continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to
sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 6:1,2
"Freedom" is NOT free. In order for this great country of ours to boast of the "freedom" it offers, countless numbers of men and women have paid a high price to make it so. And in order for us to go about "freely" in this great country, we have to subscribe to certain guidelines--obedience of laws that have been instituted for the general welfare. If we insist on not doing so, sooner or later, our "freedom" is wrested from us and we are placed under guarded control.
"Life" is NOT free. One has to commit to life. Even though a child is brought into this world through no decision of his or her own, it costs someone to bring that child into this life, and it will further cost for life to be maintained for that child. And in order to live, one has to commit to the idea of living, at whatever standards they choose or their circumstances dictate.
"Living" is NOT free. Life consists of many elements and the cost of each must be factored in: nourishment for our health, apparel for our bodies, learning for our minds, nurturing for emotional well-being, just to name a few. There are those these things must be provided for and we do, because they cannot. And then there are those who refuse to work to provide these things for themselves--the rest of us bear the burden of doing so. No, "life" is not free, my friends.
"Death" is NOT free. Just ask those who pay for the memorials of that dear departed loved one. And the pain and grief that is caused by separation from those we love--the emotional cost is great and sometimes overwhelming for long periods of time.
"Air" -- even the air we breathe is NOT free. Just one aspect of it not being "free" are the many companies and agencies that fight to keep "clean air" at the forefront of the world's attention. Much of the cost of living is due to various programs which operate (at least under the guise) to "clean up the air" and keep certain harmful elements at "acceptable" levels.
"Love" is NOT free. "Free love" became a catch-phrase during the so-called "hippie" era of our society, but that wasn't, and never will be love. That was just plain ole' lust. Love lasts beyond the space of a few moments of passion because "love" includes a commitment that has been made.
God gave us the pleasure of passion as a reward of commitment to love, but in today's world, we want the pleasure without the commitment. It is dangerous folly--spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially--for whomever indulges in such sinful actions.
Anyone who thinks love is "free" has never counted the cost of commitment--it takes commitment on the part of each of us to be loved and to love. Sometimes, it takes a great deal of effort to love past, over, beyond, or through what a person is doing or saying. Further, if what we think is love does not line up with I Corinthians 13, we seriously need to rethink our definition of "love".
"Salvation" is NOT free. It takes a commitment to faith, a commitment to believe that it is so, for a person to receive it. It is freely offered to whosoever will accept it, but even the mere acceptance of it takes away the "free" part.
We don't just suddenly one day happen to be under a rainshower of Salvation and it falls on us. There are several steps to a decision made for Salvation: realization we need it, belief it is so, acceptance unto it, and profession of it. It isn't free. It never was!
If you think so, look at the price Jesus Christ paid for it. Look at what He endured to complete God's Plan of Salvation for us, although it is only truly completed as each person individually accepts it. Perfect, flawless, without sin or corruption of any kind--Jesus took on our sins that we could be saved through Him. Don't consider just the physical agony He went through or the mental anguish He suffered--this Salvation He offers is an eternal thing. That means forever and ever and ever, far beyond our human comprehension of time.
There is a price to be paid for acceptance of salvation, too. Oh yes there is. That commitment we all must make? The Word of God tells us that we are to come out from amongst them and be a peculiar people. We are to separate ourselves from the world and the things of the world. Not by moving to a remote area, but by separating ourselves from the sins of this world, and that is by not willfully committing them!
Certainly we are under Grace, but what does Paul teach us about Grace? It is NOT a LICENSE TO SIN!
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? GOD FORBID. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:12-16.If I have been convicted in my heart that something is a sin, and I go out and willfully do it anyway, I am not automatically forgiven under Grace! Being a "Christian", being saved, is not God's permission for me to live as I like, doing all I wish to do, no matter what it is!
Oh yes, Salvation is freely offered to all who will accept it, but it requires a commitment to faith. It requires a commitment to profess it. It requires a commitment to live it.
None of this means we are to be dour individuals and selfishly horde that which we have unto ourselves. But it does mean that we are not to think we can casually breeze through life, only to safely arrive at our final destination on the coattails of others. We each must make a stand and a commitment to our existence to the fullest of our ability. God will do the rest if we will just show up. We cannot all make equal commitments--nothing demands that they be. But they should be to the best of our ability, and God will take care of the rest.
Every aspect of our lives should be lived to the best of our ability, that we may know life in its fullest. And if we will commit our lives to Jesus Christ, He will add higher heights, deeper depths and wider widths than we would ever be able to accomplish within ourselves.
Nothing is free, my friends. Please, let's make certain that what we commit to is worthy of our efforts, and will be profitable not only to our daily lives, but to our spiritual well-being, also. But most important of all, let's be sure that what we commit to will glorify God and lift Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.
May God bless you abundantly in all your endeavors for Him.
"Nothing Is Free" Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes.
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