Selling Religion

I gave a dude a Bible today working the register at a local store. He said his friends were trying to get him into Jesus Christ and he took it. I told him well now he can read my story and now he can read all about Jesus Christ. Awesome, I'm glad he took it, and I'm glad for him that he has friends who care to tell him about our Lord.

Then I was walking away I heard the dude who was behind me say "I don't know if I can top that, I'm not selling religion." Ouch. That was a knife. I couldn't let it go. I came back and told him that it wasn't about religion, it was about a relationship. That it's not about ritual but getting right with God and that he can laugh all he wants, but its true whether he believes or not and that he needs to look into it. He was laughing the whole time. Then I left.

That ticks me off even though I know its expected.

I focused on the "religion" part of his comment at the time, but really the "selling" part is even more offensive. Its a stupid phrase. Christians aren't selling anything. Huxsters who use the label may be selling something but not Christians. We're trying to give something. The same truth that we have about our desperate need for a savior, who that savior is, what he did for us, and what we need to do. That's it. We preach Christ crucified because accepting God's free gift through the cross is the difference between eternal life and eternal punishment.

Denying the existence of God isn't going to save you.

Denying the existence of hell isn't going to save you.

Putting the issue of salvation on the back burner isn't going to save you.

Doing more good deeds than bad deeds isn't going to save you.

Claiming all paths lead to God and you just have a different one isn't going to save you.

There is only one name under heaven by which we are saved, and that name is Jesus Christ. Putting your faith in him will save you. Period. That's not a sale, that's a priceless gift, given free of charge by Almighty God. All you have to do is take it.

Grace and Peace