Issue 1890 – TANSTAAFL – August 15, 2025
Yesterday, Kathy and I enjoyed a delightful lunch at a waterfront restaurant in a nearby community. The service was excellent and the food delicious.
The bill wasn’t cheap, just over $100 before tip for two entrees, two starter soups, and two beverages. Fortunately, we had a gift card from Christmas that covered a good portion of the cost.
The bill wasn’t out of line for the restaurant type, and I had looked at the menu online before going. Still, when I saw it, the bill was shocking for a second. I’m old enough to remember when you could have had lunch for eight at that price.
I’m not complaining, just recognizing that times change and inflation happens.
One thing remains unchanged: TANSTAAFL. If you aren’t familiar with the term, it was coined in Robert Heinlein’s 1965 novel, The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. It means “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Everything has a cost.
We often say something about our faith that isn’t true. We say that salvation is a free gift. Now, there is a sense in which that statement is correct, because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. He paid a debt we could never cover.
Yet, becoming a Christian and following Jesus does have a cost.
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23-26
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:38
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-27
There are plenty of other verses with a similar theme.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Matthew 5:11
Note that it says when, not “if” you are reviled and persecuted.
There is a cost to being a follower of Jesus. It might bring hardship, persecution, suffering, or even death. Yet it is worth everything it costs.
Whatever the world throws at us, we have Christ and we have victory. We have eternity with Him to look forward to and celebrate.
The rewards are far greater than the cost ever could be.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed,
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
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