Jesus Plus What?
“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” - Romans 1:25
9/27/20262 min read
Let me ask you a question. When life gets stressful, where do you go for peace?
Most of us would immediately say, "God." But if we're honest, sometimes we reach for other things too. Things that promise comfort, control, or certainty.
That's not new.
In the Bible, King Saul desperately wanted direction from God. The problem wasn't that God was absent. The problem was that Saul refused to repent. Instead of returning to God, he went looking for answers somewhere else. He disguised himself and visited a medium. Saul wanted guidance without surrender. He wanted answers without obedience. And it ended in disaster.
The truth is, we're often tempted by the same thing. We want peace without waiting. We want certainty without trust. We want control instead of surrender.
That's why so many spiritual alternatives are attractive. They promise quick results. "Manifest your future." "Cleanse negative energy." "Carry this crystal for protection." But throughout Scripture, God consistently warns His people not to seek spiritual power apart from Him. In Deuteronomy 18, He specifically told Israel not to practice divination, consult mediums, or imitate the spiritual practices of the surrounding nations
One of the most fascinating examples is in Acts 16. A slave girl followed Paul and Silas, shouting that they were servants of the Most High God. What she was saying was true. Yet Paul cast the spirit out of her. Why? Because truth isn't enough. Source matters. Not every supernatural experience comes from God. And if it doesn’t come from God then we don’t have to guess where it comes from.
That's a good reminder for us today. Just because something feels spiritual doesn't mean it's godly.
Romans 1:25 says people exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped created things rather than the Creator. That's still the issue. The question isn't whether an object, ritual, or practice makes us feel better. The question is: What am I trusting?
Because anything we depend on more than God becomes a substitute for God, but here's the good news: you don't need substitutes.
You don't need to manifest your future because God already holds it. You don't need an object to protect you because Scripture says God is your refuge and fortress. You don't need a ritual to find peace because Jesus promised a peace the world cannot give.
Real peace doesn't come from control. It comes from trust. And when you stop chasing spiritual shortcuts and simply rest in Christ, you discover something powerful. In a world full of spiritual alternatives, Christ is still enough. He is still the Way, still the Truth, and still the Life. And everything you're searching for is ultimately found in Him.