Artificial

Artificial

“….so that you can decide what is best, and thus
be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ.”
-Philippians 1:10

Sunday night it was watching “The Fugitive” and the search for the man with the artificial limb who murdered Dr. Kimble’s wife. On Monday, I put out the coffee for the ladies meeting and, of course, had to fill up the bowl with not only real sugar packets but the artificial sweeteners as well, the blue packets of Equal and the pink packets of Sweet N Low, something for everyone. Back to Sunday and we were discussing replacing the Peace Lilies with artificial versions that won’t have to be watered and trimmed and that won’t suffer the effects of the constant temperature change in the sanctuary.

At Christmas time, there are artificial trees which we’ve resisted so far at home (the real 10 footer John brought home this year was just incredible but that’s for another time). We have artificial hearts being developed by the medical profession, artificial teeth as we age (I know that “crowns” sounds so much better), and who can forget artificial intelligence. And then there is the “artificial smile” reserved for those situations when showing our true feelings is totally inappropriate!

To say that something is artificial is to say that it is an imitation of what is real, not natural or genuine, void of life and incapable of growth. And no matter how commonplace the use of artificial items becomes in our lives, we have to be on guard against the same thing happening in our spiritual lives. Paul warned Timothy of such a thing in II Timothy 3:5 when he spoke of those who “maintained the outward appearance of religion but denied its power”.

Let me try and explain: my four front teeth are artificial, the result of an accident when I was a child. They look real to everyone who sees them, with the exception of the dentist, but they’re not. They are real in appearance only. In the same way, it’s possible to have a Christianity that has all the right appearances, but on the inside is empty and void of life. Jesus came that we “might have real and eternal life, more and better life than we ever dreamed of.” (John 10:10 MSG)

The world is constantly telling us that outward appearance is what matters most but God’s message is the opposite: He is concerned about our hearts, about the inner man, and about the flow of life in each of us. God’s desire is that each one of us experiences life in all its fullness. Artificial Christianity will never satisfy the needs in your life. Don’t be fooled by it; don’t settle for it. The real thing, found in a relationship with the Lord, is there for the man or woman willing to seek after it. And you can rest assured that when you find it, you’ll never let it go!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church