For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. - Ephesians 2:8 niv
My husband walked into the family room clutching a yellow receipt. He had just filled my car with gas. “Well, we broke the record with that fill-up.”
“I told you I was driving around on fumes.” I said, grinning. I have a bad habit of being totally oblivious to that tiny light that says, “You’re going to be walking soon!”
When I saw how much it cost to have the car filled, I realized I’m old enough to say, “Remember when you could fill your car up with $10.00 and get change?”
We’ve all heard the saying, “Nothing in this life is free.” I know you’ve been inundated, as I have, with commercials or flyers offering something free. You call the 800 number only to find out you receive something free IF… If – that’s the key word. You have to participate in some way. IF you try a product or buy something else, you’ll get your free gift.
Salvation from God depends on something, too. Romans 10:9-10 says, “IF you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
The gift of salvation is free to you, but it did not come without a price. Jesus paid that price with His blood. He became the perfect sacrifice, pleasing and acceptable to the Lord, on our behalf. This is one gift we receive with only one prerequisite. IF we confess Jesus Christ as Lord of our life, and believe in Him, we are saved.
I need to pay more attention to the warning light on my dashboard. Perhaps this message is your warning light. The next time you see one of those flashy commercials advertising free gifts, remember- Jesus offers YOU a free gift- eternal life with Him, and there are no strings attached. He already paid for it! Have you received the gift of Jesus Christ?
Prayer: Lord, I thank You for my salvation and the promise of eternal life in Heaven with You. I’m so grateful for Your amazing grace. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
5 comments:
Thanks, Jen!
Donna
Thanks for that message, Donna. You are a great blessing to me. I can be feeling down and read one of your devotionals and it lifts my spirits. Thanks to you and God, I feel better.
Patty B.
Donna, you so accurately pinpointed the source of joy that comes with being a Christian. It's all FREE! I sincerely pray that our world turns back to the mindset of "political correctness" that ENCOURAGES us to share what we have with others. Because I work in a public position, I am not ALLOWED to share my faith on a daily basis, or even to be openly enthusiastic about it. We don't even say "Merry Christmas" in a public place anymore--it's "Happy Holidays"--and there is SO much need!
Thank you for using the gifts and the means that God has given you to say it so well!
Ellen
Welcome to Grace High School! The tuition has been paid for you by the Principal — it didn't cost you a cent to enroll! You don't have to study or do any homework, if you don't wish to. I mean, you should try to do some (out of respect for the One that paid your tuition), but, really, it's not necessary. In fact, if you try too hard to study and do your work, you will insult the One that paid your way…what do you think you can do, earn your diploma? You can't earn it, it's a free gift! We will all graduate whether we do any work or not. Your diploma already has your name on it! Four years from now, it's yours! So relax, have fun. Try to follow the school rules, again out of respect, but ultimately, there is no punishment for breaking the rules. Sure, the Rule Book talks about harsh punishments and expulsion for those that transgress, but ignore it. School is supposed to be fun! A happy place! Learning is secondary! We all achieve the same reward! We all will be valedictorians! Because the Principal not only paid our tuition, but did all the work for us, and now we receive His accomplishments by simply accepting them! You can't add to it! It's perfect as is! It's Grace! Welcome to Grace High School!
Am I the only one that sees a problem with this picture?
DaveWags from Faithwriters
"Our gift of salvation is free. I know your heart was not to offer Christians a free ticket to sin. As Paul said, “MAY IT NEVER BE!” It’s His amazing grace that transforms us into Christ followers. The free gift enables us to live well. But we can’t even think of living well if it weren’t for the cross first."
I received this from a friend. I say, "Amen!" I'm so thankful for God's gracious mercy and indescribable gift. I endeavor to live up to His standards daily.
Each devotional is meant to focus on one aspect of our faith, and in itself, is not a theological argument. I believe we will want to live for Christ as our hearts are changed by the power of the Holy Spirit Who lives within and enables us.
Did anyone pass devotional on? I hope so!
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