Nothing satisfies like the real thing. The universal appeal of the authentic was captured for me in an impromptu remark during a live theater presentation I attended. The main character spoke about the things he would buy if his financial situation improved. He waved his arms to emphasize a point and knocked down what appeared to be a row of books. The accidental gesture revealed it to be merely a piece of wood painted to look like books. Without any hesitation he delighted the audience by adding “real books” to his list.
Experience teaches us real is better. Real food without artificial additives is better for our long-term health. Cookies made with real butter and real vanilla taste better than those made with something else. Real sunshine is better than a tanning booth or sun lamp.
Artificial flowers and plants can’t provide the same ambience as real foliage. They not only lack fragrance, but the artificial cannot provide oxygen as the real ones do. Real ice cream is better than “simulated dairy product.” Genuine gold jewelry is superior to that gold-colored stuff that turns green over time.
Real is just better. It usually lasts longer, performs better, looks better, and tastes better. Given the choice, most people will choose the real thing.
Wherever the real flourishes, imitations spring up. When a new product grows in popularity, someone tries to make money off a copycat. Something may look the same, or claim to be the same–but it is not the same.
Satan, our enemy, is a great imitator. God created the world and everything in it. He created humankind for relationship with Himself. Satan came up with religion as an imitation of the relationship God designed us for. Satan doesn’t want us to worship God, so he puts substitutes before us. Or, he encourages people to worship a god of their own imagination, rather than the God of the Bible. Ultimately the enemy wants us to worship him, but he seems happy to direct our worship to anything other than God.
Satan tries to convince us that religions are all the same and all roads lead to heaven. But there is only one way that is authentic. “Being religious,” and trying to earn God’s favor, is just a cheap imitation of what God offers freely by grace. Furthermore, trying to earn our way to heaven by being good doesn’t work. We can never be good enough.
Jesus is the real thing. He is the only way for us to know and have a relationship with the one true God. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Whoever wants to do God’s will and obeys Jesus’ teaching will know He teaches truth (John 7:17).
Jesus is the only way to eternal life. God made the world. He sets the rules. He has the authority to do that. Sin entered the world when mankind listened to Satan and failed to listen to God. We are all guilty of failing to listen to and obey God. So Jesus came. He came to enable us to have a real relationship with God despite our sin. He loves us so much, He made a way for us to be forgiven–at great cost to Himself.
Jesus is real. He is far superior to any imitation. Those who know the real thing won’t be satisfied with a substitute.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Phyllis
Image by Azeddine Behlouli from Pixabay
Copyright 2023 Phyllis l. Farringer
I agree and totally believe all of this.
I am so glad, George. Whoever believes has already crossed over from death into life, eternally. John 5:24