The Counterfeit

How do you come to know the real from the counterfeit or the truth from the lie?  You study the real and the truth.  Bankers do this; they don’t spend a lot of time on the counterfeit, they study the real.  What I see is that many people have traded the truth for a lie like it says in Romans 1:25, “..because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Jesus said that He was the way, the truth and the life and the Word of God is also the truth and, if you are in the Word, you know that Jesus is also the Word of God.  It says this in John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Let me ask you this question: how will you know the counterfeit unless you study to know what is real, and the same thing goes with the truth?  God’s Word says this in 2 Timothy 2:14-19, “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

It also says this in God’s Word in John 6:31-47, “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.’

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They said, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.’”

Believers that are not in the Word and studying regularly can be deceived, and with all the hype and worldly wisdom that is piped into our houses on a regular bases via the media and other sources, one can easily be fooled into believing a lie and not the truth, especially when our society teaches that there are no truths or absolutes.  Believers need to stand on the truth of God’s Word and think of this, if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything, so stand on the promises of God, He and His Word are the truth.  And it is so important to teach the truth to your kids, don’t just depend on the Sunday School Teacher or the Pastor, it is your responsibility to teach your kids if you are a believer!!   They need to be grounded in the truth at a young age and they need to understand the truth and walk in it so they will not be able to be swayed in any other direction as they grow.

I have given you something to think about and I hope you will act on it.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!  I hope this has been an encouraging message. Praise the Lord!!