Posted on 12/25/2025 10:58:56 PM PST by metmom
“‘And from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field’” (Matthew 13:44).
Some believers feel uncomfortable about the parables we have been considering, thinking they teach salvation can be bought. But Scripture always teaches that salvation is completely free. Salvation is “bought” only in the sense that one trusts Jesus as Lord and Savior and surrenders all to Him. The treasure and the pearl illustrate the spiritual transaction of surrender. In salvation, we exchange the old for the new.
Isaiah 55:1 describes salvation as God’s gift, yet refers to buying: “Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” As in the two parables, the sinner gives up all the worthless things he or she has while receiving all the invaluable kingdom wealth. Therefore this does not depict a buying of salvation, because with God that is totally unacceptable (cf. Isa. 64:6).
Without surrendering everything, people’s professions of faith are meaningless (cf. Matt. 19:16–22). Jesus declared, “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39). Our Lord also said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24).
When confronted with the true gospel, most people don’t inventory all their possessions to see if Jesus is worth following (cf. Luke 14:28–33). When they see the infinite value of His kingdom riches, they simply yield to Him, surrender all, and faithfully follow.
Ask Yourself
Are you holding anything back from God in your service to Him, hoping He won’t ask to touch or remove it?
If the Spirit has made you aware of a habit, activity, or possession that restricts the free flow of your worship, seek your security blanket in Him alone. He will be more than enough — a blessed replacement.
Studying God’s Word ping
ping
Thanks for posting. The Word of God is a two edged sword.
What is to be learned from John MacArthur's treatment of the purpose of the parables is that in each one, aside from ots implication of illustrating an unseen but perceived and understood spiritual truth by comparing it with a similar temporal one that employs physical objects and/or processes that can be observed with the eye or heard with the ear.
It is especially of note that in Matthew 13, Jesus's purpose of His discussion there is to teach them the use of figures of speech in the sermons they will be preparing to recruit new disciples and train them as they were trained by Jesus, so that they might conduct themselves as evangelists subsequent to His departure into the Heavens.
Simply put, He was training them to gain and train others. In Matthew 13, He was demonstrating and getting them accustomed to recognize, understand, and use figurative-literal language as well as plain-literal language to multiply the effects of their exhortations that would be conducted in the future; exhortations meant to persuade their hearers of the value of the invitation freely-obtained ever-existing abundant life as children of God and servants of The Messiah-Savior-Master Jesus.
And this is exactly what the writer of Hebrews (I think Paul) used in the verse which you (forgivably) misquoted, that figuratively uses a simile comparing spiritual with temporal facts.
Happy Christmas to you!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.