Everything for Nothing
The Hebrew prophet Isaiah offered a great invitation to
everyone to come to the fountain of grace.
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who
have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and
without cost” (Isaiah 55:1).
The blessings of God are available “without cost.”
Salvation is a free gift of God. This invitation is a picture of grace in the
Old Testament. These blessings are gifts of divine grace, and they are also
obtained by grace. They are received only by a sense of need and readiness to
accept them.
When speaking of the remnant of Israel the apostle Paul
wrote, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise
grace is no longer grace” (Romans 11:6). Free grace and works are like water and
oil; they do not mix. They are opposites; they are incompatible.
The only qualification is to be spiritually thirsty and
needy. The “water” of refreshing and cleaning that Christ gives is the “water of
life.” He gives the “wine” of joy, exhilarating, comforting, and refreshing that
“makes glad the heart of man.” He gives “wine” with fullness of holy delight and
“milk” that nourishes and satisfies the soul. These are pictures of the
satisfying and sustaining qualities of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He brings
satisfaction to the soul for time and eternity. The water, wine, and milk are
the full supply of life joy and satisfaction in the Christian’s life.
The wonder of it all is that God gives it freely. It is
free grace that God gives to sinners who are thirsty for God. Jesus said,
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Only the grace of God can possibly give this kind of
satisfaction. The purchase is made “without money and without cost.” The gifts
of God are without money and without price.”
God freely saves the sinner not because man deserves it or
merits it. The gifts of God are absolutely free in the most unrestricted sense
of the term. Everything is given freely because it has been paid for in full by
Jesus Christ. It cost the Lord Jesus Christ His blood. He gave His life in the
sinner’s place. On our part, it is “without money and without price,” but on
God’s part, it cost Him the most precious possession in heaven, His own beloved
Son. Eternal life is the pure gift of God. It is foolish to think you can pay
for a gift someone freely gives you.
Why is such a single truth that salvation is the free gift
of God, and can only be received as a free gift by faith, so confusing to some
individuals? Sinful man thinks there must be something to do or feel before a
sinner can receive the gift of grace. “Without money and without cost” goes
against our pride.
Whether we are the thief on the cross, Mary Magdalene, a
murder on death row, or an upright, moral religious person we all come to the
cross the same way to be saved. It is by free grace through the atoning death of
Jesus Christ. The world religious systems all teach that the gifts of God must
all be purchased or merited by man’s efforts. Sinful man wants to bargain with
God.
Grace invites all who are spiritually needy to come to the
waters of life, even to those of “you who have no money come, buy, and eat.” Are
you bankrupt spiritually? Congratulations, you qualify for God’s grace.
Jesus gave a similar invitation to all to “Come. And let
the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one
who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Revelation 22:17). Did you note
“without cost?” It is all of free grace. It asks neither money, nor price, nor
anything of man. God did it all so that He alone gets all the glory.
The best things in life are free. Salvation and eternal
life are no exception. The richest man on the face of the earth as well as the
poorest, most miserable beggar must come the same way—by the grace of God in
Christ Jesus.
I meet people all the time who think they must have some
extraordinary vision, experience, revelation, or a certain kind and level of
emotions in order to be saved. The plain simple teaching of the Scriptures is
salvation is a gift of free grace through faith in Jesus Christ. “Believe on the
Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.” Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins,
and all we need to do is put our trust in Him. “Look to Me and be saved, all the
ends of the earth.” Look at Christ and be saved. That is the good news of
salvation.
Come and drink the waters of life. It is “without money and
without cost” that it might be by grace alone through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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