Priceless!

“and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:46

Two Tickets: $46, Two hotdogs, two popcorns, two sodas: $26, One autographed baseball: $50, Conversation with your 11-year-old son: Priceless. There are some things money can’t buy, for everything else, there is Master Card. Mastercard’s “Priceless” campaign debuted in World Series Game 1 on Oct. 18, 1997. But, far greater than anything else this world has to offer, our salvation is the most priceless gift we will ever receive.

Imagine the scene of a person who dies denying Christ and then they are cast into Hades. Hades is where all unbelievers wait for their final judgment before the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). Hades is a place of torment for those who have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is a holding place until the end of the Millennial Kingdom. Jesus conveyed this truth in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

“And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame. (Luke 16:23-24).’
At the final judgment, they will stand before Christ, and they will hear those dreadful words;

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. (Matthew 7:21-23) ‘

What do you think every one of those persons will be thinking when they hear those words? I imagine they wished they had sold all to buy the pearl of great price. What is that pearl? It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is acknowledging your sin before a Holy God, turning from that sin, and believing that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead to give you everlasting life. For all who have been called by God and confessed His Son as Lord and Savior, we have received that priceless gift of everlasting life with God. But be warned, if you are not His, one day, it will be too late to receive that priceless gift, and you will hear Jesus say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Your shepherd,
Pastor Mark