A Divine Warning to Frauds, Fakes, and Phonies
The largely unbelieving masses see the Bible as a curious collection of ancient tales that bears little relevance in today’s world, but to those among us who have placed their faith in Christ Jesus as Savior, the Bible is nothing less than God’s inerrant, divinely inspired word written for the benefit of His people. The Apostle Paul, the most prolific of the New Testament authors, wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16, 17 NASB).” Those who devote themselves to the ongoing study of God’s word will readily attest that the Bible is a supernatural book brimming with hope, comfort, and encouragement. Furthermore, the Bible is a book of trustworthy, straight-forward answers that addresses the many monumental concerns that haunt troubled souls: sin, loneliness, fear, meaninglessness, anxiety, frustration, death, despair, hopelessness, and the mortifying dread of an uncertain eternity. If I may speak personally, one of my favorite verses in the Bible is Philippians 1:6; in this passage, we are told that once God begins a good work in the life of a believer, He will see that work to its ultimate completion. Many years ago, God began a good work in my life and He will neither give up on me nor abandon me. I belong to Him and nothing or no one is going to take me from Him. I may not be much, but by His grace, I am His for all eternity. I have lost car keys, credit cards, my hair, a rather valuable guitar, money, and even a wife, but I cannot lose my salvation. I find more than a little comfort in this unbreakable pledge of record in God’s infallible word. If you are my Christian brother or sister, you, too, have your preferred Bible passages. I am inclined to think the Twenty-third Psalm and John 3:16 are two universal favorites. As mentioned, the Bible overflows with good news. In today’s turbulent political and social climates, who would not welcome some good news?
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But there is more to the Bible than green pastures and still waters and a heavenly avenue paved with gold. The Bible also contains explicit threats and warnings to those steeped in rebellion and disobedience. Our Lord Jesus was quick to condemn the immoral, the unrepentant, the perverse, and the hypocritical. He referred to such as “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” and “whitewashed tombs filled with dead men’s bones.” He also warned that the godless would be consigned to everlasting torment throughout the endless ages to come. Jesus was not one to mince words, and He scarcely skirted around controversial issues. He meant what He said and He said what He meant. Perhaps the Lord Jesus’ most frightening words appear in the seventh chapter of Matthew:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV)!’”
Do not miss the point of our Lord’s teachings. Many who tote leather-bound Bibles, wear gold crosses, sing in choirs, and place offerings in brass collection plates are not genuine believers. For that matter, not everyone who graduated from seminary or answers to “Reverend” is a bonafide servant of our Lord. The pulpits and pews stagger under the weight of frauds, fakes, and phonies. Our Lord Jesus pointed to those who will one day plead, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” as examples of counterfeit Christians—children of wrath hiding behind a mask of piety concealing a grotesque face of spiritual rottenness. Their prophesying, miracles, and apparent authority over demons will perish with them, for the Holy Spirit of God, who indwells genuine believers, does not abide within them. Seeing beyond their flimsy façades of spiritual respectability, the Lord will scoff at their meaningless professions of faith and their acts of righteousness will be exposed as vain, empty, and farcical.
During His earthly ministry, our Savior severely warned that hypocrites will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:20). Others may be deceived by their pomp and platitudes, but Jesus sees the unmasked hearts of those who profess His name. He knows His own and He will not be misled by the glib tongues and hardened hearts of spiritual phonies.
Counterfeit Christians are everywhere. We find them in the pulpits. Many are widely followed on television. Designer clothes and private jets are dead giveaways. But not all counterfeits have bully pulpits. There are the rank-and-file phonies who serve as deacons, attend small group Bible studies, and occupy the pews around us. They invoke the name of Jesus for ends other than salvation. For some, it is greed. For others, it is political, social, or both. They do not love Jesus; their affections are fixed upon what Jesus can do for them. In the end, they and their spurious motives will perish.
Many well-meaning Christians believe critical messages as this are unloving, unkind, and unnecessarily divisive, but sincere Christians should seek to remove these frauds, fakes, and phonies in their midst. They are an afront to God and pose dangers to the body of Christ. I am reminded that John the Baptizer called out his audience for being a “brood of vipers (Matthew 3:7).” Let those who think we should embrace the fork-tongued crowd slither back under their rocks.
