“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Christopher eyed the video game one more time. The young, potential customer glanced at the counter salesman, before he dug into his jean pockets. He was determined to buy that game. Imaginative visions of flying through space on his video game starship encouraged him to search his pockets even deeper.
He managed to wrestle out of its denim prison one wiggling frog, which he pridefully placed on the store’s counter top. “Will you take this frog, and,” he then dug his dirty hand into another pocket and extruded three, long red licorice twists, and placed them next to the gribbeting amphibian, “and these three pieces of candy?”
“Young man,” the grimacing clerk answered, “We cannot take your frog or your candy. The price of that game is $29.95. You need that amount to walk out of here with the game.”
A persistent hand dove into a jacket pocket and produced a baseball mitt. “Well, this glove is one of the best you can buy. It is worth far more than $29.95. Won’t you take the glove for that game?”
The clerk shook his head.
“How’s about the glove, candy, the frog, and,” and out his seemingly endless supply of pockets produced one more item and banged it on the countertop, “this packet of baseball cards. It’s got to be worth something.”
“Young man, I appreciate your effort, but the only payment acceptable is $29.95. That is the only currency we recognize here.”
The boy wandered away returning all his valuables to their denim storage facility. “It just ain’t right,” the boy muttered as he left the store, “It seems to me that my stuff is worth more than that lousy $29.95.”
Many think in a similar manner about salvation. God says the only payment acceptable for anyone’s sins is the blood of His only Son, Jesus. Man still tries to pay for his way to heaven with his own currency. Many try to pay for entrance into heaven with their good works. “Surely,” they think, “if my good deeds out-weigh the bad things I have done, God will like what I have done, and let me in.” “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” — John 14:6
Our charitable donations, helping others, religious acts, sacrificial efforts, and good works may be good things to do, but they will not earn anyone a ticket to heaven. Those deeds are the frogs, candy, and baseball cards that God will not accept as payment to heaven. Accepting the payment that Christ paid with His blood is the only way anyone will get to heaven.
otme 6/16
“Many think in a similar manner about salvation.”
How true, this quote from the devotion. I even think “Many” could be changed to “most”, depending on where you are. As I encounter people that identify as Christian, I am amazed at what their standards for salvation are and how far they have deviated from the Bible…This stems from 3 things…1. They don’t read the Bible, and 2. They don’t have a Bible, they have some version of something they call a Bible, finally 3. They hear what they want to hear from people as deceived as they are.
Outside the “Church” world, I think you will encounter a lot of what I call Good ol boy salvation…the statement typically being “He was a good ol boy!”…. That was great, but what a shame to be such a Good ol boy and spend eternity as Adolph Hitler’s next door neighbor… they both will get the same treatment.
I think this can only be combated with the help of the Holy Ghost and on a personal level. All evangelism is personal evangelism.. One of the toughest deceptions to overcome is one that someone wants to believe.
Life seems to repeat in cycles over and over again .
I think we as a people do a repeat in life as they did this in Jesus’ time and they still do it now . Some like being glorified for their good deeds or like to brag of the good deeds yet people who don’t believe do these things too .. so if one is saved they would not seek to be glorified . Like Jesus says they put on airs prance around in fancy clothes must have the best must be honored and such . Nah it is better to be poor live a simple life as one then doesn’t worship their riches and has time for Jesus . Jesus says he is not a respector of man and I agree we should give all our respect to our Father and Jesus.
I don’t understand what you meant by “a repeat in life.”
Bro. Bill, I really enjoyed The Bible View about King Josiah. I have often struggled with the thought if it’s too late for America. I know there is still godly men and women that still stand for truth and righteousness, but I don’t know if it’s too late or not.
Sometimes I think that we’ve turned our backs so much on God that we’re soon to face His wrath.
The first three paragraphs of that article took me three to four hours to consolidate. When I got to the punch line that because of Manasseh’s wickedness, that God would not honor any righteous ruler’s even turning his country around to live for God, I was horrified as I instantly recalled what the wicked, anti-God, anti-moral, anti-Jew, anti-Christian, anti-American Obama has done to our country. It will be a long time, if ever again, that God’s hand will again be on this country. That man has done more damage to this country than all our enemies have put together. Although there are many righteous, godly people in America the damage President Obama has done is irreparable. It is very scary, and hopeless; yet, much of America thinks Obama is wonderful. What a shame our country is in when they cannot even determine right from wrong. Yes, the biased news media has slanted what Obama has done, but if Americans had any moral, godly discernment, as they have had in our long past, they would have a distain for the atrocities Barack has done against God and country and would have thrown him out of office (if he even got into office) a long time ago. I am mourning for the godlessness of so many in our nation!
Amen! I’m with you on that brother!
I’ve probably mentioned this before, but we grow up in a society that is rewarded for our “works”! We get paid to do chores. We get paid for good grades. We get a trophy for winning a race. We are told to be “good” in order for Santa to come on Christmas Eve.
So we’re conditioned from an early age to do “good works” to get rewarded! Therefore, we think that God is the same way! We think we have to do “good works” (join a church, get baptized, give money to the poor, try to follow the Ten Commandments) in order to impress Him or try to be saved!
All these things are good, but they should FOLLOW SALVATION! We don’t do good works to be saved – we do good works because we’re saved!
“Faith is the root of salvation; works is the fruit of salvation” Dr. J Vernon McGee
Well said….
Thanks Bro Brinkworth.
Well said.
Just read yesterday’s devotion as well. Also, very good.