All You Must Do Is Ask
Sunday, August 30, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent."
Matthew 27:50-51
Christ paid the price, now He offers you the gift.
One of the most well-known figures from the Spanish-American War was Clara Barton. Clara was originally a school teacher who had traded in her books for a nurse's gown when the Civil War broke out. She spent days on end attending to the wounded from both sides of the war. She also helped organize the American Red Cross, an organization committed to helping people through disasters. While she was working in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, she faced a weary American group of troops who badly needed supplies and food. The commander of the group, future President Teddy Roosevelt, asked Clara for some food and offered to pay for it out of his own pocket. Barton denied Roosevelt's offer and told him he could not buy food. Perplexed, the commander tried reasoning with Clara, but she would have nothing to do with it. Clara then explained, "You cannot buy these supplies for your troops, Mr. Roosevelt, for they are not for sale. If you want them, all you must do is ask."
Many people view salvation as Teddy Roosevelt viewed those supplies-they required a price. His men needed the supplies badly and he was willing to do whatever needed to acquire them, yet as Miss Barton explained, all he had to do was ask and he would receive them.
God has offered salvation to all people. Nothing qualifies someone for salvation, nor is there a set of tasks to complete before it can be earned; salvation is a free gift. Salvation cannot be earned any more than Christmas presents require an exchange of money. No one approaches Christmas morning with a stash of cash, ready to purchase gifts from under the tree. A gift is a free present, given without strings or prerequisites.
Many religions teach that eternal life in Heaven must be earned through good works or righteous living. We could never earn Heaven through anything we do. As the Apostle Paul said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" (Romans 7:18). We all fall, mess up, make bad choices, and sin. God reminds us in Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
Christ's death on the Cross, as seen in our verses today, is the sole payment that could be accepted for salvation. God's justice demanded a spotless sacrifice for the sin committed. The only perfect One who could have paid the price of sin was Christ. It is through His shed blood that we are forgiven of sin and guaranteed a home in Heaven for all eternity.
Like Clara Barton offered Teddy Roosevelt supplies if he only asked, God offers us salvation if we will only ask. He stands with arms outstretched, His free gift of salvation in hand, and offers us eternal life if we will only ask Him for it. No strings are attached. No monetary payment is necessary. No good works can earn it. All we must do is receive Him.
Have you accepted God's free gift of salvation yet? Have you come to the realization that you cannot earn salvation on your own, no matter how many good deeds you do? God only accepts one form of payment-the blood of His perfect Son. Christ paid the price, now He offers you the gift.
If you've never accepted Christ's free gift of salvation, please let us show you how you can receive that gift today. Please click here and read what the Bible has to say about God's gift. If you have received God's gift, take time today to reflect on the fact that Christ offered Himself to pay for your sin. He willingly died in your place to give you eternal life. What a great God we serve! Thank Him for His free gift, and live today with the knowledge that one day you will be able to personally thank, honor, and glorify Him for what He has done for you.
