15. Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant." 16. The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
We saw last week how God miraculously and marvelously healed Naaman of his disease of leprosy.
With great wealth and an influential letter, Naaman addressed the King of Israel. Elisha had the king send the General over to him, but instead of meeting Naaman, Elisha sent out his servant Gehazi to tell him to wash seven times in the river Jordan.
Naaman was cleansed of leprosy. He recognized this was God's work and He is the only true God.
All money, influence, power, and position didn't help this man one bit. He believed and accepted the terms of the healing. Now he desired to worship God, for God had graciously met him at his point of need. Grace is something given that one does not deserve. The sinner does not deserve to be cleansed of sin, but by grace of God he is forgiven. Naaman received grace from God.
You cannot pay for grace, or it wouldn't be grace. Naaman wanted to pay Elisha. Elisha realized Naaman needed to know that God was not impressed with his gifts. Indeed, we must desire God's gifts, but His gifts are given out of love.
That is a picture of salvation of course. The cross of Jesus is a gift from above. Jesus died for your sin and mine. We are full of sin and have nothing of interest to offer God, but by grace He desires to have us respond by faith and obedience to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. It is the grace of God to have Jesus take our pain and suffering and make us righteous for heaven. We can't pay for our salvation. We can't do enough good deeds. We cannot pass the offering plate enough to earn our way. The poorest and the simplest of people come to the cross the same way as the most wealthy and intellectual. We come recognizing God's grace and we receive it by faith.
I read the following from unknown author: “Longfellow could take a worthless sheet of paper, write a poem on it and make it worth $6,000 that's genius. A mechanic can take material that is worth only $5.00 and make it worth $150.00 that's skill; and an artist can take a cheap piece of canvas, and paint a picture on it and make it worth $l,000’s, that's art. But God can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it in the blood of Christ, put his spirit in it and make it a blessing to himself and to humanity that is salvation by grace.”
Application: Money cannot attain such a blessing. Heaven is a free gift. God gives us Himself. We must accept Him by faith.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the free gift of Grace that leads me into worship as You meet my needs through faith in Your promises.
