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Salvation Only $100

“Get your Salvation Here. Only $100. You can do whatever you want”.

“Step right up. It’s so easy, anyone can do it”.

Ok, so the first one isn’t true, the second is, but let me give you a little bit of backstory. I am pretty naive and gullible. I’ve been that way my whole life. I apply scientific reasoning and try to figure it out, but I still get swindled occasionally.

Today, while walking on the strip so a friend could buy Celine Dione tickets, there was a guy doing a variation of the shell game. If you don’t know what that is. Here’s a recap. A person has three cups or shells and puts a ball under one of them. He moves them around and around and around and then you have to guess where the ball is. You guess right, you win the money. You guess wrong, you lose. So I was watching this and I saw a guy keep winning. I was able to follow the ball and I was right everytime. He wanted me to do it. I said no and kept watching. Then he was trying to get me to pay $200 to do it.  I said I didn’t have that much no way. He said, you give me 1 and I’ll give you two. I had been right the two other times, how hard could it be. He even got it down to two cups. I selected and swore I was right, but I was wrong. $100 gone in an instant. I was suckered. (Don’t worry, we are doing Dave Ramsey and it was in my budget. I didn’t want to spent it that way, but I didn’t go broke because of it”.

He did everything right to distract me: 1) He showed me how easy it was to win. 2) He made it a lower price. 3)He even reduced the odds. 4) He made me believe, against my better judgment, that I could win.

So I was left $100 poorer, sad, angry at myself, unable to do some of the other things I wanted to do for the next few days, and really questioning my judgment. But then the God sent the holy spirit as he always does.

This shell game is a perfect metaphor for religion in America.

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.” 2 Peter 2:1

“They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” – 1 John 4:5-8

Christians are bad. Christians hate people. Jesus wasn’t real. The bible is made up. Science proves there is no God. All of these statements and more abound in our world. The false prophets of today that show up on our TV, books, social media, news, and more. It is hard to be a Christian. Not only because of the false prophets but those of us who use their religion to hate or discriminate at.

We have salvation through our belief in Jesus. He paid our salvation cost with his blood. There is no shell game to pick which one has salvation. There is no $100 entry fee (no indulgences of 500 years ago). There is no skill or trickery needed. Just to accept Jesus. To Love God and love people. That’s a pretty low barrier to entry.

Yes, it’s hard to believe in that which you can not see. Yes, it’s easy to be tempted by “easy money” as I was. And when we are tempted we lose much more than $100. So next time you metaphorically see the shell game table telling you it’s easy to win and be part of this world, just keep walking. You don’t want anything they are selling.

Are you able to see the temptations of this world pulling you away from Christ? Are able to see if you walk away, how much more than just money you will lose? Are you able to see that we will have all the riches we need in him?

I am able with the help of God.