April 30, 2021: Is Salvation Free or Must We Be Willing to Give Back to God Something of Ourselves?

When I was first proposed this question many years ago, I immediately said, "Yes, salvation is free". But over the years since I have begun to study God's word and understand the meaning of "salvation" in one's life, God gives us a clear understanding of what comes by being saved by God's grace. In the following verses, read and meditate on what our Lord is saying to those who are looking for eternal life and/or heaven.

Matthew 16: 24 (NKJV)

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Luke 14: 33 (NKJV)

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

John 15: 14 (NIJV)

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

Romans 6: 22 (NIV)

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Most of us can acknowledge that "surrender" is a vital part of Christianity and that it

makes a strong claim upon us. But if "salvation comes free", is it not contradictory to point out that actually we must pay a price, which is certainly the case in surrender?

The following is a great illustration taken from an article in "Ministry Magazine" in their June issue of 2009, entitled, "Surrender: The Neglected Imperative in Salvation".

"A certain manufacturer decides to give away a number of samples of a costly product free. But in order to qualify for one, you must have a coupon, which he distributes for free.

Suppose you qualify for a gift. Would you claim the gift was not free because you had to surrender the coupon?

God, if you will, has given us a “coupon” which we must give back to Him for free justification. He has given us life, minds, reason, and wills. He says, 'I want to justify you, forgive you, freely. I will give you salvation freely, but to show your sincerity, and in order that My salvation can transform you, you must return the ‘coupon.’ You just surrender your will, yourself, to Me.”

So, is "salvation" free? We are "the coupon" in the above illustration. God created us..."mind, body and soul". Now God is offering to us a better choice in life and eternal life. But to be able to receive this new life, we must be willing to give up our "coupon", ourselves to Him.

PERSONNAL COMMENT:

Think about your life today...Has it been going in the way that bring "contentment" and "satisfaction" for you? As "slaves to God", and no longer a "slave to sin", we reap the benefit that leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life with our Lord. So, give back to God what He has already given to us. our Life!