“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (John 3:16 English Standard)
As many of you know from Saturday’s meditation, I attended my aunt’s birthday in Louisville last Wednesday. Outside of the banquet hall where a great number of people gathered to honor her achievements, there was a table on which there was a mounted, poster-size newspaper from the year she was born. I hope she is okay with the fact that I am about to mention the year that she was born, and I do so knowing that she will not mind, and that she recognizes that the Lord has been with her all the way, blessed her in many, many ways, and enabled her to serve her purpose in some way or the other, every single day. Yes, she is still carrying out her purpose and has inspired many. Her birth year was 1931.
One of the highlights of a year gone by, on the enlarged newspaper’s front page, was an insert entitled “Cost of Living,” referring to the cost of things on the year of her birthdate. I guarantee you that after reading the extracts that I am going to share with you, you will say something like, “Wow! That’s nothing close to what we pay today!” But after I share some of the cost of things, I will tell you what I want you to make a comparison with the cost of something that has never changed. The cost for that something, as you shall see, is still the same in this present year.
First, here are some of the 1931 costs: “Monthly Rent …$15, Loaf of Bread…$0.09, Hamburger…$0.13/lb., Gallon of Milk…$.032, Movie Ticket…$.035, and New House…$7,145.00.” I told you what you would say “Wow,” didn’t I? Amazing! We automatically thought of how much we pay now for the same items! But as I alluded to above, I want to tell you about something that has not increased in price. Hopefully, you have already deducted the answer from the verse above. If not, read it again, as well as the closing verse.
Now, instead of saying “Wow” as in the cases of the first impulse you had, just feel your pulse and see your praise rate rapidly increase, for it surely has to rise up within your being. And perhaps you will lose control, to the point that your mouth cannot stop you from saying, “Thank you Lord for your grace! Thank you for your mercy! Thank you for eternal life that was freely given to those who believe! Thank you for the free gift of salvation! Thank you for one more day! Thank you for one more Monday, a day on which I will live to give you the glory! Hallelujah! Praise God! Thank ya!” My friend, how can you not have a great day now? Be blessed!
“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.” (Romans 5:15-16 English Standard Version)
Mark L. King