Wednesday January 8

The Ghost who Lives with Me

John 8: 36 Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

A man stood on a street corner in New York City (so the story goes) holding out $5 and $10 bills, saying to the people who were passing by: “Here, take one. It is free, take one.” People looked on him as if he was crazy. Some walked far from him. Nobody just gives away money. Maybe some of those same people would be happier to trail him after he left there, catchup with him in some lonely place, hit him on the head and take the money away. You have to do something to get something.

I suppose that is why so many people have problems becoming Christians. They can’t believe salvation is free. So, we hear people telling their children that God will love them if they are good. But God’s love does not depend on your being good. He loves good and bad – all people. “God so loved the world…”. There are many Christians who keep the commandments, or give away money, or do missionary work so that they will go to Heaven. Nobody is that good. Nothing we can do is good enough to earn eternal life. It is free! When we believe God and accept His free gift of eternal life, then we do the good things because we love Him and we are grateful.

That is also why some people are always unhappy. They repent and God gives them forgiveness for their sins, but the problem is, it is free. So they can’t believe they are forgiven without doing something. They still walk around feeling badly about themselves, they find it hard to take active part in church and cannot say positively, “I am a Christian” They just think they are not good enough. They also allow other people to keep on reminding them about what they used to be, always haunted by the ghost of the person they used to be. If God has forgiven you and set you free from your sin, claim your freedom. It is free and you are free. That’s what grace is all about. Celebrate your freedom.

Lord, thank you that I don’t have to try to earn my forgiveness but that Jesus paid for it at Calvary. It is free for me and I am free, in Jesus’ name, amen.