Good morning: According to one estimate, 70 million dollars in counterfeit bills are circulating in our country. Is the $10 bill in your wallet or purse real? How do you know? It’s fairly easy to determine. The Treasury Department designed genuine bills with certain features to verify their authenticity. Does your $10 bill have a watermark, color-changing ink, a security thread, and micro-printing? If it has them all, you can trust it’s genuine and that it can be used on your next shopping trip. Far more harmful than counterfeit money is false teaching about God and salvation that is passed off as real. It can look and sound convincing. It may attract hundreds or thousands of followers, either in-person or on social media. Those who teach it may be personable and sincere. Yet if it’s not God’s truth, it leaves people spiritually bankrupt. John wrote, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1). How can you spot the counterfeit? John continues, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 Jn. 4:2). There are many teachings in the Bible. All are important and all are intended to serve in revealing Jesus as the Son of God who became man while remaining true God. He took on our flesh and blood in order that He might be the perfectly obedient person we are not. He put Himself under God’s law that He might suffer the full penalty for our breaking of that law. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). The Father Himself verified Jesus’ authenticity when He said at Jesus’ baptism, “You are my beloved Son” (Lk. 3:22). That’s genuine spiritual currency which is worth more than all the money in the world. In everything that we hear and read, may we watch out for the counterfeit and treasure the real thing. Yours in Christ, Pastor Services tomorrow are at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday school is at 9:15 a.m. and the adult Bible class meets at 9:30 a.m. The public school confirmation class meets at 12:00 p.m.
