Now that we find ourselves in a credit crunch people will be keen for bargains. The word free is one which can be a welcome sight to struggling families.

Computer games experts have devised a way to beat the pirates who cost their industry a fortune. Manufacturers plan to give away their games for free. The scheme was revealed by one of the industry's leading entrepreneurs, Lisburn born David Perry.

Mr Perry said the plan "sounds crazy" but it had already proved successful in Asia.
"They had so much piracy that they decided to stop charging for the games. Instead, there'll be a charge for things you might want to use in the game," he said.
"Your character might have a plain white T-shirt. If you wanted a nicer one you could have it for a dollar. Or perhaps you could buy a magic sword for a knight for a dollar."

In this situation we would have to ask the question does free really mean free?

I read about a lady in the USA who tried to take advantage of a certificate promotion from a company offering a complimentary cruise to the Mexican Riviera. To her dismay, she found that the "complimentary" cruise wasn't free; in fact, she and her husband would have to fork out $299 each, plus port fees. When she contacted Travel To Go for an explanation, she got a semantics lesson. "Complimentary" doesn't necessarily mean "free," she was told, but the $299 fare was a "discount" rate.

Again we can see free didn’t really mean free at all. The old adage still holds, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is too good to be true.

There is one thing that is absolutely free for you. I am speaking about salvation. If you have to pay for salvation then it’s not genuine. Scripture declares salvation to be a gift.

Romans 6:23    For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are also told that salvation is free.

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

Salvation is a free gift which you have to accept, however salvation wasn’t cheap. Christ paid for our salvation when he shed his precious blood at Calvary.

1 Peter 1:18-19     Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Salvation is free and you can believe it.