Mr. Smith, who was a stock broker, worked on Wall Street in New York City for thirty years, earning a huge fortune in the process. Every week, he would stop by a certain shoe-shine stand on Wall Street while he was on his way to work, and have Billy, the shoe-shine man, shine his shoes. He always paid Billy $2.50 for the shine and $2.50 for a tip, five dollars each week for the entire thirty years.

One day Mr. Smith decided to retire, and he wanted to thank everyone who had helped him along the way to make his fortune. He didn't want to leave anyone out, so he thought long and hard about who all had helped him. He soon realized that one of the reasons for his great success was the fact that he wore nice clothes and expensive shoes, and his shoes always looked great. So, to show his appreciation to Billy, he bought a ring that cost one million dollars and gave it to Billy. Billy looked at that ring and said, "Oh, Mr. Smith. You are too kind. I cannot accept such a nice ring for nothing. You have always paid me well for my services, and to take such a gift for nothing would be a disgrace. Let me at least show you my appreciation for the ring by shining your shoes for free for the next month. One month for free - no charge and no tip."

Mr. Smith laughed to himself and thought, "Oh, Billy. If you only had an idea how much that ring is worth...." But, he didn't want to embarrass Billy, so he agreed to one month of free shines.

At the end of the month, after Billy had taken full possession of the ring, he was sitting around with some of his friends when one of them, noticing the beautiful ring Billy was wearing, asked him, "Billy, how much did that ring cost you?" Billy proudly said, "That beautiful ring cost me a whole month of free shoe shines."

When we look at what we have done to accomplish our salvation, we are like Billy with his ring. Billy reduced the price of the ring from one million dollars to only ten dollars since that is what he would have been paid for the four shoe shines that he gave to Mr. Smith. How much better it would have been for Billy to just take the gift that was offered to him and to have realized that it, like our salvation in Jesus Christ, was a gift that he could never afford on his own. How much did our salvation cost us?

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.