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FREE GIFT PRESENTATION

by ROBIN BOSCH  
7/11/2015 / Devotionals

I watched a National Geographic program the other night called Crowd Control. This particular episode was about helping a trader who was selling Jerky (Biltong) at an informal market which is something like a flea market. He had a nice set up and his product was good; nicely set out and well displayed. The trader had different trays with different flavors, under a tarpaulin that looked really inviting.

The problem was His sales never seemed to increase always being the same every day. In other words he battled to get people interested in his Jerky.

Initially his sales pitch was, "Hey guys, would you like to taste some Jerky?"
Some did and some didn't, their interest was mediocre.

The expert marketer, who was there to give him advice on to how to increase sales, came up with an idea. He told him to present the sales pitch differently. He told him to say," Hey guys would you like to taste some free Jerky? "

The amazing thing was that when he started to pitch it that way, more people tasted and ended up buying the $8 packet of Jerky. When they heard the word "free", they came to the tent Kiosk in numbers. Wow!!

It didn't end there though; there was something else the expert marketer told him to do. He told the Jerky trader to place bowls of Jerky in small plastic tubs, put them on a tray and walk out from the tented Kiosk area. He said that he was to add rhymes to the "free Jerky "pitch.

The Jerky man did what he was told, and said, "Hey, don't be a turkey come and taste some free Jerky."

Well! Well! Well! The response was incredible. People who had shown no interest previously, tasted and bought the $8 packets. Because the sales pitch was a catchy rhyme and "free "Jerky was offered, people responded. The salesman was now employing a method calked reciprocal response. People had received something for free and now felt an obligation to purchase the Jerky.

It was astounding to see the increase in sales. The Jerky salesman started using other catchy rhymes, together with the "free "tag. It was wonderful to observe how people responded. Sales increased much to the delight of the Jerky salesman.

I took an interest in this story for three reasons: number one, it is truly a great tactic that yielded great results and secondly it's a remarkable example of how a small shift in presentation could yield amazing dividend. It was tactically sound and I would recommend it to any salesman or business owner. Thirdly, people were getting something for free, but in reality were paying for it. The free tag was nothing but a physiological thing. There was a catch. The free wasn't really free; it was built into the price. It was a sales tactic.

Jesus died on the Cross, suffered an excruciating and agonizing death, was mocked, despised and rejected, humiliated, humbled: His Blood was splattered, his flesh hung in strips from off His body; demons and the host of hell danced, laughed and bellowed while He hung there, naked, exposed and humiliated. Eventually after crying out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me, He breathed out is last words, "IT IS FINISHED" 1

What emotion does this evoke in you? For me, I become enormously grateful. Jesus became sin in my place, who knew no sin, that I might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.2 That was His gift to me. I could not earn it, purchase it or do anything to get it. It was a divine exchange; my sin for His Righteousness. This is called Grace and it is Good News and it is free.3

Jesus went through all this for you and me, so that we may be saved from hell, from every sin, every sickness, and every form of depression, hopelessness and despair. He did it because He loves every last one of us. He accomplished His life and death mission, not considering Himself 4 but having us imprinted on His mind continually.

It was a mission, fraught with the possibility of failure. Yes, Jesus could have failed, but He pressed through against all odds. He faced the enemy head on to establish the beach head from earth to heaven. 5

But here's the thing; we sometimes tell people to come and taste and see that the Lord is good; 6 we present the Gospel as a 'free gift', people respond positively; their burden of sin removed. They are liberated by Christ's invitation. They come to Him and receive "rest for their souls';6 they dive into the river of Life and drink deep draughts from its waters. They respond with glee and excitement because scripture says, "come and buy without money or price."7

Once they are hooked and the fish is reeled in, we change tack and begin to present another gospel; 8 a gospel of works. We say, "Praise the Lord Brother, I am so glad that you have accepted the free gift of salvation, welcome to the family."

"I am thrilled that you are saved, but there is more to it than that. You mustn't remain in Grade 1 now, you must move on to University."8b

"You see, you must be sanctified, and in order to be sanctified you must get into the program."
"You must be faithful to attend prayer meetings and church services."
"You must have a quiet time every day; don't forget to read your Bible and don't only read it you must meditate on it."
Then we say, "by the way, there is no guarantee that you will remain saved, because, only those that endure to the end will be saved." 9

"I don't know if you are aware of it, but only the worthy will go with the rapture. You better make sure you are holy, because you may be left behind and be martyred and have to shed your blood during the tribulation, so you better 'get' ready, because Jesus is coming." 10

At this stage they are mortified with fear. "This is not fun." "Woe is me.........I'm a loser before I start.""This is just too hard."
What has happened?
'The Good News' has become 'The Bad News.'
But what we do next takes the cake..

We cast death into the pot of pottage and warn poor souls:11 "be careful of grace, because it might give you a license to sin."12
Wrong message!!
On the contrary a true preacher of teacher of the Gospel knows that grace 'teaches' you to say 'no' to sin.13 Grace liberates you from sin, not to sin.

I think fear of the "license to sin" label, makes people, preachers and teachers suspicious of grace and thus feel safer to walk under the Law. It puts them back in control, so to speak. This fear prevents them from walking in true liberty.not to sin more. but to run from it. It's like buying a loaf of bread for a famished soul and telling him to eat half the loaf as the other half will make him sick. The message of grace is the whole loaf. When we eat from the Lords table, He bids us come and dine, not come and taste.14 He is The Bread of life 15 and desires that we eat all the life giving nutrients contained in Him; after all He is also the Spirit of Grace.16

When we warn of the dangers of grace and its 'license', we effectively slam the door in the face of believers and unbelievers alike. Instead of Grace it becomes a race; to achieve, to strive, climb and claw up the 'spiritual mountain.' Most start climbing Mount Sinai again instead of mount Zion. It becomes a frantic clamor to be accounted worthy, and be ready.

Young and old believers experience spiritual burnout when they have to climb the mountain of sanctification and maintain their salvation with fleshly effort and striving.
The free gift is now 'Not so free.' They lose all joy; the spring in their step and inner peace has all vanished, feeling deflated and discouraged. They were not informed about all these extra caricular salvation things. Everything has become a burden.
In reality they have plunged into the toxic river of religion, Law and self-effort, and drown in a whirlpool of despair. 17

Now I must make something clear here. It is absolutely necessary to grow in the knowledge of Christ and do those things that help us grow 18 but when we present these things as a work, believers do them out of religious zeal and self-effort. Consequently they become religious misfits far removed from the liberty which is theirs in Christ.

I agree we should encourage souls to climb; but by the Spirit. 17
I agree we should encourage souls to strive; but by the Spirit.
I agree we should encourage souls to live holy lives; but by the Spirit. 19

All effort should be generated by the Holy Spirit, not by well-meaning mentors who encourage us to work, work, and do, do, and get ready, ready. (Intended repetition)

All doing must be energized by the love of Christ which constrains us. 20
If not, we walk mechanically without Life, disappointed and weary and teary. Like gears that mesh without oil, we eventually seize and grind to a halt.

How sad it is when we present the gospel with veiled threats and warnings which are fear generated not love generated.

Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my sheep" not " Beat my sheep."21
"One saint used to say that she was the type of woman who advances more rapidly when she is drawn by love than when driven by fear. She was perceptive enough to know that we are all that type of person."
Brennan Manning.


People who have received Life from Christ are to be encouraged to walk in the gift of grace; which is not given with one hand and taken with the other. That's spiritual abuse. 22

Without question we all need to grow in grace, but growth can only be produced by the Oil of the Holy Spirit. This Oil lubricates, and keeps our spiritual engines going. The Holy Spirit produces Life and energy and holiness.23

All the other things we do are a 'consequence' of a Spirit propelled life. The commandments of the Lord are not burdensome.24 Jesus said, "His burden is light."25 He also said, "He who began a good work in you will do it."26

Contrary to my Jerky man story, both salvation 'and' sanctification are free issues. All we need to do is yield to the Spirit of God, who puts wind beneath our wings. In all our doing we fly like Eagles; we run and are not weary.27 The thermal current of the Holy Spirit buoys us up with effortless ease on "the wings of a Dove."

So, what can I conclude from all this?
I must stick to the simple Gospel. The Gospel which is God breathed encourages us to rest in Christ.28 This rest is not lazy and passive, but dynamic and Spirit provoked. It bares fruit because its source emanates from the Spirit and not the flesh.

I must present the Good News as a 'free gift' with no strings attached; no ifs and buts, no catches and hidden agendas, no deception, no manipulation and no guile. This truth fills people with hope, and in fact, delivers them from sin; spurring them onwards, upwards and higher. effortlessly in the Spirit.29 I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. The life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God.30
Amen.

Scripture References
1. Jn.19:30
2. 2 Cor.5:21
3. Rom.5:15; Rom.11:6; Eph.2:8
4. Phl.2:7; Rom.5:10
5. Rom.5:10; Col.1:20
6. Ps.34:8
7. Is.55:1
8. Ga.1:6; Heb.6:1
9. Matt.10:22 (Saved in this context: was talking to the Jews who would be rescued from destruction.)
10. 1 Thess.2:19; Rev.17:6
11. 2 Ki.4:40
12. Ro.6:1
13. Tit.2:11,12
14. Jn.21:12
15. Jn.6:35
16. Heb.10:29
17. 2 Cor.3:6
18. 2 Pe.3:18
19. 1 Pe.1:15
20. 2 Cor.5:14
21. Jn.21:16
22. Rom.5:15
23. Jn.3:16
24. 1 Jn.5:3
25. Matt.11:30
26. Phil.1:16
27. Is.40:31
28. Heb.4:11; Heb.4:5
29. Rev.4:1,2
30. Ga.2:20

I have been a believer in Christ for many years. It has only been in the last three or four years that I have received greater insight into the Grace of God. This has injected me with energy to tell others about the blessed "rest" we have in Christ. Grace is not a theology but is a Person-- Jesus.

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