If You Pay For Anything, You Pay for Everything
I have a pastor friend who received a very generous offer from a family in their church. This family was going to Disney World and they wanted to take my pastor friend and his family with them. In fact, they wanted to treat them to everything: hotel rooms, meals, tickets into the park, everything they could possibly need to enjoy this trip as much as the host family did.
The guy offering this trip told my friend that he had one condition and one condition only: If you pay for anything, you pay for everything. In other words, try to pull out your wallet to pay for anything, and you are going to owe for everything. He insisted it was to be entirely his treat or none of it would be his treat.
That had the effect of keeping my friend's wallet in his pocket! He never tried to pay for a thing!
Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins; to pay the debt we could never pay; to earn for us what we could never earn for ourselves. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ declares that Jesus’ payment was accepted by God the Father. As a result, everyone who places their complete trust in Jesus receives eternal life – and a place in heaven with God – as a gift.
So when it comes to your salvation, it is important that we all keep our wallets in our pocket; that we place our complete confidence in Jesus' finished work on the cross. We must not attempt to add anything to the finished work of Christ, lest we empty the cross of its power. If we attempt to earn your salvation to any degree, we are obligated to earn the rest. As the Apostle Paul explained, "If by grace, then it (salvation) cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace" (Romans 11:6).
In other words, if you pay for anything, you pay for everything.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Can't Improve On Jesus
Zoe Kleinman with the BBC writes:
An "intelligent" toilet that opens when you approach it and self-cleans with every flush is on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
... Despite a $9,800 (£6,704) price tag, more than 40 million earlier versions of the Neorest toilets have been sold.
Bathroom firm Toto said the new prototype was still in development.
Its self-cleaning process uses a combination of a disinfectant and a glaze - made out of zirconium and titanium dioxide - which coats the bowl.
"Once it flushes it sprays the interior of the bowl with electrolysed water," explained Toto spokeswoman Lenora Campos.
She said the "proprietary process" essentially turns the water into a weak bleach.
"This bleaches the interior, killing anything in the bowl," said Ms Campos.
Meanwhile an ultraviolet light in the lid charges the surface.
That makes it super-hydrophilic - or water-loving, so nothing can stick to it - and also photocatalytic, enabling oxygen ions to break down bacteria and viruses.
"You don't have to clean the toilet bowl for over a year," said Ms Campos.
Although we are constantly coming up with new and improved versions of virtually everything, even toilets, no one has been able to develop a new and improved Savior! It’s not as though it hasn’t been tried, but how do you improve on a Savior who is God? How do you improve on a salvation that promises God’s righteousness in exchange for your sinfulness? How can anyone improve on the sacrificial and unconditional love of Christ?
Electrolysed water can’t compare to the waters of his baptism. Ultraviolet light can’t match the purifying brilliance of his glory. Oxygen ions and titanium dioxide can’t cleanse us from the contaminates of sin like the blood of Jesus. He is the only Savior who can take our sins away, not once a year, but once and for all time.
"For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time" (Hebrews 10:10, NLT).
Couple Billed for Reneging on Wedding Invitation
Christine DiGangi writes:
Jessica Baker and her husband were planning on going and RSVP'd to a no-kids-allowed wedding a few weeks ago, but Baker's mom called the day of the event to say she couldn't watch the Bakers' daughter, so they had no choice but to stay home. Then earlier this week, Baker received a bill for $75.90 — $60 total for the herb-crusted walleye she and her husband requested in their RSVP, plus a $7.95 fee per person for tax and the service charge.
"This cost reflects the amount paid by bride and groom for meals that were RSVPed for, reimbursement and explanation for no show, card, call or text would be appreciated," the bill said.
What if God sent us a bill for every time we failed to follow through on a promise or a good intention? He has! James 5:12 says, “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation” (ESV).
Fortunately, howevr, Jesus took that bill and nailed it to the cross, declaring it paid in full!
"He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:14, NLT).
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