WEEK 16

P r ay e r

“A Real No-Brainer. Or Is It?” Dear Lord, thank You for the incomparable gift of Your Son, Jesus...the One Who came to take
away the sins of the world; the One who came to pay a debt He did not owe—for a debt
by Tom Stirling I could not pay. I acknowledge Him as my Lord and Savior and I say to You today, “I’m all in,
Lord. I’m all in.” In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Memory Verse: Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus Our Lord.”
T u e s d ay
Paul’s pithy pronouncement reminds me of a TV game-show choice. Some nattering emcee
announcing that behind Door “A” is some wages with consequences, and behind Door “B” is a gift.

Which would you choose? If you knew the true consequences, the choice seems obvious. Who
wouldn’t prefer eternal life with Jesus to ignominious death?

The word “wages” sounds so benign—just an appropriate reward for worthy efforts. I think
of the summer jobs of my youth. Clerical work, mowing lawns, baling hay, construction,
counselor at a Boy Scout camp, Army service and eventually law practice. I got to really enjoy W e d n e s d ay
the experience of getting periodically paid. Well-earned paychecks for honest toil (or at least I
hoped so).   

But the wages of sin are something else. They don’t show up as a paycheck, or as anything
tangible. They show up more like a judgment. “No less than death,” says Paul. That’s a pretty
serious verdict, and who wants that? 

Instead, we have a choice. We’ve been invited to accept God’s incredible gift of “eternal life
in Christ Jesus Our Lord”. How do we do that? Is there something specific we need to do?  An T h u r s d ay
oath to take? A ritual to perform? A number to call? A receipt form to fill out and send in?  

How about just telling God in your own way? Out loud or silently. Alone or with someone
special. With friends or family. Privately or on stage at church. Just assert that you accept His
incomparable gift, and do so at any time and in any way as the Spirit may move you. Just
acknowledge that God so loved us that he sent His only son Jesus to save us, that through
Him your sins are cancelled, and that His stunning reward is eternal life with Him. There’s no
job application or entrance exam. No references or resume required. No down payment or
entrance fee. He’s already pre-paid it all—just for you. F r i d ay

Trust that He’ll hear you, as He hears every authentic communication.

Just tell Him, “I’m in, all in!”

Under Armor For All Believers