Beware of Substitutes

During my ministry as a pastor, I have officiated many weddings. Imagine at one of those weddings after the bride and groom repeated their vows, exchanged their rings and I pronounced them husband and wife, I looked at the groom and said, "You may now wink at your bride." Do you think the groom might say, "I don't want to wink at my bride; I want to kiss my bride. A wink is no substitute for a kiss." The groom would be right. A wink is no substitute for a kiss in a wedding when the time comes for a groom to kiss his bride.

The point of the scenario I presented above is that we should beware of substitutes. Substitutes in life can be a threat to authenticity. The quality of the product delivered, or service rendered may be inferior. Sometimes substitutes represent compromise.

We have never needed real and genuine more than we need it today. Those of us who profess to be Christians need to be reminded that God calls us to be perfect. "Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). The word in the Greek language that is translated "perfect" is teleios and literally means mature or complete. While none of us live perfect lives in the conventional meaning of the word, we can have a sincere desire to become more mature and complete. This will require us to be real, genuine and authentic while rejecting substitutes that offer some easier or more convenient path.

The Christian faith is built upon the sure foundation of Christ. There is no substitute for his atoning work on the cross as He offered up himself as the perfect sacrifice for all sin for all men for all time. There is no substitute for his triumphant resurrection as He conquered sin, hell and the grave. There is no substitute for the glorious gospel that He has commissioned us to carry to the ends of the earth. Jesus himself said that He is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6).

Our nation would do well to understand that there is no substitute for pursuing God's righteousness and forsaking the deadly path of sin. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34). We cannot substitute carefully manipulated and fashioned ideology contrived as truth for reality that is truth. Corruption cannot be substituted for integrity. Selfish agendas cannot be substituted for compassion and love for others.

I believe that Paul was warning us about deadly and destructive substitutes when he wrote the words found in 2 Tinmothy 3:1-5. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

As I write this blog admonishing the reader to beware of substitutes, I am a substitute. I am serving as an interim pastor in a church. I am serving to fill a gap until the church calls a permanent lead pastor. In a very real way, I am substituting for the pastor who will eventually fill the need of a permanent pastor. The truth of which I am writing very much applies to me. An interim pastor can never fill the role of a dedicated, full time lead pastor. Any church that becomes satisfied with an interim pastor and fails to see the value and need of a God-installed permanent lead pastor is being short-sighted.

Serving as an interim pastor in a number of churches has been a great privilege and joy in my life. I have gained many friends and developed wonderful relationships with many people. I am still a substitute and God's church need that which is authentic, real, genuine. That's why churches need committed pastor ready for the long haul.

I pray that all of us will pursue that which is real, genuine and authentic in our lives. Beware of substitutes!