseparable:
(Luke 2:11) "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord."

(Acts 2:36) ""Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made
this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.""

Jesus Himself made this clear when He warned His hearers that the cost of
discipleship is high:

(Luke 14:25-33) "Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to
them he said: {26} "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father
and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even
his own life--he cannot be my disciple.
{27} And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my
disciple. {28} "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not
first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to
complete it? {29} For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish
it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, {30} saying, 'This fellow
began to build and was not able to finish.' {31} "Or suppose a king is
about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and
consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one
coming against him with twenty thousand? {32} If he is not able, he will
send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask
for terms of peace. {33} In the same way, any of you who does not give up
everything he has cannot be my disciple."

"JUST ACCEPT CHRIST AND BE SAVED" IS THE APPEAL OF MANY...
And many people assume that it is a matter of "just accepting" Him, "with
no strings attached." Consider the words of Jesus Himself:

(John 14:21) "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who
loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love
him and show myself to him.""

(John 14:23) "Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our
home with him."

CONCLUSION
1. That is why the "gift" of salvation, while offered freely, still comes
with a high cost...
a. Salvation cannot be earned, nor merited, by any amount of good
deeds
b. For even after a lifetime of diligent obedience we are still
"unworthy servants"
c. But the Lordship of Jesus rightly demands a full surrender to His
authority

2. Yes, the gift of salvation is costly...
a. It cost God more than heaven can declare
b. It cost Jesus the agony and shame of the cross
c. Even today it costs the Holy Spirit who seeks to woo you through
the gospel
d. And it costs everyone who truly receives it the total submission of
self to the rightful claims of Jesus on the lives and souls of all who
would be His for time and eternity!

TO THE CHRISTIAN: WE MUST GROW IN GRACE!
This is especially true if we are going to live holy lives . Peter
commands us to grow in grace - (2 Pet 3:18) "But grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now
and forever! Amen."

Dear brother or sister, it is not enough just to experience God’s grace
in forgiving our sins. God has so much more to share with us, both in
this life and the life to come.

We can grow in grace through:
· Listening to the Word of God and trying to put it into practice
· Drawing near to God in prayer

Last modified: April 18, 2006