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If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
We live in a very materialistic world. It seems that importance is based on power, position and financial accumulation. Value is judged by where you live, what you drive and where you work. In the end, he who has the most toys wins.
As of the fourth quarter of 2024, Americans collectively hold $1.211 trillion in credit card debt, which is a record high. This represents a significant increase from the pre-pandemic record of $927 billion in Q4 2019, a rise of $284 billion. Last year, Americans spent $3.2 trillion on their credit cards.
Once, cash was king, but now it is credit, because you don’t have to pay for it immediately when you spend it. This allows people to spend beyond their means to get what they want. Only 16% of all transactions are paid for in cash.
The world largely operates on credit. People get dressed in clothes they haven’t paid for and drive cars that aren’t paid for, all to arrive at a job. They work to pay for those clothes and cars, yet their homes often sit vacant all day because they can’t genuinely afford to live in them – all often to impress others.
As I recently stood in line to check out a purchase, I saw the sign that said, “No Cash Accepted.”
Contrast all of that to the admission price to get into heaven.
If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, then you will be saved. No cash, power or position will get you in.
Heaven is a cashless place and credit cards aren’t accepted either.
Romans 10:9 outlines a two-part condition for salvation:
- a public confession of faith in Jesus as Lord and
- a genuine, heartfelt belief in the resurrection.
Confessing Jesus as Lord acknowledges his authority and divinity, while believing in the resurrection recognizes the central truth of the gospel.
The relationship is ultimately personal between you and God. It doesn’t matter who you were or what you had; what truly matters is whose you are, and for this admission, no cash is accepted.
by John Grant
used by permission
You Can Have it Too!
If you’re reading this and have yet to invite Jesus to be your Savior, there will never be a better day than today. There’s no magic in any particular words, but if God is speaking to you, don’t wait. Don’t harden your heart one more time.
If there’s unforgiveness in your heart, deal with it. Don’t wait. You can walk in freedom and it’s wonderful. Ask God to show you if there’s anything you need to deal with and then ask Him for the courage to deal with it. He’ll give it to you. He is always faithful.
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