2 Corinthians 12:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Blessed day to you! We live in a world where there is a very fast rise or increase in counterfeits and imitations. More and more items are being labeled and sold as genuine when they are actually counterfeits. Some of us are able to buy imitations products that may disappoint us because they really perform below the basic standards of quality. Of greater concern is the matter of spiritual counterfeits and imitations. There are counterfeit truths and counterfeit spiritual experiences. There are counterfeit believers or followers of Christ. This is a serious matter because the implications have eternal (never-ending) consequences. If a person has embraced a counterfeit gospel made up of cheap grace (salvation without genuine abandonment of lifestyles that are displeasing to God) or dead rituals (where one is required to practice to the letter some religious activities as a requirement for salvation), one is banking on a false hope. It’s like putting one’s whole future in a stale check or bouncing check. It will disappoint big time when the truth is revealed. Well, the good news is that God cares and wants you to be fully prepared and not caught unaware by counterfeits. He has spoken at many times and in many ways about the way to know if our so-called “relationship” with him is genuine or not. We are not being judgmental when we talk about these things. On the contrary, we are being truthful based on standards of truth that God, not we, set so that we can be genuinely pleasing to God and properly related to him. Remember that the devil is a liar, is the father of lies, and he accomplishes his evil plans mainly by propagating ideas that are not true. As we hold on to the truth, the lies of Satan are exposed and become ineffective in their attempt to mislead and destroy us. Let us pursue real change, genuine faith, and real conversion! Individually let us be authentic disciples of Jesus. Corporately, let us be the holy people of God. May our lives produce, through the inner work of the Holy Spirit and as a result of true repentance and faith, the fruits of a genuine relationship with God. May it be that when God looks at us, he will see his brand, his mark, his reflection in us! Have a wonderful day! God bless you and your family richly because of Jesus Christ! Lathur Badoy