THE SUPERNATURAL INFECTION

There's an infection going around that we're hearing everywhere. It's an infection of the mind which causes our brains to think in an illogical manner. I ran into this infection several years ago in the deep south and then again, just recently way up north, 1500 miles away. 

We can see this lapse in logic by picturing the scenario of a birthday party in which I bring you a gift. During the festive party you unwrap all the gifts and then you come to mine. You unwrap it there you see the gift and hold up for all to see. 

At that point, you then turn to me and ask, "How much do I owe you? What do I have to do to earn this wonderful gift?" 

I'm a bit confused, so I reply, nothing; it's a gift from me to you." 

But you insist and ask again, saying, "I know it's a gift; you just said it was a gift, so tell me, what do I have to do to earn it?" 

This only confuses me farther, so I explain that the very word "gift" means you don't earn it; it's free to you, although I may have paid a great deal to purchase it, it's absolutely free to you. 

You might be thinking that this little scenario sounds absolutely crazy, that  nobody thinks that way, but you'd be wrong, very wrong. You'd be wrong because whether you live in Georgia or 1500 miles away in South Dakota that's the answer we get when we ask this question: "Is heaven a free gift or do you have to earn it?" The answer we often, often, often hear is, "It's a free gift, but you have to earn it."

Go figure. How can this be? How can logical, clear-thinking adults in a birthday situation never ask, "What do I have to do to earn this gift," but then turn around and answer the above question about a gift with "It's free, but you have to earn it?"

I believe the Bible gives us the answer: ". . .  the god of this]world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

And when we look at another text from the Bible, we read, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." What a scheme, "It's a free gift but you have to earn it!" They say  it almost robotic like not even thinking what a logical error their brain has articulated. No, I don't mean that they're demon possessed, but I do mean that they've come up with nonsense and they don't even realize it. They never think about it unless we make them think about what they've just said.