A young Scot was going to America by ship. Having bought his ticket, he carefully counted what little money he had left. He decided he would economize on the trip in order to have more money to spend when he arrived.
So he went to a store and laid in a good supply of crackers and cheese. He would easily manage to exist on these during the days at sea, he thought, and be none the worse for his meager rations.
But as the voyage progressed, the sea air made him very hungry. To make matters worse, the damp atmosphere made his crackers soft and his cheese hard. He became almost desperate with hunger.
The climax came one day when he caught the aroma of steaming food on a tray which a steward was carrying along the deck to another passenger. It was irresistible. The hungry man immediately made up his mind to have one good, square meal, even though it meant parting with some of his hard-earned money.
He waited for the steward to return and asked him how much it would cost to go to the dining room and buy a dinner. The steward was amazed at his question, and asked, “Haven’t you a ticket for your passage?”
Of course the man had his ticket. Whereupon the steward told him: “THE MEALS ARE ALL INCLUDED IN THE TICKET!”
The poor man could have saved the money he had spent on crackers and cheese and gone to the dining room and eaten as much as he liked each mealtime.
Sad to say, this is a feeble illustration of many “crackers and cheese” Christians today. They believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and know they are going to heaven. But on the way there they live as spiritual paupers because they do not appropriate for themselves the boundless, soul-satisfying blessings that God has for them in Christ.
The forgiveness of sins, justification by faith, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the heart, the love of the Father, unspeakable joy, peace that passes all understanding, strength to make us more than conquerors through Him that loves us-all these and more are to be found in Christ. “All are included in the ticket.”