I saw a tumbleweed today; unusual, I always thought they were more or less a desert plant.

 When I lived in Arizona there were lots of them blowing – tumbling, all over the place. One was growing behind our church, a large one, about the size of an SUV. On a clean-up Saturday, pastor asked me to get rid of it.

 OK, I took one look at this monster and considered renting a thing with chains for hauling engine blocks out of cars to get it. But first, I grabbed it by the roots to see where I could hook the chain – and the whole thing popped out of the ground into my hand, light as a feather.

 Shallow roots; I had made a simple thing more of a big deal than it really was. People do that with salvation, they publish a long list of dos and donts: you have to go to church every time the doors are opened. You have to read your Bible. You have to pray. You have to tithe and give offerings every time the plate is passed. You have to serve on the church board, mow the church lawn in the summer, shovel the parking lot in the winter, teach Sunday School and vacuum out the church. You have to witness.

 The truth is no one has to do all those things or anything for that matter to be saved. Ephesians 2:8,9 tells us we are saved by grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves lest anyone should boast; salvation is a free gift bought and paid for by Jesus Christ when He shed His blood on that cruel cross at Calvary 2,000 years ago and said it is finished. Romans 4 takes it up another level and even says but to him who worketh not, but believeth on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

 The Philippian jailer in Acts 16 asked Paul and Silas what must he do to be saved and they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved…

 It isnt complicated, doesnt need a lot of rules, because once a person believes in Jesus and receives Him as his or her Savior, a transformation occurs – its called born-again.

 When formerly even giving God a $2 tip at offering time was an effort, now I regret that I can only tithe 10 percent and run out of offering money too soon before payday and I long to go to church to praise and worship Jesus who died for me. I volunteer to serve at church because its a pleasure. I want to get on my knees and pray and read my Bible; its delicious, like eating ice cream nobody has to force me to do it.

 Rules and regulations have their place, but in terms of salvation all you have to do is love God, love each other and leave the rest up to Him.

 

---

Richie Colbeth is the chaplain of Cowboy Chapel.