Distractions

April 28

Scoffers find fault with the inerrant word of God because of seeming discrepancies within its pages. They challenge the veracity of the scriptures because their finite minds have discovered contradictions between what the Bible says in one place compared to what it says in other verses.

Rather than seek the Lord for clarification, they simply discount the entirety of Holy Writ as being unreliable and unworthy of belief or study. They rob themselves of the opportunity to know the heart of God because their finite minds cannot readily grasp His infinite mind.

One concept that they challenge is that which assures man who is lost in trespasses and sin that salvation through Jesus Christ is free, that it is a gift (see II Corinthians 9:15). They cannot reconcile this truth with Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 16:24 which says, “If any man would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” How can a gift be free if one must deny himself to obtain it? Does that requirement constitute a ‘hidden cost’? Does that requirement negate the whole doctrine of salvation’s cost being pre-paid by Jesus? Does it require something of man that he must do in order to appease God’s righteous standard?

Consider an analogy of a college student whose tuition, room, board, and expenses are being paid by his parents. His education is their gift to him. In exchange for all they provide, the young man must remain focused on his studies and maintain good grades. If he neglects to do his part, he will disqualify himself from the university. In the same manner, if the recipient of God’s free gift of salvation does not value the law of heaven and comply with its tenets, he will disqualify himself. In both cases, the choice is in the hands of the recipient of the gift. To be effectual, the beneficiary of the gift must deny himself the distractions that prevent his attainment of the gift’s ultimate advantage.