SALVATION,
COST OF
A MAN one day was low on funds and all he had was one valuable thing to his name—a family ring that had been passed down for generations. He didn’t want to part with the ring that so full of memories, but he needed money to survive. He took his ring off, took it to the pawnshop, and gave it to the pawnbroker. The pawnbroker gave him a few dollars for it accompanied by a ticket. On the back of the ticket, a redemption price and date were listed.
The gentleman intended to buy his ring back but the date rolled quickly and he still did not have the money. He came and pled with the pawnbroker not to sell his ring in his shop. He begged for more time but the pawnbroker would not budge from the original agreement.
The next day was the day for the ring to be sold. The remorseful seller came by that day only to find his beautiful ring polished and sitting in the shop window. It now cost twenty-five times the price he sold it for.
Some of us today have pawned our lives for a pittance. We pawned our souls and we don’t have what it takes to redeem it. But, two thousand years ago, God sent Jesus Christ to pick up the tab for the lives we pawned. The beautiful thing about the Lord Jesus Christ is that He can afford to pay the price.787
[Christian, Value of; Cross]
Job 19:25–27; Eph. 1:7
THE ROAD to carnality starts with a lack of appreciation. When you don’t know what you have, you take it for granted. Many people feel taken for granted by their mates.
I had a lady in my office one time who said, “He doesn’t know what he has and if he doesn’t find out quick, I’m not going to be around much longer.” She felt taken for granted. Her husband had gotten used to cooked meals, washed clothes, and ironed shirts. He’d gotten used to her.
A man once came to me and said, “I’m a hard worker, a sensitive husband, and a caring person. I feel taken for granted.”
God is saying to us, “Your salvation cost Me My Son. I feel taken for granted.” Now, how can you neglect that kind of salvation?788
[Salvation, Rejection of]
John 3:16; Acts 2:22–24; 1 Cor. 7:23
I WAS in a restaurant having lunch and it came time to pay the bill. I asked the waiter to come over and bring me the bill. He left only to come back a few minutes later and declare that I had no bill. He told me that somebody else in the restaurant had picked up the tab. Now, I would have been a fool to sit there and argue with the waiter. I would have been a fool to not accept the gift. All I could do was say thank you. I showed gratitude for a price that had already been paid.
God wants us to accept His gift. He has paid our tab. Some people are fools because they refuse to accept God’s free gift. The price of salvation has already been paid and God’s Son has picked up the tab.789
[Salvation, Rejection of]
Acts 13:46; Rom. 2:8
LIVING your Christian life is fulfilling the contract on an agreement to build a building. Let’s say that you paid to get a brand-new, custom-built, top-dollar house built on your lot. The builder comes and he finishes the house with a combination of blue bricks, black bricks, white bricks, turquoise bricks, and purple bricks all mixed in together. You wouldn’t appreciate that because I’m sure that’s not what you would have paid for. You would probably take that contractor to court for putting in a mess when you paid a premium price. You don’t pay for a top-dollar house and expect a contractor to use junk materials. You want the top-dollar material if you are building a top-dollar house.
On the cross, Jesus paid top dollar for your sins. God gave His only begotten Son that you and I might have a relationship with Himself.
The Bible tells us that God says, “I paid good money, so watch how you build. Don’t use cheap material when I paid a top-dollar bill.”790
[Life, Management of]
1 Cor. 3:10–15; 6:20
MANY students will receive a freshman orientation when they go off to college. Part of this orientation is designed to help the incoming freshmen know how to get the most out of their education at the school and how to maximize their time.
If parents find out their kids are spending too much time partying at school, they are likely to be ticked off. Why? Because the cost for college is so high. College is too expensive to waste time playing around.
Jesus Christ paid a high price for your salvation, so He doesn’t want you wasting your time for development and discipleship.791
[Spiritual Maturity, Growth]
1 Cor. 7:23