Today, because of the negative economic conditions we live in, we are constantly on the lookout for a ‘deal’ of some sort. Somewhere where we can get something for a bargain price, something for a bulk price or best of all, something for nothing. As long as economic situations continue the way they are, we will be blessed to just keep our noses above water, let alone find good prices or good value for money.
It’s funny how we are, isn’t it? The way we put so much effort into getting ‘things’ for our lives here on earth – things that perish or get used up so quickly and once they’re done, the whole searching cycle starts all over again – so tiring!! Now please don’t get me wrong, I know we have to have our needs met while we live out our earthly lives, so I’m not criticising that, but it’s when the constant driving for these things starts to consume us so much, that we lose sight of the important things in our lives – and that’s when we start moving onto a slippery slope.
Due to that constant driving, our focus moves away from the relationships of those we love, from the work that we should be concentrating on and more importantly, our relationship with God starts to suffer as we reduce our communication with Him.
So, as I’ve mentioned, whilst we need to have our earthly requirements – in actual fact, our relationship with God should be of number 1 importance to us. Why? Because all our earthly needs stem from that relationship. As we focus on God, daily, we learn to trust Him more for the things we need and the result is more peace in our lives. This is part of God’s plan for us – getting to know Him! (Jer 29:11).
So – bargain hunters, here’s a deal I believe we simply cannot afford to pass up:
We’ve shared before that Jesus came to restore everything that was lost in the garden of Eden. When Adam disobeyed God, humankind was doomed (Rom 8:6) but God had a plan to rescue us from a fateful eternity (John 16:6).
Let’s look at what happened on the cross.
On the cross, God’s son, Jesus, even though He was perfectly holy and pure, being the Son of God, was treated as if He were a sinner. He took on all of mankind’s sin and as importantly, (Rom 6:1-6) He took on the sinful natures of mankind and became the sacrifice for all – burying the sin AND sinful natures, so they will never return – ever!
On the other side of the coin – also on the cross, we as mankind, being defiled and having a sinful nature, which continuously produces sin, were treated as if we were righteous.
On account of what Jesus did on the cross, our sin and sinful natures were traded for the free gift of righteousness so that for those who willingly receive this gift, they will be accepted and treated as righteous by God – what a swop!!
Seeing as we can do nothing to earn this free gift of righteousness (Eph 2:8-9), this is an amazing deal for us – wouldn’t you agree?
Not only does this gift cost us nothing, but it’s a gift that will qualify us for an eternal inheritance – an inheritance that will last forever!! (1Pet 1:3-4)
I really don’t think there can be a better deal around today? Give it some careful thought and ask the Lord to help you receive the deal of a lifetime! – that is… an eternal lifetime!!
Thanks for sharing your time with me – it’s my prayer that this little topic has drawn us all that bit closer to the Master. May He bless you abundantly. Until next time.