It is free, but not cheap!!!!

I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalms 32 : 5

Good morning, friends! 

Is anything free in this world? A few months ago one of my friends gave me a free coupon. This blog post is all about that coupon. :)

All I had to do was to take it to the store (I forgot its name) and choose one of the electronic items listed in the coupon, for free. Yes, for free! The list included a USB flash drive, memory card and a few other items which were really useful! Since I don’t have a car, I could not drive to the store, and so I didn’t use the coupon. 

Are you wondering what’s special about this free coupon?! 

1. It is free: It’s rare to find something free these days. :) Rarely do we get such coupons here (obviously there is a marketing secret behind such free giveaways.)

2. It comes with a deadline within which the coupon should be used. Otherwise the coupon expires and you can no longer get the items for free even if you keep the coupon.

3. The coupon, if not used, can be passed on to others so they can take advantage of the deal.

4. It is mutually exclusive. Either you, or your friend, can use it. You both can’t use it if you only have one coupon.

5. The free items need to be in stock at the store. If the items go out of stock, the coupon is useless. In short, these coupons come with an asterisk (* - conditions apply).

6. When you share this with your friends, you may have to answer all their questions, like “where the store is located”, or “why are the free items out of stock”, “which is the best item to choose”, bla bla… 

Enough of these pointers!!! :)  We can compare this free coupon with Salvation!

The Psalmist says that when He acknowledged his sins and did not cover them up, God forgave the guilt of his sins. This is salvation! You don’t need to carry your sins and burdens all around. You need not live that life of guilt. Jesus calls you to confess your sins and be washed clean by His blood, and to lead a life of salvation. 

1. My fellowship leader in Chennai always says this. “Salvation is free, but not cheap.” Yes, it is free. You don’t have to pay anything. Jesus paid it all. Just because it is free, it is not cheap. He who knew no sin gave Himself on the cross for our sins. What a sacrifice! Therefore you don’t need to curse yourself for all the sins you have committed. You still can come to Him and avail this free gift!

2. There are no tight deadlines to avail this free gift. There are no extra conditions applied. You only need to confess your sins to God and believe that Jesus is God. 

3. It is not just for you. It is to be shared, unlike the free coupons.

4. You can share this gift with any number of people. This gift doesn’t have any restrictions on the number of people with whom you share it.

5. This gift can never go out of stock. It is always available until Christ’s second coming. So make an appointment before it and utilize it. Of course, God has a divine appointment for you. If you don’t know what Salvation is really about, please get in touch with some friends who can lead you in the right direction. Getting baptized just because you can gain something, or someone, isn't salvation.

6. To share this free gift, you don’t need to know everything about it. Eventually you will come to know more about it. In my Church I heard our Pastor saying, “It is simple. If you don’t know what to share just share these three things. i. How was your life before you had an encounter with Jesus? ii. How were you touched by God? iii. How has been your life changed thereafter?”

Last but not the least, “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17” 

Please pray before you share this blog post with others. 

Have a blessed day!