Too Good to Be True?

The following is a true account. The incident occurred earlier this week in a Burlington Coat Factory store in Columbus, Ohio. A Ms. Linda Brown arrived at the store in a limo. She walked in and proceeded to the front of the store where she announced that she had won the lottery and would pay for each shopper's purchases up to $500 per shopper. Well that is good news for people in these tough times, so people quickly filled their shopping carts and headed for the registers. And while waiting in line, they called their relatives and friends telling them to come to the store and get in on the deal. And did they ever come. The store was soon filled with over 500 enthusiastic shoppers with another 1000 waiting outside to get in. But when the cashiers realized that Ms. Brown had no money to pay the tab - they quickly shut down the buying spree. And that ignited a riot. Angry customers threw their merchandise on the floor. Others grabbed their items and fled the store. One police detective stated afterward, "Everybody was like, 'I still want my free stuff,' and that started the riot. It looks like Hurricane Katrina went through the store."

What sounded too good to be true - was just that! It was nothing more than a hoax. But you know the old saying ... "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!"  And that usually holds true. But there is one glaring exception. The promise of Heaven really does sound too good to be true. Think about it. The only thing we deserve to receive from God is judgment. The Bible is clear that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). Yet God in His mercy and grace offers to us eternal life, as Jesus His Son paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. And so "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23b). When we by faith receive this free gift - God reserves for us a place in Heaven. Amazing to think that we who were born rebels get to spend an eternity in God's House. A place that is so beautiful - that we can only begin to imagine the wonders of that place. Sounds too good to be true - but it isn't. There nothing more true than the gospel of Christ!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj