The Ballestero Blog

Sin Hides The Price Tag

My Father, Carl Ballestero, had a rule of thumb when it came to finding a gas station on the road. If there was no price-per-gallon displayed on the station sign, he wouldn’t stop there for gas. He would mumble, “If they won’t put up the price of their gas, it means they are ashamed it.”

Most of the other stations are quick to display a drop in price to attract customers. Those that don’t display their prices might have a reason. They just might be charging more than they should.

Once in a great while, I stumble into a place of business that has items with no price tags. I hate it when I have to ask, “How much is this?”

I even dislike trying to buy something that says, “make an offer.” I just like to know the asking price.

In my elementary way of thinking, the seller knows how much he needs to sell the item for. Just tell me. If it’s too much, I won’t buy. If the price is acceptable, I’m tempted to buy.

It is a common practice in almost every business to mark all items that are for sale. I like it when they do that.

Have you ever noticed that Sin has a way of hiding it’s price tag? Sin is ashamed to tell you up front what you will have to pay.

When you pay for what Sin sells, you’ll pay more than you thought and you will pay longer than you expected.

Every one of us has either said it, or heard it said… “How long do I have to pay for my mistakes?”

If we would have known the price for our Sins, we wouldn’t have been so interested to start with.

Sin hides always the price tags.

It hides the prices tag of:

Loving pleasures more than loving God (2 Tim 3:4 – Your love for God will grow weak)

Immorality (Prov 6:32 – “he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”)

Loving the world. (1 John 2:15 – The love of the Father is not in you)

Rebellion (1Sam. 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft”)

Bitterness (Heb 12:15 – “trouble you, and thereby many be defiled”)

Pride (Prov. 16:18 – “destruction”)

Haughty Spirit (Prov. 16:18 – “a fall”)

Envy (James 3:16 “there is confusion and every evil work.”)

Strife (James 3:16 “there is confusion and every evil work.”)

Drunkenness (Gal 5:21 – “they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”)

Lusts (1Pet. 2:11- “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul”)

The price tag of Sin is so high that no one in their right mind would ever buy if they looked at the price tag.

Let me turn the tag over and show it to you…

James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

There, can you see it? I sure wouldn’t buy if I were you! The price is too high!