Confronting Spiritual Counterfeits by Jim Baugh

Counterfeiting United States currency is, and always has been a huge problem for out nation. For example, in 1989 it was reported that 82% of $100 bills circulated in Europe were counterfeit! 82%! That is why the U.S. continues to design and implement changes in our currency to make it more difficult to counterfeit. Now just the other day I picked up a little “counterfeit” cash myself! I got it at a Walgreen’s for $1.99. There were two $1,000,000 bills in this package. Of course they say in small letters “This note is non-negotiable, its sole purpose is to promote special events and good times.” It would take someone a long time to discover these bills are worthless! For, they do have the style and symbolism of real cash; however they have no substance. They are worthless.

Anything of value risks being counterfeited. Is the truth of Christianity really valuable to you? Is it valuable to those yet without a real relationship with Christ? You better believe it is. Peter says our redemption was not, nor could it ever be purchased with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. The gospel message is all about that price of our redemption, and how one can receive it as a free gift through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the value of that message we can be sure that the enemy will seek to provide a counterfeit to keep people dissuaded from discovering the real thing.

Every epistle in the New Testament warns believers and exhorts them to explore counterfeit teachers and teaching. In our article today, we will look at Titus 1:9-16 to see exactly what God’s church must do to confront counterfeit Christianity. Verse nine tells us specifically that church leaders, as well as the individual believers must be “Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he might be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” In essence, Paul tells Titus that there will be those who rise up both inside and outside the believing church who will oppose the truth, and seek to oppose the truth through deception. Paul then tells us what to do with these who peddle false faith.

Their Stories Must Be Stopped.
In verse 10, Paul calls these false teachers “idle talkers” because they have great oratory skills, but say absolutely nothing of substance. In fact, it’s even more sinister.

They Delight in Deception. Vs 10-11
“For these are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert (that is, they split apart, they destroy) whole households.” The word household can be rightly applied in two ways. Sometimes a local church is called a “household” in the New Testament. In Philemon 2, Paul writes about the “church that meets in Philemon’s house.” The word household also speaks of a family. That’s who false teachers destroy. They destroy church families, and they destroy families as well. In our age of “tolerance,” too often churches become tolerant of unbiblical teaching. As a result, people don’t know how to discern truth from error. Stories of cults gaining access to local congregations are numerous. I was talking to a dear woman from Texas just last week about the aberrant doctrine of the Mormon faith. She said she had an idea of what Mormons taught, she just knew them to be kind people. I agreed with her opinions on them being kind, unless you confront them with God’s truth about the Real Gospel! Regardless, we must proclaim the truth.

What are the marks of counterfeit Christianity? Let me give you five:

1. it offers “new” revelation apart from the Bible.
2. it denies the Bible as the only authority for faith.
3. it denies the deity of Jesus Christ.
4. it denies salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone as savior and Lord.
5. A counterfeit gospel is always followed by rules and regulations that must be followed to ever have a hope of heaven. As Bruce McConkie states in his book “Mormon Doctrine” The LDS church teaches that salvation is by grace coupled with obedience to laws and ordinances of the Mormon Gospel. (p. 671)

False religions make up their own rules, and statistics. Even when confronted with the fallacy of their rules, they delight in them anyway. One evening I had a conversation with a young LDS “elder” that brought his witnessing trainee to the church. He asked me if I believed the book of Mormon to be the book of God. I said absolutely not. He asked me why. I told him I did not believe because of the so-called prophet who presented it, Joseph Smith. Deuteronomy 18 tells me that if one claims to be a prophet of God, and yet fails in just one prophesy, he is false and is not to be listened to. He is to be taken out and stoned to death. Joseph Smith had more than one failed prophesy; of which stated that the Lord would return to earth to set up his kingdom in 1891 (History of the Church, Volume 2, p. 182). Evidently, the Lord Jesus didn’t get that date on his calendar! I shared numerous failed prophecies with this Mormon elder. In response the Mormon elder said, “All right, let’s say Joseph Smith was a false prophet. Do you believe the book of Mormon to be the word of God?” What’s his point? Even though Joseph Smith failed the prophet’s test, and proved to be deceptive, this young elder was willing to delight in the falsehood he was peddling.

Nevertheless, we must uphold the truth in a gracious, loving way. Their stories must be stopped and the truth about the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ must be told! We are called to be able to “give an answer” to others about the hope that lies within us, yet with gentleness and reverence. That’s my prayer for you and I. Counterfeit Christians must be confronted with the true claims for Christ. Remember that as you share the word with others, that it is the most powerful spiritual weapon there is. God’s word will not return unto itself void. It will accomplish its intended result. Let’s share it!

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