Not For Sale
NOT FOR SALE
Read Acts 8:14-23.
Cammie came to the Village Bible Church shortly before Christmas. She had just moved to the area, and attending church was a new experience for her. She couldn’t understand the lessons very well. But her teacher’s love for her drew her back each week.
One Sunday Miss Weaver asked Cammie if she could get some evergreen branches for the class Christmas party. Miss Weaver said, “We just need a few small branches to decorate the tables.”
Eager to please her teacher, Cammie agreed to get the branches. But some places that sold Christmas trees didn’t have any branches at all, and others would give her branches only if she bought a tree.
Walking home from school one day, Cammie saw a pile of evergreen boughs at a Christmas tree lot. She had an idea. Instead of asking for free branches, she would buy some. They shouldn’t cost much, she thought. Cammie ran home to get some money, but when she offered it to the owner for the boughs, he said, “They’re not for sale.” Disappointed, Cammie started to walk away. The man called her back quickly. “Young lady, they’re free. Help yourself.” Cammie eagerly took all she could carry.
Later, while decorating the tables, Cammie told Miss Weaver about her experiences. “That’s a good illustration of salvation,” Miss Weaver said. “Some people tell us we can buy our salvation by doing good deeds. But the Bible says salvation is a gift. We can’t earn it or buy it. It’s not for sale. We can only receive salvation by accepting Jesus as Savior.”
“Now I understand it,” Cammie said softly.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you trying to buy your salvation by being good, going to church, or getting baptized? It won’t work! Salvation is a gift from God.
TO MEMORIZE:
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8
SALVATION IS A GIFT.
From the book
