What Are You Giving Away?

I was watching television the other day and saw one of those commercials that gave you not one, not two, but three magic vegetable slicers for the price of one. Wow, that company is losing money! They’re giving away their stock. They’re going to close down if they keep that up. Giving things away free will drain them! Or will it?

Clearly, free is not free. The scales still tip to the profit side. The company is a profit-making business. They’re getting something out of all this.

We know this and become skeptical patrons. “What’s the catch?” is the question we’ve learned to ask. Usually, we read the fine print or wait a few minutes to find out that free really isn’t free.

This is the mindset people bring to the Gospel. “What’s the catch?” they wonder. Unfortunately, we can fall into the trap of adding catches to the Gospel. We can scribble fine print below the message of grace. Unintentional “profit-making” attempts can interfere with Christ’s free gift.

We may proclaim salvation by grace alone, but do we express that a person really belongs only when they conform to certain outward habits and appearances?

We may preach the unconditional love and acceptance of God, but do our lives communicate that acceptance has its limits? Certain people are not welcome.

We may talk about the beautiful fellowship in the body of Christ, but do our social and organizational structures show that there is no additional room for anyone else in the club? There are no openings for new friendships.

We may claim flexibility in that which is not commanded—and even use the term “adiaphora,” but, in reality, are we idolizing and giving priority to the “indifferent things”? Is our rigidity based in tradition rather than on enduring truth?

We may wave the banner of grace, the free gift of God, but do we put a collection basket by every coffee pot, at every doorway, and by every resource rack? Are we teaching selling rather than stewardship?

What are you giving away? Is free really free? Are people finding “catches” to your presentation of the Gospel? Could there be better ways for you to reflect the lavish generosity of God so more of His goodness can be given away?

(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-six)