The paradox that Ryan is concerned about would go like this: “Enjoying God through Christ as our all-satisfying friend forever is free and costs you everything.” Now, with that paraphrase, we can explain the paradox. You come to God through Christ and find your all-satisfying friend forever. To say, “You get Christ, or you come to Christ” - that’s what you come to. When Ryan says Christ is free and yet costs everything, the word Christ there is shorthand for “enjoying God through Christ as our all-satisfying friend forever.” That’s what we get when we get Christ. Just to make things more precise, I’m going to rephrase the question (and you’ll see why). I’m eager to say what I’ve been thinking because it sheds a lot of light on the nature of salvation.

I very much enjoyed thinking about this question. Can you give me any helps for explaining that Christ is both free, as Isaiah 55:1 says, and will also cost us everything, like the treasure in a field in Matthew 13:44?” (2) I want them to realize following Jesus is costly and not an easy path of self-indulgence. Christ did all the work for them and now they must trust in him. Ryan writes: “Hello, Pastor John! I’m stumped as to how to preach two truths. 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. The grace of God is absolutely free, and it costs you everything.

How much does a real jesus piece cost