Truth in Advertising

"So when you look at me

you better look hard and look twice

Is that me baby

or just a brilliant disguise"

The above quote, may look like it comes from the Book Of Mormon, lol, but it is actually lyrics to a Bruce Springsteen song, titled: Brilliant Disguise". I grew up in the home state of Bruce, New Jersey. I also grew up listening to his music, and love the stories he relates in his songs. If it wasn't for his politics, I would probably still be a huge fan.

So why am I bringing up lyrics from a secular song? Well, that's a good question. The idea actually came to me based on a Sunday School discussion, in which our teacher brought up the lyrics, so I am taking the ball and running with it!

As Christians, we live day to day, battling personal and spiritual struggles. Like any animal in creation, when we aren't well, we try to disguise what is going on. Whether it is medical, physical or spiritual, we tend to try and disguise our hurt, and mask our weakness.

What about our everyday lives though? What about our testimony, our walk with God? Is it us, or a "brilliant disguise"?

A discussion was brought up about "labels". Not sticky notes, or address labels, but labels we place on ourselves, and labels we place on others.

I think the most significant labels we place, are on ourselves. We may think of ourselves as too short, too tall, too fat, too skinny. We may look at a different angle, and say we are too poor, or unloved or lonely. I remember a group of kids from high school, who labeled themselves as the "undesirables".

When it comes down to judging, we are always so critical of ourselves. Such harshness on our lives leads to health issues, chemical dependency, or any other way to cope with.

In our class, we did a semi-round table of how we labeled ourselves, and how we found out from others that that was not the perception they had of us. It is a trick the devil likes to play with us, by putting thoughts in our heads.

In this discussion, we discussed two of the three labels. The labels we place on ourselves, and the labels of how people see us.

Now don't think this is a non-Christian dilemma, it is ever bodies dilemma.

For this entry, I would like to focus on the Christian life, and the third label, how God sees us.

When it comes to being a Christian, our lives are put under a microscope, scrutinized by secular society and even attacked.

Now, after my long monologue, lets get to some scripture:

Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus is speaking a parable of the fruit tree, as it relates to identifying true and false Christians.

This scripture should be a mirror of our entire lifestyle as it relates to being a Christian.

One of the biggest objections for a non-Christian going to church is, the hypocrites!

It may sound like a bad slam against the Christian community, but it is a wake up call as well as biblical.

Lets look at the above passage again.

There are two trees. The both look alike on the outside, but both produce different fruit.

The good tree produces good fruit, and the bad tree produces bad fruit.

This is a picture of Christians.

There is also a warning that good trees, obviously can't produce bad fruit, and bad trees can't produce good fruit.

In fact, Jesus says that the bad trees will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

We can look at the warning:

Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The enemy, the devil, has come into the church and planted non-Christians among the Christians. (tares among the wheat)

Jesus says they will grow together until the harvest, in which at that time, they will be separated. The wheat to the barn and the tares:

Mat 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

God knows our hearts, but you know what? Our testimony, and the fruit we produce as Christians reflects on our relationship with God, and how people label us.

As Christians we need to make sure that our "Sunday best", spills over into a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Saturday best, as well!

When we come to church and give our best, our lifestyle should match.

After awhile, people connect the dots.

One of my personal struggles is the world, and relating to it, as a Christian, living a Christian lifestyle, 24/7.

Everyday we walk the line with the just and unjust. We intermingle with all walks of life.

We are told:

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

With our society, we tend to want to fit the socially acceptable label instead of the Godly discipleship label.

My personal experience has been, and maybe you can relate, is that when I am not feeding on the Word, my light dims.

We live in such a dark world, that my faith sometimes feels like a solar powered flashlight. I can charge the light, but after awhile it will grow dimmer and dimmer until it shuts off completely.

A guy, in the dark, with no flashlight, is no different from everyone around him.

However, if we walk (1Jn 1:7) "....in the light, as he is in the light,...", we can have more confidence walking in the dark.

It is our duty to obey God, and feed on the Word, and be the light and salt of the earth. This is the label of how God wants us to be, a label of how God should see us, and a label of how we should want to be and of how people should see us.

It is not how we want to be labeled or how we want to be labeled, that should matter. When it comes down to it, the only label that should matter, is that relating to God.

Our Christian lifestyle should be transparent, glorifying God through our testimony.

In short, we should be a living example of, "truth in advertising".

-Jon