Day 280 – Cost

Proverbs 29:4 The king establishes the land by justice, but he who receives bribes overthrows it.

• God’s names:
• YAHWEH/JEHOVAH/Y@HOVIH – Self-existent, Eternal, God
• Yeshuwa/Iesous – Jesus
• Adonay – God’s proper name
• Theos – Supreme Divinity
• Christos – Anointed One, Messiah
• Basileus/BASILEUS – King
• Soter – Savior
• KURIOS/Kurios – Supreme Authority, Lord

• God’s character:
• King
• Just

An apple looks good and shiny on the outside, but once you cut into it, you might find it inedible because the interior is rotten. A little worm bored his way into the apple and destroyed it. Bribes do the same thing to governments, businesses, families, wherever people can find a way to get things accomplished, you will find a person willing to give you everything you want for a price.

Where is justice? What does the ethics manual say about how to conduct yourself? The person offering you what you want knows what the ethics manual says and will use it to line his pockets.

Satan used fruit to destroy YAHWEH’S world. He told Eve what she wanted to hear so she would agree to whatever he told her and sin entered the world for the price of a piece of fruit.

Solomon knew how cunning people were. He saw and heard the bribes taking place in his courts and in his fields among his servants. He knew a bribe didn’t always involve money but could be any manipulative means to get a person to get what he wanted. That kind of manipulation always came with a price — the destruction of your morals.

Proverbs 28:21 To show partiality is not good, because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

How did you see Christians before you became a Christian? Did you believe they were buying their way into heaven? One might think so with the many religions who hold out their hand and tell you that you cannot become a member without paying for it. Did you get caught up in that scheme until you realized that salvation is free. It was already paid for with Yeshuwa’s blood on Calvary’s cross. What will you do to get what you want?

Israel faced false prophets and brought YAHWEH’S judgment on themselves.

Ezekiel 13:1 And the word of YAHWEH came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of YAHWEH!’” 3 Thus says Adonay Y@HOVIH: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of YAHWEH. 6 They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says YAHWEH!’ But YAHWEH has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘YAHWEH says,’ but I have not spoken.” 8 Therefore, thus says Adonay Y@HOVIH: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Adonay Y@HOVIH. 9 “My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they will not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor will they enter into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am Adonay Y@HOVIH.

If YAHWEH brought destruction to false prophets, what do you think He will do to ministers who manipulate Yeshuwa’s people by telling them they need to pay for their salvation?

Ephesians 2:4 But Theos, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christos (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christos Iesous, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christos Iesous. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of Theos, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christos Iesous for good works, which Theos prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Salvation is free. Stop paying for it. Yeshuwa’s blood paid the full price of your salvation.

Governments rise and fall when people buy their way into office, but there is one government that will rise, one government that cannot be bought, and that is the government with Yeshuwa Christos as BASILEUS of Basileus and KURIOS of Kurios. His kingdom will never end, and you will live in the peace He proclaimed when He lived and walked among His people and told them what kind of kingdom Adonay’s kingdom is.

There is nothing you need to do to earn salvation. There is nothing you need to do to have your name written in the Lamb’s book of Life. The only thing you need to do is accept Yeshuwa as your Soter and Kurios.

Let’s pray: Father, thank you that salvation is free through Your Son. I can’t earn it and I can’t pay for it. Your Son paid it all. Help me to live in the freedom Yeshuwa paid for Him to call me His child. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 26 October 2026 by Valerie Routhieaux

May the God of your salvation bless you abundantly as you walk in His love as His dear child

Faithful Journey Publishing