"free"

I'm beginning to understand the concept of "free" (in the Christian sense of the word) in regards to salvation. Cause I've often had this inability to explain the difference between the word "free" as Christians use it and "free" as society uses it.

Society defines "free" as absolutely no cost to you, ever. And nothing in this world is free. Everything will cost you something.

Except Christians would argue that salvation is free and that it doesn't cost you anything (cause it's not something that can be bought or bartered for). I would agree except for the fact that for all of us who become Christians, there is a cost. The cost varies in some respect. Some Christians lose their family, some lose their way of living, but ultimately we lose our lives for the cross. Seems paradoxical doesn't it? And that's how I think most non-Christians are confused by...we say that salvation is free...and yet if I become a Christian, I must lay down my life? Where is the logic in that? That IS a cost!

However, I'm beginning to understand. For everything else in this world, the "cost" is more like a prerequisite. In order to buy a car, you have to already have the money in your possession. In order to obtain a scholarship for school, you have to already possess certain qualities that they're looking for (in order to get "free" schooling). In order to obtain a loan or mortgage, you have to have an established "good" credit line. You have to "qualify" for everything. Nothing is freely given to you, no qualifications, stipulations, asked. The cost is demanded from you BEFORE you even acquire the object! AND you can't even obtain a 100% guarantee that the product is worth it!

But with salvation, there are no qualifications. No stipulations. No cost is demanded from you before you acquire salvation. You don't have to "qualify". As much as it may seem unfair to those who are seemingly "good", those who are the "worst" get as good of a deal: salvation. THAT'S what I call, "free". You don't have to do anything to receive this gift of salvation. And the "cost" that comes after you are saved...well, it's not even truly demanded from us. God leaves that up to us. You put in as much as you want to put into your relationship with God. And that is why we have such a spectrum of believers in the body of Christ...from those who put in a lot to those who put in as little as possible (you don't see a spectrum with a scholarship program because of quality control. It is made sure that everyone is at the same level and stays at the same level.). And this goes against every investment principle. It's high risk and the cost is too high. There's no quality control. God "doesn't know" if the greatest gift He has given you will have a reciprocal response back (I put "doesn't know" in quotes because God is all-knowing, he just still chooses to let us regulate). Only God can afford that risk and cost. None of us can afford it because we are limited while God is limitless.

"Cost", in layman's terms, refers to how much you have to save to pay for the product. (which, for salvation, is nothing). So "cost" cannot be used to describe the laying down of a Christian's life for Jesus Christ (after salvation). That is not a "cost" (though I think popular Christian culture likes to use that word to describe that action and other actions that Christians do when living out their relationship with God). It isn't a cost because we can't "save up" life like we can save up money to pay for a cost. We don't all of sudden find that we are short on life and have to accrue it again. It's just something that everyone intrinsically possesses and all with the same value (a life is a life; no one is valued more or less). And so the giving of that intrinsic possession is a gift, an offering, a sacrifice (though this word has an implication of cost in it that could be confusing as well)...IT, in the best sense, is worship.

Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.