The title of Maggi Dawn’s post There’s nothing free about the gospel startled me for a minute. I know she’s a bit liberal, but surely she doesn’t believe in selling salvation? But when I read on, I realised that what she is writing is right on target:
while in one sense it’s true that the gospel is free, it’s also true that there is no gospel – no good news about salvation – without a high cost on either side of the spiritual encounter.
The good news of God cost Jesus everything: his safety, his family life, his reputation, and in the end his life. And if it’s to become real in our lives, it’s going to cost us too, in commitment and in other ways too. …
There’s a paradox in the free gift of God and the grand scale of cost it will involve for us to accept the free gift and receive our own freedom. It’s free, but at the same time it will cost us everything.
Well said, Maggi. Especially at this season when we remember Jesus’ death, and the disciples’ unfaithfulness, we need to be reminded of the price that was paid for our salvation, and of the price we are expected to pay in response.
As a related question, I have never thought that the liberal paradigm of ‘inclusiveness’ was actually taught by Jesus.
The gospel is inclusive inasmuch as forgiveness and salvation is freely available to all – on the condition that we repent and believe. If you don’t then you won’t -and are excluded – a goat rather than a sheep.
Salvation ‘costs’ repentance and faith towards God and sacrificing our will to His. Jesus may accept you as you are but does God expect you to remain that way?
Much modern preaching of the Gospel tends to treat Jesus has a lifestyle choice with God as the All Matey rather than as ‘being transformed into the image of His son’
Discuss…
Iconoclast, I agree with you. The gift is free but it does have to be accepted.