A Lesson From the Life of Judas
Everyone loves to get something for free. Businesses monopolize on this by offering free things when they want you to buy something they otherwise might not entice you to purchase. Conscientious persons think twice before they get fish-hooked by this type of bait.
Many people often expect a “free ride” in life as well. Yet “the proverb, ‘The world owes me a living,’ has in it the essence of falsehood, fraud, and robbery. The world owes no man a living who is able to work and gain a living for himself.”1
Scripture makes it clear: “Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden” (Galatians 6:4, 5).
Even when performing welfare ministry, there are some guidelines to give us wisdom when we desire to help the needy in the best, most effective way possible:
“Instead of encouraging the poor to think that they can have their eating and drinking provided free or nearly so, we should place them where they can help themselves. We should endeavor to provide them with work, and if necessary teach them how to work. . . . Let boys and girls be thoroughly taught some useful trade or occupation. We are to educate the poor to become self-reliant. This will be true help, for it will not only make them self-sustaining, but will enable them to help others.”2
Salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it - we are warmly urged to reach out and accept it. What a wonderful plan! What more could we want? The popular churches teach that this is enough. Yet deep down, we all know there is more to it than that. When we are drawn to the beauty of Christ and seek to develop a relationship with Him, we will want to become like Him in character. And, yes, God requires this from us - He does not simply toss us a “free ride” to Heaven. Only those who, with the help of Christ, develop a character like His will endure to eternity. Otherwise, Heaven itself would become polluted by sin - and our perfect Creator will not allow that to happen.
“There is cheap religion in abundance, but there is no such thing as cheap Christianity.”3
“Heaven will be cheap enough, if we obtain it through suffering. We must deny self all along the way, die to self daily, let Jesus alone appear, and keep His glory continually in view.
“The work of salvation is not child’s play, to be taken hold of at will and let alone at pleasure. It is the steady purpose, the untiring effort, that will gain the victory at last. It is he who endureth to the end that shall be saved. It is they who patiently continue in well-doing that shall have eternal life and the immortal reward.”4
“We cannot earn salvation, but we are to seek for it with as much interest and perseverance as though we would abandon everything in the world for it.
“We are to seek for the pearl of great price, but not in worldly marts or in worldly ways. The price we are required to pay is not gold or silver, for this belongs to God. Abandon the idea that temporal or spiritual advantages will win for you salvation. God calls for your willing obedience. He asks you to give up your sins.”5