“He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” (1 Timothy 2:6) 

Several years ago, a survey was taken involving people in line for free tattoos at a New York City nightclub. When asked if they would get a tattoo if they had to pay for it, 68% stated they would not. However, here they were having something done to their bodies that was practically permanent simply because it was free.  I used to find it amusing when I would attend trade shows where companies would display their products or services utilized in my profession. Vendors would give away anything imaginable from pencils and mugs to drawing entries for a larger prize, just to get you to visit their booth. The smart ones learned to engage you in conversation to obtain your contact information before they would give you the free stuff. I was surprised how many of my colleagues would participate in this monotonous chit chat for hours simply to get their gift bags filled with these giveaways.

It’s true for most of us at one time or other that the opportunity of getting something for nothing is enticing. I used to appreciate the garage where I would take my car to be serviced because inevitably when I went there, they would give it a courtesy wash. It kept me going back for many years until the manager changed, as did the service. An observant restaurant owner will admit that a complimentary glass of wine provided to a frequent patron will promote loyalty and recurring business. I well-remember when I bought my first car that the manufacturer was endeavoring to increase their sales by offering two free domestic airline tickets with the buying of a new model. Even though I perceived those tickets to be free, I am sure the cost was hidden somewhere in my purchase price. But because I had never flown, I took advantage of the offer by traveling from one coast to the other.

Sadly, marketers have stripped much of the meaning away from ‘free’. Our society has convinced us, for instance, that when we buy bottled water we obtain a superior product even though most communities offer excellent tap water. Spiritually, we get an even better deal. When John had his vision of a “new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1), he spoke of a different water. “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new…I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:5-6). How did this “water without cost” come to be?  It’s called grace, and Jesus paid the price in full when He died on the cross at Calvary. He accomplished what Adam began when the original sin created distance between God and man. This ‘fall of man,’ as it is often referred, resulted in an inherited death sentence for all humans thereafter. “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people” (Romans 5:18). A price so high we could never pay – Christ did for us on the cross what we were incapable of doing for ourselves.

What’s the catch, you ask? As much as we love the idea of anything being free, we have learned to be suspicious of anything classified as such. There’s an old story about a man who purchased a new refrigerator for his home and wanted to dispose of the old one as easily as possible. He placed it outside on the curb and taped a sign on it: “FREE for the Taking.” It sat there for days, and he wondered what he might do differently to get rid of it.  So he put another sign on it which read – “Refrigerator For Sale …$50.” He looked out his window the next morning, and it was gone. One can only assume it was taken because it was now perceived to have value. Likewise, some struggle to accept salvation as a free gift. “We can never redeem ourselves; we cannot pay God the price for our lives, because the payment for a human life is too great” (Psalm 49:7-8a). Fortunately for us, because we are of God’s own creation – He placed a great value on our lives. He gave His Son to pay the price so that we might have Eternal Life. All He wants in return is to steal your heart. There is no hidden agenda. It truly is free for the taking.

REFLECTION: Have there been times in your life that you have been offered something labeled as being ‘free’ and you have refrained from taking it because you were sure that there had to be a catch?  Does that recollection make it a little easier to understand others’ skepticism as you speak to them about the free gift of salvation? How can knowing and reflecting upon what Jesus went through to pay for your freedom change how you personally embrace that freedom and present it to others?

A NEW LOOKUP  DEVOTION IS UPLOADED EACH WEEK. THE NEXT WEEKLY POSTING WILL BE ON SAT., APRIL 15, 2017.  COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED.