This morning, despite Brett’s aversion to Black Friday, he noticed a sale advertised online for a Canon video camera.  This camera was now on sale for the low, low price of $300.  He decided to compare prices and read the reviews for the advertised camera.  He snorted when he saw that the regular price for the video camera was $250!  Nobody in their right mind, who has done a little investigation and armed with the truth, would fall for this…boy I’m sure glad we aren’t like this when it comes to our spiritual lives.

When the devil tempted Eve in the garden of Eden he did much the same thing.    He offered his wares for the low, low price of just eating the fruit.  In fact, he promised that she would actually come out ahead on the deal. She would know good from evil.  Eve reached for the fruit and ate it.  She did not look behind the scenes, if she had she would have realized that the fruit would cost her life and she would begin to die the moment she took a bite of the fruit.

In the mean time life was God’s gift to Eve.  He had given her a life free from evil.  The best part was God had given it to her for FREE!  And in that you have one of the biggest differences between what God offers and what Satan is selling; all gifts from God are free, every offering of sin costs you something.  In Revelation 3:18 God gives us some very good economic advice for our souls:

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”

Gold (pure faith), white clothes (His righteousness) eye salve (spiritual wisdom via the Holy Spirit) are offered to us as gifts.  Usually, whatever Satan tries to sell us comes through as a trade for one of these things, which makes as much sense as buying a $250 camera on sale for $300.  Hopefully you and I are armed with the truth and would never trade away God’s rich gifts for Satan’s cheap fakes.