The best way to recognize a counterfeit is to know the REAL thing! Most of us will not fall for an obvious lie, but we can be fooled by a slight twist of the truth.

Know the Enemy’s Strategy

In Genesis 3:1, Satan only changed a few words from God’s original commandment to confuse Eve. When Satan tempted Jesus in Matthew 4, he quoted scripture to lure Jesus into sin. Jesus quickly saw the verses had been taken out of context and used for wrong motives. People can be easily led astray by the use of scripture that gives the appearance of following God, but actually promotes selfishness and pleasure-seeking.

Know the Whole Truth

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The Bible is a complete message from God, so it all fits together. Be careful of taking verses out of context. Like the Bereans, study the scriptures every day searching for an overall understanding. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into the truth according to Jesus’ promise in John 14:16-17,26.

Know the Meaning

Pay attention to the meaning of words, and check everything against the rest of scripture. If someone talks about “Jesus,” make sure they are talking about the Jesus of the Bible who is God and rose from the dead. “...just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily listen to whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach..” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

Some say that because God is “love,” you can do whatever you want. Some say God is a “judge,” so you must obey these strict laws. Both of these ignore the total truth of scripture summarized in John 3:16 - God does love us! He graciously gave His Son Jesus to save us. Why do we need a Savior? God’s holiness required a just punishment (death) for our rebellion (sin) against God. Peace with God (eternal life) is a free gift for ALL who believe (have faith), just as it was for Abraham in Genesis 15:6 (See also Romans 4)

The entire Bible is a love letter to us from God our Creator. From beginning to end, it shows God lovingly pursuing us to bring us back into His plan which we rebelled against. If you want to go back to God’s plan, accept Christ today. How will you respond to God?