Cheap religion

True religion will at some point require you demonstrate the depth of your belief. You cannot profess one thing and do another for very long. Sooner or later what you do becomes more eloquent than what you say.

The story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) makes this point very clearly. As chief tax collector in Jericho, Zacchaeus was in the position to profit from the misery of others, and did so handsomely. To put it simply, he was a thief. He got rich collecting money for the Romans, and everyone hated him for it. On the day that Jesus passed through town, he had an experience of grace that converted him. He told Jesus that he would give half of all his wealth to the poor and that he would make four-fold restitution to anyone he had defrauded. Jesus said that on that day salvation came to Zacchaeus.

Did Zacchaeus buy his salvation with this lavish promise? Scripture is clear that you can't do that. What he did was demonstrate his salvation. In his case, a simple "I'm sorry" would have been a cheap response. A promise to do better in the future would have been a cheap resolution, lacking any staying power. No, in Zacchaeus' case, a strong response was required, not to win God's favor but to change his own life. He did not earn his salvation, but he did enable it. He believed, and acted accordingly.

Much of our religion is cheap. Too much talk makes it so. Religion without decisive action leaves no room for transformation. Is there some way you need to enable your own salvation today?