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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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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