"Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isaiah 55:1).
Last week we showed that the gospel invitation is extended to all who are thirsty, spiritually. Those who are dead in their sins have no spiritual thirst and are not interested in this invitation. Then we began to consider that salvation is absolutely free. It is without price, first of all because salvation is a priceless gift.
Secondly, salvation is free because all mankind is spiritually bankrupt. All of us are ten thousand talents in debt and have not a farthing to pay. Our Lord illustrated your case and mine this way in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18:23-35. We have run ourselves hopelessly into debt to God's justice by our sins. We were born as spiritual debtors because our father Adam, who is the federal head of the whole human race sinned against God and we all sinned in him Romans 5:12, 19). We were born with the nature of our fallen head and were sinners the moment we were conceived (see Psalm 51:5). Being fallen and natural sinners, we began to practice sin as soon as we were born for the scripture says that we came forth from the womb speaking lies (Psalm 58:3). Sin is analogous to indebtedness as we see in Matthew 6:12. Every day you are adding to your spiritual indebtedness by your continual sins. Furthermore your imagined righteousness is only "splendid sin" (in the words of another), according to Isaiah 64:6. Your (supposed) good works are abominable to God unless they follow after justification and are such as God has actually commanded and are performed from a principle of love by the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit. Dear Reader, do you realise that you are hopelessly ruined and bankrupt before God? Do you realise that you are indeed "ten thousand talents" in debt, and "not a farthing" to pay. In today's money, we could say ten trillion dollars in debt and not a penny to pay. If God required us to pay for salvation, not one human being could ever be saved for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
But praise the Lord! God does not require any payment from a poor sinner for salvation. He freely gives salvation "without money and without price." Salvation is a free gift from first to last (Ephesians 2:8-9). He justifies His people "freely by His grace" (Romans 2:24). For some reason, man in his wretched pride would rather that salvation be (at least in some measure) by his own works or efforts. Proud man thinks he can do something, or be something, or believe something, or decide something, or pay something, or offer something, or say something to move the Sovereign of the universe to accept him and receive him on the basis of his own performance. But my friend, I want you to know God will have none of that. You will either be saved freely by His grace without money and without price, or you will perish in your sins and be damned forever.
Now here is what every sensible sinner ought to do. Go to God in the name of His Son and declare your spiritual insolvency. Admit your bankrupt condition. Renounce all your sins and all your righteousness too. Throw yourself on God's mercy that is found in His Blessed Son. Come and receive salvation without price. Come to Christ with nothing in your hand. Come and plead the righteousness of Him Who bled and died to pay for the sins of His people and now lives forever to intercede for all who come to Him by faith. He has promised that he will never cast away those who come to Him. may the Holy Spirit open your eyes to see your spiritual bankruptcy and grant you faith to believe in the Saviour.
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