The Veneer of Cultural Christianity

Do you know what a veneer is?  A veneer is a thin covering of nice-looking material atop a base of less expensive, bland looking material.  A wood worker might build a cabinet using a low-grade pressboard and then finish it off with a very thin layer of high-grade maple or cherry.  The rationale is obvious – a pretty veneer glued to the top of a less expensive piece of wood is a cost savings effort.  To the untrained eye, the difference between a thin veneer and a solid piece of wood is probably not perceivable.  But the experienced woodworker will identify the differences immediately.  A good example is the difference between manufactured flooring and solid hardwood flooring.  The veneer does not have the depth of detail that its solid wood counterpart does.  It does not accept finish in the same way, nor does it stand up as well to normal wear and tear. 

Simply said, veneer is a cheap substitute for the real thing, and has very few of the same qualities.  The few qualities that it might seem to share with solid wood will fool the untrained eye but will quickly be identified by the master.

And so it is with the veneer of cultural Christianity, or as a friend of mine says, "churchianity."  Cultural Christians look like Christians on the surface, but they often lack a true saving-salvation.  They may fool those around them into thinking that they are solid Christians and may even fool themselves.  But when the Master takes hold of them for close inspection, He immediately knows that their outward appearance is simply a façade and declines to use them for His intended purpose.  Brothers and sisters let us examine ourselves!  The Good News is that reading God’s word and faithfully praying to Him will produce beauty and depth in Christ and will prepare us for the wear and tear (and even abuse and damage) which the world inflicts on all of claim the name of Christ.  Christ did not come for you to fake your way through life.  He came to bring you into a solid relationship with the Father.

Blessings,

Pastor Bruce