A Hard Gospel

"Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Revelation 22:17 NIV)
Our risen Christ has arms stretched out with a free gift in hand. He offers it to all impoverished sinners. The gift is salvation, and it's totally free. What wonderfully good news that is for us all. The offering is free, the taking is free. But was it really free?
The cost of salvation came at the greatest price in all of humanity, ever. "It cost the Word, who from the unbegun beginning was God and face-to-face as an equal in the Holy Trinity, the humiliation of exile from the throne room of the universe, the renunciation of the glory and majesty which had been His, and the acceptance of an identification with humanity so complete that He must forever remain the Son of man-a circumstance from which there can be no retreat in all eternity to come." (1)
This free gift, salvation, not only came at a high price to Jesus Christ, it comes at a great price to us lowly sinners. We who take the free gift of salvation must make a complete surrender of self in order to completely be "crucified with Christ and to live is Christ." Not only is Jesus Savior of the soul, He is Lord of life.
"The Gospel of Christ, though a comfortable Word, is in a sense "a hard gospel." Jesus warned His hearers that the cost of discipleship is dear.... The gift of salvation is costly. It cost God more than heaven can declare. It cost Jesus the cross. It costs everyone who receives it the total submission of self in the acceptance of the rightful claims of Jesus on the lives and souls of all who would be His for time and eternity.

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken-
Thou, from hence, my all shalt be.

Perish every fond ambition,
All I've sought and hoped and known;
Yet how rich is my condition:
God and heaven are now my own!

Henry F. Lyte (adapted)" (2)

1&2: Life in the Son, Robert Shank, Westcott Publishers, Pgs. 14-16