They say dogs possess super-sensory skills that surpass human capabilities. My dog Otis can’t find a Milk-Bone two inches from his nose. It’s frustrating to watch him search the room for a treat I dropped right in front of him. Otis would not survive in the wild. He does, however, have a sixth sense regarding deception. He can smell a scam a mile away, especially when I’m the one trying to trick him. 

Sometimes I want Otis to go outside when he’s not interested. So, I act like I am walking out the door so he will follow. He knows this trick. He won’t budge until he sees me cross the threshold. Only then will he follow. Otis has trust issues. He doesn’t fall for scams. He’s not like me.

One day I went to the store. I just wanted groceries. I was minding my own business. But that didn’t stop the guy in the parking lot from telling me a sob story. He needed gas money to get back to Mississippi. His family was waiting at a nearby McDonalds. Ok, I thought, I could help him out. I handed him a twenty on the way to my truck. I didn’t feel warm and fuzzy though. Something felt off. Then I realized the guy was wearing latex gloves. That’s odd, I thought.

I knew I’d been played. He ripped me off. The car he was driving was probably stolen. He wore gloves to leave no prints. He had no family at McDonald’s. I tried to be a good Samaritan but ended up a dumb American.

 “Let no one deceive you with empty words,” (Ephesians 5:6 NIV)

When I was a child, a church leader told me everyone was going to heaven. “Everyone?” I asked, “What about Hitler?” Undaunted, he replied, “Well, he believed something.” Apparently, believing “something” was good enough to save your soul. Too young to know better, I believed him. It was a religious scam that told me I had no sin and needed neither repentance nor a savior. 

Remember, two people were crucified alongside Jesus. Both were equally guilty. Only one, however, was promised paradise. He turned to Jesus. The other man “believed something.” He just didn’t turn. He didn’t repent. The Greek word for “repent” means to change one’s mind about something. The forgiven criminal changed his mind about Jesus and turned to Him for salvation. He’s been with Jesus ever since. 

“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:21)