Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon t

A true story- most jewel thieves and smugglers are caught sooner or later, but one clever fraud has gotten away scot-free. He came into a famous New York jewelry shop and said he was looking for a special pearl for his wife’s birthday present. Money was no object, he declared -he was a Texas oil millionaire, and had the credentials to prove it. He picked out a beautiful pearl and paid $5,000 cash for it.

A few weeks later he was back. His wife loved the pearl so much she wanted a matching one for a pair of earrings. The manager said he doubted whether a duplicate could be found. “Enquire,” suggested the customer. “I’ll pay up to $25,000 for an exact duplicate of this pearl!”

It came to pass that a woman in Chicago had a matching pearl, which she was willing to sell for $20,000. The store bought it from her–but is still waiting for the “Texas millionaire”to claim it. What he had done, of course, was to sell back the store’s own pearl at four times the amount he had paid for it. Even if they find him, they’ll have a hard time convicting him of any crime.

Such is the deceit of Satan. He comes with a promise of profit - secretly hiding sin's wages. He will convince you to seek sin at a “bargain basement price”, expecting a handsome profit. And after you’ve acquired sin, Satan will leave you holding the bag saying, “You never read the fine print, ‘the wages of sin is death’.”

Many have continued in sin only to find out that they have been conned –that what they thought was profit was really loss. What they thought was pleasure turned to pain. What they thought was joy became sorrow.“

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, & keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil”

Ecclesiastes12:13-14