Well, the grace of God is absolutely free, and it will also cost you everything.

And balancing this out is a trick.

As we hear in today's question from a young preacher named Ryan, a leader who listens

to the podcast, Ryan writes, and Pastor John says this, hello, Pastor John, I'm stumped

as to how to preach two truths.

One, people cannot work to be saved, Christ did all the work for them, and now they must

trust in him.

Number two, I want them to realize following Jesus's costly and not an easy path of self-indulgence.

Can you give me any hopes for explaining that Christ is both free as Isaiah 551 says?

And we'll also cost us everything, like the treasure in the field in Matthew 13, 44.

Pastor John, what would you say to Ryan?

I very much enjoyed thinking about this question, and I'm eager to say what I've been thinking

because I think it sheds a lot of light on the nature of salvation.

So here's what I need to do, just to make things more precise, I'm going to rephrase the

question, and you'll see why.

And Ryan says, Christ is free, and yet costs everything.

The word Christ there is shorthand, I think, for enjoying God through Christ as our all

satisfying friend forever, enjoying God through Christ as our all satisfying friend forever.

That's what we get when we get Christ.

That's what Christ offers to say, you get Christ or you come to Christ.

That's what you come to.

You come to God through Christ and find your all satisfying friend forever.

...