John Gilbert was diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy when he was only five years old. Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic, progressive, debilitating disease which robs the patient of life a little bit at a time. The little things we take for granted were slowly robbed from him, and eventually he could not even speak. He died when he was 25.
He once was invited to a National Football League fundraising auction. There was one item which caught his eye, and he dreamed of owning it. It was a basketball signed by all the players of the professional basketball team, the Sacramento Kings. He really wanted that ball! When it came up for bid, his arm went up into the air, almost without thinking about it. His mother grabbed his arm quickly, because she knew they did not have the money to bid on anything.
Compared to other items at the auction, the bidding on the basketball rose to an astounding amount. Finally, one man placed a bid that no one else could possibly match, and the ball was awarded to him.
The man walked to the front, and claimed the basketball. Instead of going back to his seat, however, this man walked across the room and gently placed it into John’s thin, weak hands. He would never be able to dribble that ball or any other down a basketball court, or shoot it at a basket, but for the rest of his very short life, John Gilbert cherished that ball.
While he was still able, John wrote these words: “It took me a moment to realize what the man had done. I remember hearing gasps all around the room, then thunderous applause and weeping eyes. To this day I’m amazed! Have you ever been given a gift that you could have never gotten for yourself? Has anyone ever sacrificed a huge amount for you without getting anything in return…?” (Adapted from John Ortberg, Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them (Zondervan, 2003), p. 197).
According to the Bible, the grace of God has been offered to everyone without exception. Titus 2:11 reads, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Not everyone will accept it and be saved, though. The salvation is offered, but must be accepted in order for it to take effect. Can you imagine John Gilbert, sitting there with his mother at that auction, wanting so desperately to own that basketball, refusing to take that gift once it was offered to him? Can you imagine him cursing at the man who gave the winning bid, and throwing the ball back at him? No, John Gilbert was offered the gift of that autographed basketball through the grace of someone he didn’t even know, a gift he could never hope to have, a gift he could never repay—and he joyfully, amazingly, unbelievably received it!
"For by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
He once was invited to a National Football League fundraising auction. There was one item which caught his eye, and he dreamed of owning it. It was a basketball signed by all the players of the professional basketball team, the Sacramento Kings. He really wanted that ball! When it came up for bid, his arm went up into the air, almost without thinking about it. His mother grabbed his arm quickly, because she knew they did not have the money to bid on anything.
Compared to other items at the auction, the bidding on the basketball rose to an astounding amount. Finally, one man placed a bid that no one else could possibly match, and the ball was awarded to him.
The man walked to the front, and claimed the basketball. Instead of going back to his seat, however, this man walked across the room and gently placed it into John’s thin, weak hands. He would never be able to dribble that ball or any other down a basketball court, or shoot it at a basket, but for the rest of his very short life, John Gilbert cherished that ball.
While he was still able, John wrote these words: “It took me a moment to realize what the man had done. I remember hearing gasps all around the room, then thunderous applause and weeping eyes. To this day I’m amazed! Have you ever been given a gift that you could have never gotten for yourself? Has anyone ever sacrificed a huge amount for you without getting anything in return…?” (Adapted from John Ortberg, Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them (Zondervan, 2003), p. 197).
According to the Bible, the grace of God has been offered to everyone without exception. Titus 2:11 reads, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Not everyone will accept it and be saved, though. The salvation is offered, but must be accepted in order for it to take effect. Can you imagine John Gilbert, sitting there with his mother at that auction, wanting so desperately to own that basketball, refusing to take that gift once it was offered to him? Can you imagine him cursing at the man who gave the winning bid, and throwing the ball back at him? No, John Gilbert was offered the gift of that autographed basketball through the grace of someone he didn’t even know, a gift he could never hope to have, a gift he could never repay—and he joyfully, amazingly, unbelievably received it!
"For by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
-rocky henriques
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