There's No Substitute

I LOVE coffee! But I rarely put real sugar in it. If possible, I prefer to put Sweet’n Low in my coffee – and it is delicious! I have another love in life: Diet Coke. (Don’t even think about substituting it for that lamentable substance called Diet Pepsi.) And if Diet Coke is my wife, Diet Mountain Dew is my mistress. I know I should drink water. But if I’m drinking something else, it’s probably going to have aspartame or saccharine in it. Without a sugar substitute, it feels like I’m drinking a candy bar. Preach to me all you want about how dangerous these chemicals are; but it’s still my preference.

Much of the religious world is the product of preferences – substitutions to the divine pattern (2 Tim. 1:13; Phil 3:17). What follows is a seriously negative outcome. Whenever part of God’s pattern is substituted with something else, the purpose, value, or end result of the thing substituted is lost.

There’s no substitute for being a Christian. It is the only way to belong to Christ (Gal. 3:29; 1 Cor. 6:19).

There’s no substitute for baptism into Christ. There’s no other way to put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). There’s no other way to obey the gospel, being united with His death, burial, and resurrection (2 Thess. 1:8; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom 6:3-4). There’s no other way to obey Jesus’ command to believe and be baptized (Mk. 16:16).

There’s no substitute for the Church. It is the one body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4). It is the only thing to which God adds saved people (Acts 2:47). It is the only place where the blood of Christ is (Col. 1:13-14).

There’s no substitute for godly fellowship and godly counsel. A substitute will corrupt good morals (1 Cor. 15:33). A substitute will not stir up love and good works (Heb. 10:24). The leaven or influence of a substitute will only contaminate the godly mind and godly life (1 Cor. 5:6). There is no safety in a substitute (Pr. 24:6).

There’s no substitute for prayer. There’s no other way to make our requests known to the One Who can give good gifts liberally (Jms. 1:5, 17; 5:16). There’s no other way to ask forgiveness (1 Jn. 1:9).

There’s no substitute for God’s Word. It is the only word that actually has a divine origin (2 Tim. 3:16). It is the only way we can look into the heart of God (1 Cor. 2:12). A substitute for God’s word changes the standard for authority and faithfulness (Rom. 10:17). A substitute won’t set you apart from the world (Jn. 17:17). A substitute won’t save your soul (Jms. 1:21; 1 Tim. 4:16).

There’s no substitute for the study of God’s Word. Nothing offers the blessings found in meditating day and night on the perfect law of liberty (Ps. 1:2; Jms. 1:25).

There is no substitute for Jesus Christ. He is the only perfect Man, able to be our High Priest and sacrifice (Heb. 9:14). He is the only Son of God (Jn. 3:16). He is the only way to the Father (Jn. 14:6). He is the only One with the words of eternal life (Jn. 6:68). Anyone or anything else would rob us of what He offers (Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1; Eph. 1:7).

-Cary Gillis D.Min.

August 23, 2020