DEAL!

The other day our local CBS affiliate reported on an odd deal.

An auto repair shop offered customers a break on the price of a full service if they could quote John 3:16. Half off. But you have to say the verse.

For God so loved the world,

that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him

shall not perish,

but have eternal life.

John 3:16

The owner put coupons advertising his deal on doorknobs all over Plano.

Of course, some are raising the issue of “discrimination.”

But store owner Charlie Whittington ain’t budging. If you want a deal, he declared, you need John 3:16.  “If I’m standing for what I believe, so be it,” he said. “Bring it on.”

And if you actually do believe the verse, the deal is eternal. Yup, eternal! And, yup, by believing. Having faith.

For by grace you have been saved

through faith;

and that not of yourselves,

it is the gift of God;

not as a result of works,

so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8–9

Far more than an oil change, I assure you! Eternal life …

[God] raised us up with Him [Jesus],

and seated us with Him

in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

so that in the ages to come He might show

the surpassing riches of His grace

in kindness toward us

in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6–7

The motive of the autoshop owner? Whittington said he did it as a conversation starter in an effort to talk to people about what he believes. Not a bad idea. And yes, he did get plenty of publicity! Mostly good.

God’s motive for John 3:16 deal?

But God, being rich in mercy,

because of His great love

with which He loved us,

even when we were dead

in our transgressions,

made us alive together with Christ

(by grace you have been saved).

Ephesians 2:4–5

What a deal! SOMETHING for nothing!

Well … nothing on our part. Somebody did have to pay …

But God demonstrates

His own love toward us, in that

while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

He absorbed the “cost”!

He [God] made Him [Jesus]

who knew no sin

to be sin on our behalf,

so that we might become

the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21

One guy came into the shop in Plano, verse on a notecard in his hand, and then had second thoughts. “Why should I be compelled to quote something I do not feel comfortable to quote?” he asked. After arguing with the manager, who declined to give him the break without said verse, the customer refused to quote the passage and ended up paying more than twice what he had hoped to, in the first place.

Nope, no fudging on the deal. That’s the only way to get half off. No other way.

He who believes in Him is not condemned;

he who does not believe

has been condemned already,

because he has not believed in the name

of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:18

Texas state Attorney General had no comment about Whittington’s deal and couldn’t point out any laws this unusual offer was breaking. Another local attorney, with experience in discrimination and denial-of-service cases, said that without any connection to federal monies, the discount was well within the pale of the law.

“The study of the Bible has many rewards,” he said. “I’m not sure that God intended a lube discount to be among its many riches.”

Way better!