Something Brand New in Every Way
I was reading the back of a shampoo bottle.
That’s my favorite reading material from among the options in my favorite mini-library, though I also enjoy learning more about soap, toothpaste, and some of the other materials available for perusal.
But I was reading about shampoo, and I found a phrase which caught my attention: All Natural Ingredients.
At first glance, it sounded impressive. But then I read the list.
It included substances that, to put it mildly, did not sound like they grew on trees.
Whatever “natural” meant on that label, it clearly required a very generous definition.
That little moment made me laugh. And then it got me thinking.
The Gospel makes a similar-sounding claim: All Natural. Nothing Artificial.
But in this case, the words are true.
The Original Design
The Law of God reflects the world as it was meant to be.
When the Decalogue stakes its claim: “you’ll not covet…”, it’s because the “all natural, nothing artificial” world is one where everyone has all they need… you’ll not covet.
When we hear, “you’ll not commit adultery”, it’s because the “all natural, nothing artificial” world as God made it is a world filled with such faithfulness and love that, well, you’ll not commit adultery!
In other words, sin is “artificial”. There’s nothing natural about it.
Our lives, as described by the overwhelmingly demanding law of God, are at their most natural when we are in perfect communion with God and with one another.
That’s the all natural, nothing artificial life.
The 10 commandments are not imported into human life from the outside. They describe something already written into creation.
To love, to serve, to live in trust and truthfulness—these are not alien to us.
They belong.
They align with the design of both creation and humanity.
The Law describes the contours of a world in tune with its Maker.
Contaminated
Sin disrupts that pattern.
It introduces elements that do not belong.
Scripture consistently treats death, pride, hatred, and deception as intruders.
They may be everywhere now, but they were never meant to be here.
Our condition may be common, but it is not normal… it’s not natural to steal or hate or kill.
The world groans. Our lives ache. And even the best among us feel disjointed.
Something is off. We sense it.
The artificial has gotten into the system, and we end up living a sub-standard life.
The Work of Christ
Jesus comes as the fulfillment of the original design.
He does not sidestep humanity or override creation, unfairly invoking his Godly powers as a cruel judgment against our pathetic efforts.
Jesus steps into all-natural life in the most all-natural way imaginable.
He’s born of a woman. He’s born under the law. There is nothing unnatural about Jesus at all.
He lives the life Adam could not. He walks the pattern of holiness without wavering.
He carries no additives. No distortion. No pretense. Just perfect obedience and trust, all the way to the cross.
Here’s what that means: the Resurrection is also completely NATURAL.
It is all-natural for the Divine Word of Truth and Love and Grace and Light and Life to have the final word, undoing the synthetic rule of death.
Through Jesus, God makes all things right again.
Sanctification and Simplicity
When God lays claim to us through baptism, through the Word, through the Table, He is restoring us according to His original design.
It is the return of breath to lungs, light to eyes, and joy to the heart.
Sanctification is the slow undoing of the ill-effects of artificial additives.
Selfishness is like fake cherry flavor - falsely promising us that it will satisfy us.
Spirit-led Christian charity is the real thing - blessing us with a revelation of sweetness and just the right amount of tart.
We are not the Potassium Chloride of the world, we are its Salt. All-Natural, Nothing Artificial.
The fruits of the spirit are apples and oranges and pomegranates, not Snickers, KitKats, and Fruit Roll-Ups.
No Additives Required
The world often praises whatever feels immediate or urgent.
It redefines "natural" as whatever comes first to mind or instinct.
But Scripture speaks differently.
The truly natural life is the one formed by the Spirit and shaped by the Word.
It’s the life that mirrors Christ.
This is the life the Gospel creates. It is whole. It is clean. It is real.
All natural. Nothing artificial.
