Fake Pleasure ....................... Parables 251

(January 23, 1991)

We got a card in the mail the other day that looked like an invoice. It said: “We have your order on reserve, ready to be mailed to you...” The product: “our version of a Rolex watch.” The bottom line... $39.95.

It nearly fooled me. At first I thought my husband decided an imitation would satisfy his desire for that pricey timepiece so he ordered one. Then I looked a little closer. The ink and style of writing were not right. The card was a sales gimmick. I pitched it in the garbage.

Imitation name-brands are usually less expensive. Besides, they look good to the casual observer, adding a touch of status without financial pain. The only problem is that imitations usually don’t last as long as the real thing. A Rolex starts in the hundreds... there is a reason that imitation was $39.95. It may have kept time for a while but somewhere, somehow, its true character would reveal itself.

There is a far more serious imitation being widely advertised and widely purchased. The only difference between it and a cheap watch is that anyone who buys it doesn’t know they have an imitation. They are convinced that what they have is the real thing. I’m talking about imitation pleasure.

Before you say, “pleasure is pleasure,” consider a verse that talks about the faith of Moses. It says he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; and choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.

Moses had been raised in a palace. He probably would be the next ruler in Egypt. He had wealth and education. He had all anyone could hope for in life. However, God made a claim on his life. He then had a choice to make: serve God or stay where he was. Saying no would be a sin; preferring anything other than serving God would be a sin. No matter how good the good life in the palace seemed, if Moses picked it, he would be picking sin. Instead, he choose to serve God and leave behind “the pleasures of sin.”

It is important to recognize that sin does include pleasure. When I think of someone killing a child or robbing a bank, I don’t think of the thrill they might get out of it; I think of the horror and the guilt. Yet there are sins that have enticed me with a promise of pleasure and when I gave in, I found that they delivered... there sometimes is pleasure in doing the wrong thing.

But the pleasure of sin is like other imitations. Up front, it seems the easier, less expensive route. Sometimes it offers status or at least a notch in one’s belt or a sense of personal achievement. It does the job, at least for a time... one version of the Bible translates it as “a short while.”

I’ve heard that some sins offer very intense pleasure. However, in spite of the intensity, there is no lasting satisfaction. Sin’s victim is duped into thinking if they could just get a little more, it would be enough. Slowly (or sometimes very quickly), they are addicted and they cannot stop. It is precisely here that imitation pleasure can be detected... it is never enough. There is no lasting satisfaction. The sinner is hooked.

By the grace of God, it is possible to escape that kind of addiction. Hope can be found in this truth: The imitation may seem great and offer what seems good for a short time, but God offers a pleasure that cannot even be compared with the real thing. It is the lasting joy of righteous living, a joy that Jesus told the disciples was “meat to eat that you know nothing of..”

It requires faith to forsake the imitation, but once the real thing is experienced, imitations can’t touch it.

The real thing ..................... Parables 071

Coke Cola advertised for years with... “it's the real thing” - and for good reason; the competition produced imitations. Since then, both Coke and its imitators advertise themselves on television commercials with blindfolded tasters seeking to identify the real thing, or at least try to prove that the imitation is better than the original.

Just as good products are copied, God’s spiritual truth has its imitations too. There are thousands of religions and philosophies - all claiming to have the answers. Recognizing real Christianity does involve more than a taste test...

First, watch out for personal bias, traditions, and aversions. Everyone has had both negative and positive experiences with various religions and philosophies - experiences that can bias minds and make objective evaluation impossible. The roots of family traditions go deep and may also affect our understanding and evaluations. Aversion to the implications of truth (such as discovery of personal error) can also color our evaluation of it.

Objectivity towards truth also means being realistic. Beware of people who tell you that they have solved all the problems of the world, they have all the answers, and if you jump on their band wagon, your life will be perfect. That sounds good but it is not real. In other words, the old saying, “The truth hurts” has some merit. A desire to avoid spiritual discomfort could endanger the search for it. Expect truth to be related to reality - not all of it is going to feel good, at least up front.

Third, test everything by God’s standard. A carpenter holds a plumb line against a wall to see if the wall is straight. He doesn’t rely on his ability to “eye-ball” it. Some first century hearers of the message about Jesus Christ responded by comparing what they heard with the Scriptures “to see if it was true.” It sounded right to them, but they checked it out against what had already proven itself to be true.

Another test is to look at the foundation. Find out who began the system of thought that has caught your attention. What kind of life did that person live? Was he or she godly, honest, sincere? Did that leader practice what he preached? An objective examination of the leader or leaders of any religious group may be more helpful than a study of their teaching. Then compare that person to Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves... you shall know them by their fruits...” (Matthew 7). God says that we can know the real thing by examination of the “fruit” in the lives of those who profess to have it.

Fruit is used in the Bible to depict results. The fruit of people without God is sin. The Spirit of God produces: LOVE - that sacrifices for others; JOY - that bubbles up from within; PEACE - that passes understanding; PATIENT ENDURANCE - in trials; GENTLENESS - even when abused; GOODNESS - to friend and foe alike; FAITH - even when God’s workings seem contrary to our reasoning; MEEKNESS - no matter how we are challenged; and SELF-CONTROL - in spite of strong temptations. God says, “Do not be drunk with wine... but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

Being drunk with wine, one imitation, gives a temporary gaiety that turns into a hangover and can destroy homes and ruin lives. The real thing never does that. Other imitation philosophies promise affection, temporary pleasure, serene retreats, tolerance, and other human conditions that are appealing, but none of these imitations can produce the genuine fruit of the spirit, the real thing.

The makers all kinds of products use this line “Do not be satisfied by anything less - we have the one, the only, the original...” We fill our refrigerators, gas tanks, homes, closets, and so on, with the affordable best. Should we satisfy our spirits with anything less?