Several years ago the Hoover Company offered free flights from Britain to America to anyone who bought one of their appliances. So many folk bought a Hoover product and claimed their free flight that Hoover was unable to meet the demand. An enormous conflict followed as customers demanded that Hoover keep its promise.

God offers us eternal life, and it is really free to us, even though it cost God the death of his Son. And God, unlike Hoover, is able to fully satisfy the demand. We can be sure that none that apply for this free gift will go away disappointed.

What exactly is the gift of eternal life? Jesus tells us in John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” The gift is to know God as Father, Lord and Saviour. It is an introduction to the grace and mercy of the living God.

Many will dismiss this as something not very attractive or appealing. They may say, “If God were to offer me a vast amount of money, then I would be interested.” Such an attitude is all too common, and it reveals the desperate need we have. It fails to appreciate what we are. Human beings are not animals with a limited existence upon earth. We are made in the image of God. We are beings with an immortal soul. Life does not end in the grave: there is an eternity before us in either heaven or hell.

THE CERTAINTY

God's Word says, “This life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life.” The gift does not merely come through Jesus, it is in Jesus. This means that you cannot have the gift apart from Jesus.

Over the summer months people go away on vacation. Most folk just like to sit in the sun, relax, and come back with a suntan. You may see a man with a deep tan that you admire, and you ask him where he got it. “In Spain”, he replies. You would like a tan like that so you dash around to the travel agent and get all the available brochures on Spain. Then you go to the library and borrow some travel books on Spain. Lastly, you begin to attend night classes to learn Spanish. You do all this, and your knowledge of Spain has vastly increased, but you have no suntan. You don't get a tan by learning about Spain; you get it in Spain.

In the same way you can learn lots of things about God and Jesus, but you will only get eternal life in Jesus.

To be “in Christ” means to be one with Him, to love Him and to trust Him. It means to rely only upon Him for salvation. It means that you are part of Him, and He is part of you.

Such a gift is too important to be unsure about it. And God never intended that we be uncertain. He says very firmly - “He who has the Son has life.” That is a certainty. The gift is received by coming to Christ in repentance and faith and asking for it.

Is that too simple? It is what Jesus said: “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). If someone told you that he thought you did not look too good, and he felt that you needed a vacation, and then he offered you two free weeks in Spain, how would you respond? In all probability you would grab the ticket thankfully.

you need salvation and that it is free in Jesus.

How will you respond?