The Real Deal

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

-- John 4:23

For many tourists in New York City, buying a fake Rolex watch or Gucci handbag from a street vendor is as big a part of their trip as visiting the Empire State Building or taking the Staten Island Ferry. Picking up a bargain is always fun. And who knows? Your friends just might glance at your bling and think that you paid for the real deal.

However, it turns out that buying counterfeit goods is hardly a harmless diversion. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) reports that 2.5 million jobs have been lost to fake products. And in developing countries alone, counterfeits account for $125 billion in lost tax revenue and additional welfare spending. And the damage doesn't stop there. Microsoft recently found that 39% of the media sold on eBay was counterfeit and another 12% was tampered with in some way. Many of the parts in our nation's warplanes have been exposed as cheap knock-offs manufactured in China. Likewise, there's also a huge problem with counterfeit pharmaceuticals--like anti-malaria drugs--that have proven to be lethal. Malaria is curable. But the medications for treating it must be real. As the Bible warns us in Proverbs: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."

There are obvious parallels between the dangers of counterfeit goods and God's warnings about idolatry--or what we might call fake worship. When it comes to buying clothing, jewelry, medicine--and even aircraft parts--we're often quick to look the other way and settle for cheap imitations. The truth is that we idolize expensive luxury goods. But we'd rather not pay the true price for the real thing.

This comparison is no exaggeration. After all, an idol doesn't have to be a literal golden calf like the Israelites worshiped in Old Testament times. Instead, idolatry is anything that means more to us than following God and his true ways. It's also settling for the illicit rather than the real thing. For example, pleasure is one of God's gifts that we can easily idolize. But the message from the entertainment industry is that if it feels good, it's OK to do it. And society has largely taken the bait. Watch almost any popular TV show or movie these days and you'll see destructive behaviors and lifestyles that God expressly condemns. Adultery and other prohibited relationships are no longer considered scandalous. We're told that they're "private" situations where no one really gets hurt. But if Christ-followers dare to say otherwise, they're likely to be branded as intolerant, bigoted or narrow-minded. After all, the advocates of "progressive" behaviors ask, "What does the Bible have to do with living in the 21st century?"

In fact, God's timeless message through the Bible reveals that things haven't changed when it comes to illicit relationships and the destruction they render. Just as our ancestors did centuries ago, we'll often look the other way to accept and justify our behaviors and those we fear to offend. Yes, we might claim that we want God in our lives. But the fact is that we also want him to make room and share the throne of our heart with what's cheap and second-rate.

This approach is totally unacceptable to God. He holds a jealous love for his children and wants only the best. Therefore, sharing us isn't an option. To fully acknowledge his love, we must turn away from our false idols--the counterfeit things, attitudes, behaviors or people--that hold us back from the true worship of our Creator. It's when we change our priorities and focus on God that we can experience the real deal. 

Let's accept nothing less.