A number of years ago I was talking one day with the guys on the construction crew about wanting to see the latest movie. One of them told me I could save a ton of money by buying the dvd from a local store he knew of. “How could I do that if it’s still in the theater,” I asked him. He insisted that they had it, so I checked it out.
The store he spoke of was more like a flea market, but sure enough, they had the movie on dvd for $10. I bought it, took it home, and played it. But immediately I knew something was wrong. The picture was fuzzy and was even shaky. This wasn’t the real thing. My suspicions were confirmed when all of the sudden a dark figure stood up and walked across the screen. Someone had taken a video camera into the theater, recorded the movie, and was selling it for $10!
Of course I quit watching and threw it away.
It was pirated!
Have you ever known someone who was a phony? A faker? A poser? People pretend to be something they are not all the time. In relationships, in the workplace, in sports, and even in religion!
Isn’t it refreshing when you meet someone who is the real deal?
Lots of people say they know about God, and even insist that they know the way to Him. In case you haven’t noticed, there are multiple religions around the world, and seemingly countless churches scattered all over our towns and cities.
Who holds the truth? Who is the real deal?
This is why it’s SO important for us to have a relationship with God that is real and experience Him for ourselves. We don’t ride into heaven on the coattails of our parents or our pastor. There are a lot of people have given religion a try in some fashion, but have not yet received the Holy Spirit.
Salvation comes from knowing God. (John 17:3) Not merely knowing about God, but a real relationship.
You won’t know the reality of that life with God as long as you are just trying to connect with a particular cause, church, or leader. All the religious ceremonies and outward acts are just fuzzy pictures of what the real experience of a walk with God is like.
You won’t know the “real deal” until you’ve received the Holy Spirit.
“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in him.” 1 John 2:27
So when I talk to people who say they’ve tried all the religious stuff, but its all fake, I ask them a simple question. “Did you know the Lord?” If they did, then they are admitting that they are living in direct contradiction to what they know to be true. If they didnt, then they were never really a Christian. So I follow up with some more simple guidance. Something like this: “Have you experienced the Holy Spirt? He’s not trying to hide from you. Stop trying to please or appease God with all those other things, let go of your own works, and pray a simple prayer of faith, asking Him to fill you, change you, empower you. He will!”
The important thing for us is to make sure that when the world looks at us, they see the real deal. Don’t be the phony, the faker, the poser. Make sure YOU are filled with the Spirit before you tell others to do so!