No strings attached

We’ve all heard these warnings at some point in our lives:

There’s no such thing as a free lunch (or a free dog).
Whoever offers something for free is only trying to sell you something else.
Campaign promises are checks that can never be cashed.

We’ve all experienced “free” things that ended up being rather expensive.  Whenever someone offers to give us something at no cost, our skepticism meter is immediately pegged.  We start thinking of questions in order to really get to the bottom of whatever is being presented to us.  We get defensive and suspicious, especially if we don’t know the person making the offer.

Keeping that in mind, it’s not too much of a surprise that when Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman about a gift of living water…she was a little skeptical:

John 4:10-12
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and Who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask Him and He would give you living water.”
“Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep.  So where do you get this ‘living water’?  You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you?  He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”

Jesus wasn’t sidetracked by her questions.  He wasn’t upset that she had her mind on tangible, earthly things instead of the spiritual, eternal idea He was talking about.  He continued:

John 4:13-14
Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again.  But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again.  In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

Jesus offers her living water that will forever satisfy her deepest thirst for life.  And this living water will become a spring of water for eternal life.  A little later in His ministry, and with a different crowd, Jesus used the same analogy:

John 7:37-38
On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” 

So we see that belief in Jesus guarantees streams of living water flowing from deep within the believer.  This is a MASSIVE promise we can claim – that just one drink of living water (i.e. – believing) produces a well of water springing up for eternal life.  Because Jesus is the one offering this free gift, this means that the person who believes also has eternal security.  We can’t lose it, and it can’t be taken away…no matter what we feel…or think…or do.

Throughout the book of John, Jesus offers people eternal life if they believe in Him for it, no strings attached.  When making His offer of eternal life to anyone there are, however, a few things He never does:

Jesus never…asks them to confess all their sins first. 
Jesus never…tells them to repent (i.e. – turn from their sins) before they can “really believe”. 
Jesus never…tells them to make Him Lord of their life in order to believe.
Jesus never…tells them to look at their works for the rest of their life to find out if they are a “true believer”.

Confession, repentance, living under Jesus’ lordship, and doing good works are all important for a Christ-follower…but they are not conditions that Jesus put on us in order to receive His free gift of eternal life.  They matter to a person’s fellowship with Jesus, but they do not impact His gift of eternal life.

So what, exactly, does Jesus mean when He says to believe in Me?  To believe is to be persuaded that something is true.  We don’t “make a choice” to believe something or not – either you are convinced something is true, or you are not convinced.  Believing in Jesus is being persuaded that He guarantees eternal life to all who simply believe in Him for it.  That’s all.  It is a gift of God that we receive.  Do you believe that? Jesus presented the Samaritan woman (and us!) with no other condition.  There are no strings attached…and that truly is good news!

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Comfort food

When the world has us feeling tired and worn down, we often seek an escape in what’s comfortable.  Maybe it’s a particular type of music, a favorite movie, a hot bath/shower, or curling up in a blanket on the couch.  Typically, though, when we’re looking for comfort, we go looking for what’s known as “comfort food”.

A family recipe or a dish from a favorite restaurant is what we usually go after.  Living down here in the South, the term takes on a whole new meaning.  They take their “Southern Comfort Food” pretty serious.

A few years back, I was in a men’s Bible study and heard another guy talk about finding his comfort in God.  He said it was kinda weird at first, but that after some practice, he was naturally turning to God when he was feeling battered and tired.  He also said that going to God first helped him rest and recharge faster than the other things he had been previously seeking out for comfort.

To be honest, it sounded a little weird to hear him talk about it.  I had my suspicions that it was just “Christian talk” as opposed to real practice (we wouldn’t say that out-loud, right?).  But really, I think my skeptical thoughts were more out of a deeper concern that he had figured out something that I hadn’t yet.

But maybe he had.

When Paul was writing to a group of believers in the sin-saturated city of Corinth, he acknowledged their difficulties and pointed them toward finding their comfort in God.  However, he also gave them perspective on why God allows us to have afflictions in the first place:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Notice that God will comfort us in ALL our trials.  That’s a great promise!  In addition, as we learn to lean into God for comfort, we are also learning how to comfort others in their afflictions.  While our afflictions and difficult seasons can be all-consuming in the moment, God sees them as the vehicle to demonstrate His love and comfort to others. 

I find it interesting, too, that while He comforts us in ALL our affliction, we will then be able to comfort those who are in ANY kind of affliction.  We don’t have to have traveled through the exact situation someone else is going through in order to provide care and comfort.

I fully admit, this is a concept that I am still learning.  But maybe that’s why I’ve had the health issues that I’ve dealt with and are still dealing with.  God is teaching me to lean into Him, to find my comfort in Him.  At some point in the future, I can expect to share comfort with someone else, the same kind of care and compassion that I have received from God.

Keep Pressing,
Ken