by Peter Wong
“You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” 1Corinthians 7:23
Many years ago when I was living by myself, I had this unforgettable experience: Once I was given a bag of dry seafood as a gift, I have no idea what it was and obviously do not know what to do with it. They look kind of ugly and I can still recall the smell that came out of the bag when I cut it open. Having no intention of eating them or storing them in my fridge, I began to blame the giver for giving me such useless thing. Then I came up with the perfect solution: feeding them to my dog. And the good news was, my dog liked it!
Only until much later when I went into a Chinese grocery store and realizes the price tag that came with such seafood, I was profoundly stunned! Very expensive seafood indeed! Ashamed was the only thing I can feel at that time! Such expensive seafood and I fed that to my dog! No wonder the dog liked it so much! I was overwhelmed by my own foolishness and then I began to realize the love of the one who gave me such gift!
Without the price tag, that seafood looks ordinary or even ugly. Without knowing the price Jesus had paid for me, the cross looks ordinary or even ugly! Without knowing the price of the gift, I would have never realize the love of the giver, in the same way I do not begin to appreciate the love of God without knowing what kind of a cost He had paid for me.
Without the price tag I never treasure what I have, I grumbled against the giver and I fed them to my dog! Now that I know a bit more of what Christ has paid to redeem me, I greatly treasure the salvation I have received and will help others to do the same. I dare not grumble when things are not going my way, because now I realized what treasure I have.
Now, whenever I store sins in my heart, it is as if I once again feed my dog with that expensive seafood! The way I look at the giver will never be the same since the discovery of the price tag in that little Chinese grocery store. Now that I have discovered the price tag of the cross, how can I not love the giver? I will never be the same simply because Jesus died for me!
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
Editor’s Note: This article was kindly submitted by Peter Wong from Hong Kong. Pastor Wong teaches about the Bible throughout the Asian world and is the founder of HaDavar Biblical Museum in Hong Kong.
