Not Cheap

By Greg Laurie, Op-ed contributor Thursday, May 18, 2006

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
—1 Corinthians 6:20

People often say that nothing in life is free. Know this: God's forgiveness is free, but it certainly isn't cheap.

While we don't have to do anything to earn or merit God's forgiveness, it cost Him dearly. We were bought at a price. And that price was His only Son's death on the cross.

In our society, we are suspicious of anything that is free. When someone says, "We have a free offer for you," we wonder what's the catch. I remember some years ago when my family and I were given some free tickets to Disneyland. We had one extra ticket and I saw some people sitting over on one of those little walls. I said, "Hi, I have this extra ticket. It's free. You want it? It's yours."

"What do you want?" they asked suspiciously.

"It's a free ticket to Disneyland. I have an extra and you can just have it."

"No. I don't want it."

So I found myself explaining to everyone why I was giving away a free ticket: "I have this extra ticket that was given to me. Would you please take it?" Finally, I found someone to take the ticket, but everyone was suspicious.

So when we hear that God stands ready to pardon and forgive us for free, we say, "That can't be worth anything. What's the catch?" It just blows our minds to think that God can forgive us without us having to earn it our pay for it.

Nevertheless, we must always remember that forgiveness is free—but it wasn't cheap. It cost God everything.