How to Identify a Counterfeit (2 Cor. 11:12-18)
Today we live in a media saturated world where we find dozens of "medicine men and women" dishing all kinds of partial truths. We all need the Holy Spirit’s discernment to identify counterfeit teachers, leaders and purveyors of ideas that are not 100% true. They are often conniving, contemptuous of authority, and critical of anyone who might seek to hold them accountable to the truth. Let us learn to test the spirits to see if they are really from God (I John 4:1-10)
Paul faced the counterfeiters of his day with the word, the witness of the Spirit and the clarity of His own apostolic credentials in 2 Cor 11:12-18:
"But what I do, I will continue to do in order to cut off the claim of those who would like to find an occasion and incentive to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms that we do. For such men are false apostles (counterfeits, spurious) deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ the Messiah." (Cor. 11:12,13)
1. Find out if their teaching confirms scripture. "Study to show yourself approved of God. A workman who does not need to be ashamed. Handling accurately the word of truth." (2 Tim 2:15)
2. Does the teacher affirm and proclaim that Jesus Christ is God, who came into the world as a man to save people from their sin and be the sole substitutionary payment for their sin and by repenting and believing in Him alone, they may have Christ and the free gift of eternal life. (Eph. 2:8,9)
3. Is the teacher’s life-style consistent with Biblical moral, teaching and examples. (Matt 12:33-37)
4. Does the person follow Paul’s self-corrective advice since Paul presented His own credentials and credibility of service to counteract charges that the false teachers were making against him. Sometimes, we need to present the facts in the light of day and let the truth be told and defended in the light of righteous evaluators.
5. Is one facing critics by confronting misrepresentation of facts, misconstruing of information and misguiding of ideas. Paul was angry that the false teachers had impressed and deceived the Corinthians (2 Cor 11:13-15) Sometimes, we need to exhibit a righteous indignation against counterfeiters and take our cause to the Lord and to the proper authorities for exposure reasons.
6. Is one being assured that the trials we face and the difficulties that God allows in dealing with counterfeiters will be used for our benefit. He still works all things together for good as we exhibit our love for Him as those who called according to His purposes. (Rom 8:28,29) We may not like to eat raw eggs, flour or salt, but if it is mixed together and baked, it can come out as a delicious cake. Let the Lord work all things together for your benefit by cooperating with all that He allows to come in to your life.
7. Is one trusting that the trials, hurts and attacks from devious people will be shielded and filter by our heavenly Father who fights the battles for us. "Not by power or by might, but by my Spirit says, the Lord of hosts. This mountain will be removed, by my Spirit says the Lord." (Zech 4:6-10)
8. Is one allowing the Lord to build character, conviction and clarity in your own life, mind and ministries. Understand that only by staying in the word can we remain pure, true, noble and right. Otherwise, we all tend to drift off the mark. Learn to leave the ultimate judging to God and His truth. He is the only one who knows all the facts, is completely impartial and owns the right to make the final judgment. (Rom 14)
Illustration:Beware of …
Beware of false gods (Exodus 20:3), false prophets (Matthew 7:15), false Christs (Matthew 24:24), another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4), another gospel (Galatians 1:6), false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:26), false teachers (2 Peter 2:1-2), false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13), and Satan who deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9).
Illustration: Discerning the Genuine
A Chinese boy who wanted to learn about jade went to study with a talented old teacher. This gentle man put a piece of the precious stone into his hand and told him to hold it tight. Then he began to talk of philosophy, men, women, the sun and almost everything under it. After an hour he took back the stone and sent the boy home. The procedure was repeated for several weeks. The boy became frustrated. When would he be told about the jade? He was too polite, however, to question the wisdom of his venerable teacher. Then one day, when the old man put a stone into his hands, the boy cried out instinctively, ‘That’s not jade!’“
Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching
Phoney Medical Degrees
An estimated 10,000 physicians have phony foreign medical degrees that brought one broker of fraudulent diplomas $1.5 million over three years, a congressional panel was told Friday. Claude Pepper, Democrat-Florida, said many American citizens may be receiving medical treatment from doctors who lied on their medical school loan applications, and used the money not to go to school but to pay a broker for fake documents claiming they completed school and training. Pedro DeMesones, now serving a three-year prison sentence for mail fraud and conspiracy, told the panel that in three years of “expediting” medical degrees, he provided about 100 clients with false transcripts showing they had fulfilled medical requirements of schools they didn’t attend. “Clients paid me from $5225 to $27,000 for my services, “ DeMesones said. “In all I earned about $1.5 million in those three years. I only got to keep about $500,000 of this total. The rest went for bribes and expenses.”
Spokesman Review, 12-8-84
1. What do you suppose are the types of counterfeit beliefs that try to imitate genuine saving faith? A counterfeit is an imitation of something genuine that attempts to deceive someone.
It is a sad thing to have to say, but there are many counterfeit Christians who are pretending to know the Lord, but lack genuine saving faith.
Even the best counterfeit faith that comes closely to resembling the kind of faith that justifies one before God is inadequate for getting someone into heaven.
Imposters are eventually exposed because their faith does not produce good fruit. Let us examine some of the different types of counterfeit faith so we can learn to distinguish between what is genuine from what is an imitation.
2. Paul talks about the type of faith that is based on good deeds. When writing to the Ephesians Paul makes it clear that a faith that relies on doing good is inadequate to meet God’s standards. He wrote, "For by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through your faith. And this salvation is not of yourselves (of your own doing) it came not through your own striving, but it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2:8,9)
Make it clear to anyone who is relying on their efforts, good works or personal sincerity is probably not a Christian. Only a person who has a faith that receives Christ’s free gift of forgiveness is true Christian.
Ask the Lord to help you show people how to stop trusting in their good deeds, their morality or their religious experiences to become righteous in God’s eyes.
3. Another type of counterfeit faith believes in right doctrine but not in redemption through Christ’s righteousness alone. Many denomination teach the necessity of faith plus additional requirements for salvation. James writes, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble." (James 3:19)
Some people have an intellectual understanding of correct Biblical doctrine, but they may lack a conviction that brings one justification through Christ’s atoning blood. Faith that leaves out the conviction of the soul in Christ’s finished work on the cross is ingenuous.
Ask the Lord to help you show people how they can get beyond mere intellectual understanding to develop personal convictions about Christ’s redemptive work for their personal sins.
4. Counterfeit faith is also seen in some who say they believe and yet fail to show work through love. James wrote, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead." (James 3:17) If a person professes to believe in Christ but has no labor of love, their faith is counterfeit. Christ’s love in us causes one to demonstrate love through our good deeds. John also wrote, "But whoever has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him how does the love of God abide in him?" (I John 3:17)
Ask the Lord to help you give daily evidence through works of love to assure your hearts of your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
5. Counterfeit faith is also seen in foolish people who talk about faith yet it does not change their lifestyle. James wrote, "Are you willing to be shown proof, you foolish, unproductive and spiritually deficient fellow, that faith apart from good works is inactive and ineffective and worthless." (James 3:20) Unless a person’s faith is yielding qualitative and quantitative fruit, the faith is defective.
An idle, ineffective and insipid faith is merely an empty claim that yields no fruit. Too many people are deceiving themselves that their faith is actually alive when it is dead.
Nobody really wants to live an empty and meaningless existence.
Ask the Lord to help you bring people to the realization that their faith may be unproductive so they can lay hold of the saving faith that produces good fruit.
Illustration: Vacation in Zambia
If you’re planning to vacation in Zambia, beware of the street-corner “emerald vendors.” And if you’re driving, be prepared for some confusion in the streets, owing to stolen traffic lights. The two warnings are related: The traffic light thieves are selling green glass chips to unsuspecting tourists who think they’re getting bargain-basement emeralds.
March, 1980, Reader’s Digest
6. Paul also talks about a counterfeit faith that is based on faulty pride. Solomon once wrote, "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling." (Prov. 16:18)
When a person thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.
Pride is an over-exaggerated opinion of oneself that results in haughty behavior.
Many of Jews were so proud of their religious heritage they did not feel they needed this saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Do not let pride send you to hell. Humbling yourself before the mighty hand of God is a sure formula to be lifted up for all eternity. Ask the Lord to help you encourage others with the words of Peter, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourself before the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in the proper time." (I Pet. 5:5,6)
Conclusion:When Hudson Taylor went to China, he made the voyage on a sailing vessel. As it neared the channel between the southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship. "Mr. Taylor," he said, "we have no wind. We are drifting toward an island where the people are heathen, and I fear they are cannibals." "What can I do?" asked Taylor. "I understand that you believe in God. I want you to pray for wind." "All right, Captain, I will, but you must set the sail." "Why that’s ridiculous! There’s not even the slightest breeze. Besides, the sailors will think I’m crazy." But finally, because of Taylor’s insistence, he agreed. Forty- five minutes later he returned and found the missionary still on his knees. "You can stop praying now," said the captain. "We’ve got more wind than we know what to do with!"
Taylor differentiated himself as a true man sent by God to China from all those who might seek to suggest he was a mere zealot by the exhibition of His faith, obedience, and testimony to the truth of God’s power overcoming all forces to plant and grow His church.
Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matt 16:18-20)
