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How often do we receive offers in the post, where there is the promise of a "free gift"? As we read the small print, there is always a catch. Usually, the free gift is only available when we spend more than a predefined amount on goods, or when we purchase some other item. Often, the free gift is something which is not selling, and so the company can get rid of surplus stock by including it with other goods, knowing that many people would not otherwise spend that amount on such goods without the promise of something extra.
On this page, we are delighted to be able to tell of a free gift which has no such strings attached. More than this, the gift, though free to us, is something which is beyond the wealth of the richest man in the world to purchase. It was purchased for us, not by silver and gold which corrupt, but "by the precious blood of Christ", 1 Peter 1.18, 19. On this basis, God in Heaven is willing to offer the free gift of eternal life to all who are prepared to confess their sin, and call on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, believing that He died for their sins, Rom.6.23. He gives a promise that "whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved", Acts 2.21, Rom. 10.13.
As you read this, you may ask, why do I need this gift? The answer is given in a verse to which we have already referred, Rom. 6.23 states that "The wages of sin is death". Rev. 20.14 makes it clear that this death is not just death for the body, but rather "the second death", which is an everlasting punishment. Some suggest that this is too harsh for a God of love, but we need to remember that every form of sin is an act of rebellion against God. He created the world, and man chose to disobey God from the first. The result is that he brought the whole creation into bondage because of sin. The only way in which this bondage may be broken is by removing sin from God's creation. Before acting in this way, God has provided both the means and the opportunity for all people to be saved, and so escape from His judgment and enjoy His blessings throughout eternity.
As stated at first, there is always a "but". From what we have written above, it should be clear that there are choices to be made. The first choice is LIFE or DEATH, not for time but for eternity. In making this choice, we must choose either CHRIST or SIN. Paul made a choice which he states in Phil. 3.7. He had everything that life could offer to a Jew, but he set this against Christ and says "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.". Writing many years later - perhaps 25-30 years, he reviews his choice in v.8, and states clearly that it is unchanged.
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