My dad told me recently that when he was a kid, he had a cousin Jack who came from a very religious family. One day, he and Jack went to catch a movie in town. His cousin had just turned 12, but the theater offered one dime off to anyone 11 and under, so he lied and told the box office that he was eleven. When his parents took him and my dad home, Jack boasted to his parents that he had saved a dime by pretending he was eleven. His mother, horrified, turned around in front of them both and said, "You would sell your soul for a dime?" This did not leave the best impression of Christianity on my dad, who said he never forgot this.

As most of us know, the problem with us as human beings actually runs much deeper than this. Our outward transgressions are symptoms of a much bigger problem. While it is true that God's holy standard for us is perfect obedience to His law, if our trust were in this, then none of us would have hope, and we would only despair. There is not a day, no, there is not an hour that goes by where we do not sin, but thanks be to God, those in Jesus Christ have free access to come to God, to confess their sins, and receive complete acceptance in His sight because of Christ. 

The issue of human sin affects every single one of us, and no one is exempt from its grasp. It's impossible for anyone to claim that they deserve to go to heaven more than someone else because we all fall short of God's perfect standard. It's a hard truth to swallow, but the reality is that we all sin continuously, in thought, word and deed, no matter how hard we try not to. Such will be the case until the Lord returns. However, there is hope and mercy for those who have faith in Jesus Christ. By confessing our sins and trusting in Christ as our Savior, we can be forgiven and welcomed into the loving arms of God, despite our rebellion, imperfections and shortcomings. The path to redemption is before you today, no matter what you may have done to offend God. Trust in Jesus and the peace and joy that come with being accepted by God are beyond measure. 

As for Jack's mom, I know it's easy to say something like this in the heat of the moment, but perhaps a better way of handling this situation could have been to have the boy return the dime, apologize, discipline him but remind him of the hope of the gospel. The phrase "sold your soul" sounds too final, implying that the boy has been sealed in unrighteousness and is a permanent captive of Satan with no hope of escape. However, there is hope for him in Christ. While he may have sold his integrity for a dime, the boy can still find redemption through faith in Jesus.