Ephesians 5 says, "Let no one deceive you with empty words." The thing about empty words is that you don't always realize how empty they are. In this case, I'm not sure Paul is talking about any obvious kind of evil. Empty words may sound harmless or reasonable. Maybe even spiritual. Some of what takes away from true discipleship doesn't always show up looking like disobedience. Empty words can sound like wisdom. This is where what I call Christ-veneer slips in. Christ-veneer is when something sounds holy but isn't actually Christ-like. It's when we slap Jesus' name on our preferences, our politics, what makes us comfortable, or our bitterness and call it faith. It uses church language without carrying Jesus' heart. It may sound like: - "God helps those who help themselves."
- "Speak your truth no matter who it hurts."
- "Real Christians should agree with me."
- "Grace means God doesn't really expect change."
It feels spiritual. But it isn't.
Christ-likeness always leads toward humility, love, repentance, truth, and transformation. Christ-veneer usually leads to self-righteousness, division, apathy, and stagnation. The scary part is that veneer slips into our thinking through social media posts, conversations, headlines, and even some sermons. Over time, we begin to make small compromises, not because we want darkness, but because it sounds reasonable. The apostle Paul reminds us that not everything wrapped in religious words carries the light of Christ. So, here's a simple question worth reflecting on this week. Does this sound Christian or does it actually look like Jesus? Because following Jesus isn't about repeating holy-sounding phrases. The Holy Spirit reshapes us in his character, giving us the same mind as Jesus. Light doesn't just talk differently. It lives differently. And when we walk in the light of Christ, we don't settle for empty words. We seek to live lives transformed by God's grace.
Stay blessed...john | 
No comments:
Post a Comment