The Sweetest Free

There are memories we cherish and others we’d just as soon forget.  Many years ago, a waiter tilted his tray as he rounded the corner, and the tossed salad he carried landed on top of my head.  The small restaurant was otherwise deathly quiet except for one man who howled in laughter.  Yes, he was sitting across the table from me!

 

The free gift of God’s Salvation to “whoever believes” resounds in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  Free is an interesting concept as we consider things such as fine print, shipping and handling, time and effort. All things considered, “free” becomes very relative.  Mr. Bill, the laughing man across the table, commented on the [subsequent] "free" dinner we received and I quickly corrected him -- "Our dinner was not free -- I paid dearly for it!"  God’s mercy, compassion, and grace are deeply rooted in His immeasurable and abiding love for man.  His gift of salvation is indeed free to all, but it came at great cost to Him.  Paul spoke of this in 1 Corinthians when he wrote, “you were bought with a price ...” (6:19).  Let us delight in God's free gift and never forget His free and amazing grace, but never forget every drop of Jesus’ unblemished (sinless) blood paid our sin-debt in-full.  Free is sweet, and in most cases, we return for more.  The free and abundant Grace of God is sweetest and immeasurable.  As Eliza Hewitt wrote, More, more, more about Jesus - More, more, more about Jesus -- More of His saving fullness see -- More of His Love Who died for me!  That free is the greatest of all