Read 1 John 1:2
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we
proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and
has appeared to us.
1 John 1:2
Counterfeit Christians—and they are common—are something like
counterfeit money. Suppose you have a counterfeit bill and actually
think it is genuine. You use it to pay for a tank of gas. The gas station
manager uses the bill to buy supplies. The supplier uses the bill to pay
the grocer. The grocer bundles the bill up with forty-nine other bills
and takes it to the bank. And the teller says, “I’m sorry, but this bill
is a counterfeit.”
That bill may have done a lot of good while it was in circulation,
but when it arrived at the bank, it was exposed for what it really was
and put out of circulation.
So it is with counterfeit Christians. They may do many good
things in this life, but when they face the final judgment, they will be
rejected. Each of us must ask ourselves honestly, “Am I a true child
of God, or am I a counterfeit Christian? Have I truly been born of
God?”
Something to Ponder
Even if your Christian commitment is genuine, what are some “counterfeit” behaviors that can affect your spiritual growth?