Counterfeit Christianity Part 2: The Counterfeiters Exposed! Series

Are you a Follower of Jesus? Are you truly a born again believer in Jesus Christ? Or can we be charged with being a counterfeit? For a lot of us, as Christians we dismiss this question because it almost feels redundant or unnecessary. “Of course I’m a Christian. I filled all the squares. I walked the aisle, shook the hand of the preacher; said the sinner’s prayer; been dunked in the baptismal pool." These are good things and they are all important, but is that all there is to being a Christian?

If we were put on trial for being a Christian, what is the evidence that will convict us? What do we show the world? Having the Jesus Fish on the back of the car? Going to church, regularly (at least when there is not a sporting I must attend)? Owning more than 3 Bibles? Having a praise song for the ringtone on my cell phone? My picture in the church directory? Listening to Christian Radio in my car? Some may even say, “I teach Sunday School.” Others may say "I’m a deacon, I chair numerous church committees, I give regularly and give to all the special offerings during the year." Some even make the claim, "I vote republican as evidence of being Christian."

The real test, the real indicator of life that has been saved by the grace of God, is a life that is changed. A life that reflected a daily relationship with the savior. A life that lives obediently to the will of God. Today, we are not looking at who the world says we are, but whose we are. Who do Jesus say we are.

Matthew 7:21–23

ILL.- A lot of people do not like to wear seatbelts in their car even though it is the law.. According to the Associated Press, a New Zealander named Ivan Segedin took it to an extreme. The police ticketed him 32 times over five years for failing to use his seat belt. Even though this was costing him big money, Segedin refused to buckle up. Finally, instead of obeying the law, the man decided to rely on deception. He made a fake seat belt that would hang over his shoulder and make it appear that he was wearing a seat belt when he was not. Ivan was a counterfeit seatbelt wearer. But he was eventually exposed as such.

His trick worked for a while. Then, he had a head-on collision. He was thrown forward onto the steering wheel and killed. That man’s disobedience caused his death, but disobedience to God can cause even more trouble and a worse death! [1]

Today’s passage is from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, from chapters 5,6, and 7 in Matthew. In context to our verses, Jesus warns about false prophets (verses 15-20). The last verse of that section is key.

Matthew 7:20 (NKJV) Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Jesus calls us to be fruit inspectors, to spot false teachers and prophets. But what about us? What kind of fruits are we producing. Will people accuse us of being Christian by the fruit they see produced by us?

Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Calling Jesus “Lord, Lord,” is not a bad thing. Our test for belonging to Jesus is not based on the church vocabulary we use. The key to today’s message is this: “but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

Warren Wiersbe comments: “How easy it is to learn a religious vocabulary, and even memorize Bible verses and religious songs, and yet not obey God’s will…. Words are not a substitute for obedience, and neither are religious works. [2]

We have Bible studies, and we discuss, debate, praise, and admire the Word of God, but it is not the theological discourses of the Word of God that matters, what matters is if we do what the Word of God says.

James 1:22 (NKJV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

We fool ourselves if we believe God’s will is accomplished by merely discussing and analyzing His word. We must be doers of the word. Jesus said:

Luke 11:28 (NKJV) But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

The question is often asked, ”Just what is the will of God?” I would answer, "Are you doing the will of God that you know?" If you are not doing what you know, why would God reveal anything further to you? Jesus makes the comment:

Luke 6:46 (NKJV) “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?