Counterfeit Godliness

This world is full of counterfeits. It seems for everything, from industry to churches, someone has made a counterfeit and endeavors to present their product as the real thing. So, beware of counterfeit faith. Because of a desire for truth, we often listen to presentations on many topics to clarify different issues, but be careful.

About two days before the Passover during which He was crucified, Jesus was up on the Mount of Olives with His disciples. They asked Him a question regarding the time of His coming and what would be the signs. When Jesus answered them He mentioned nothing of the signs but said, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Matthew 24:4. In other words, Jesus warned them that there will be many counterfeits at the end time, and unless you know the truth, you will be deceived.

“From the very beginning of the great controversy in heaven it has been Satan’s purpose to overthrow the law of God. It was to accomplish this that he entered upon his rebellion against the Creator, and though he was cast out of heaven he has continued the same warfare upon the earth. To deceive men, and thus lead them to transgress God’s law, is the object which he has steadfastly pursued. …

“So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true, that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.” The Great Controversy, 582, 593.

Let us use this method to test the very first deception to man. It is written, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17. Adam and Eve were not ignorant of the fallen angel from heaven. Angels had instructed them and warned them about Satan. They knew that the devil did not have free reign in the Garden but was restricted to one place. They had been given freedom to eat of the fruit of the trees with the only exception being the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was forbidden fruit for them.

Anyone who knows anything of the Bible knows the story of Genesis 3. One day Eve strayed away from Adam and came close to the tree. “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea.” Verse 1. This was a very light greeting. Australians might say, “Hi there!” Americans might say, “How are you doing?” “Yea!” Satan carefully drew Eve in to create a conversation with her, to catch her off guard and manipulate her thinking. “Hello there!” “Hath God said … .” He punched the point in right there, and then he put his twist on everything. In fact, he put the question in such a way that it needed a response and forced Eve, in a sense, to communicate with him. He knew very well that she was not supposed to be there, but he quickly occupied her, putting thoughts into her mind. “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said … .” Verses 1–3. Had she maintained what “God hath said,” she would have had no problem.

This point needs to be clearly understood. The devil is the only one who promises eternal life in disobedience. The devil says you can believe God, but you can also disobey Him and still be saved. It is the devil’s philosophy that he has promoted from the beginning. His sole objective is to overthrow the law of God, which will lead you to transgress it. If you forget the counterfeit in the beginning, your whole theology will be jeopardized.

The serpent spoke to Eve’s curiosity, for she had never heard a serpent in the garden speak. That was the beginning of the deception. She thought the serpent was so smart. He captivated her thinking to reach all of her senses. He reached her sense of sight, hearing and touch. Now to convince her to taste, and he would win! Her thoughts were manipulated to bypass her intellectual reasoning, the power of the will to make decisions. She should have stayed with, “God said.” The serpent changed her thinking and then hit her with the punch line, “If you eat it, you will be like God.” The devil had reached her emotions. Me, like God? She stopped considering the word of God, “You shall surely die.” Overtaken by emotion, she lost her reasoning and finally she ate. From there you know what happened. That is why we are still here. Please understand, the devil is the only one who promises eternal life in disobedience.

Ellen G. White, in The Signs of the Times, May 28, 1894, says, “Before the last developments of the work of apostasy there will be a confusion of faith. There will not be clear and definite ideas concerning the mystery of God. One truth after another will be corrupted.” Every wind of doctrine will blow.

When a young lady who works at a bank, was asked if she knew how to detect a counterfeit bill, she answered that there is only one secret. Study the genuine and when you know what that looks like, every counterfeit bill that comes to the bank stands out as fake. That’s a good principle.

If you look at James 2:17 in any way other than how it is translated in the King James Version, perhaps it may impress you differently. “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Moving the two words being alone to its right setting, a stronger statement is made. “Even so faith being alone, if it hath not works, is dead.”

The belief prevailing in many churches today is that all you have to do is have faith alone. Faith is the channel, but faith alone is eternal death. There is no salvation in faith alone. James makes that very clear.

Once we know the truth, we can more easily recognize the error. Our works are the fruit of our faith. Obedience is the fruit of faith. We must make sure that we know the truth so we will detect the counterfeit when it comes. Faith without obedience is not faith. These two cannot be separated. Anyone who says they have faith in God—and who truly has that faith—will always be willing to obey Him.

No assurance of salvation is promised to anyone,—whether a pastor, a theologian, or lay person—who professes to have faith but refuses to obey God. Salvation can only be received by obedience. Thus faith without the works is eternal death.

The story of Joseph while working in Potiphar’s home illustrates this. While Potiphar was away, his wife tempted Joseph. Satan dearly wanted Joseph to fall by removing from him what up to this point had been unfailing obedience. However, to sustain his justification, he had to run away from the temptation and not transgress the law of God. There was no doubt that Joseph believed in God, but had he not resisted the proposition of Potipher’s wife, his faith would have been dead faith. He had to add works to his faith. In this instance, the works was to flee from the temptation.

“Obedience is the fruit of faith.” Steps to Christ, 461. Scripture and Spirit of Prophecy are in harmony with one another, as both were inspired by the same Spirit. “John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but that obedience was the fruit of faith and love.” The Acts of the Apostles, 563. Ellen White says it over and over again that obedience, or works, is the fruit of faith, the fruit of love. In other words, loving obedience has to come first before salvation is assured.

Ellen White states that, “Genuine faith will be manifested in good works; for good works are the fruits of faith. … It is by continual surrender of the will, by continual obedience, that the blessing of justification is retained.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 397. Joseph fled temptation so that “the blessing of justification” was “retained.”

In order to resist temptation, we need to be faithful to obey God. It does not happen once only, as “once saved, always saved.” It is a continual effort. The counterfeit that I want you to take note of is this:

  • Belief No. 1 – Obedience is the fruit of faith. (TRUE)
  • Belief No. 2 – Obedience is the fruit of salvation. (FALSE)

You must be able to detect the counterfeit when it comes. When somebody says to you that obedience is the fruit of salvation, or works is the fruit of salvation, immediately, if you are familiar with the true, you can detect the counterfeit, for obedience or works is not the fruit of salvation.

“The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been—just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness.” Steps to Christ, 62. Therefore, if obedience is a condition, then obedience has to precede or come before salvation is assured. Obedience cannot come after salvation. Obedience is the fruit of faith; obedience is not the fruit of salvation.

There are several evil effects of the teaching that with faith only, you are saved, and that obedience is the fruit of salvation.

  • This counterfeit belief teaches that the law has been done away at the cross and we just have to have faith. We stand up against those who preach this. But when teachings like this come to us, we don’t recognize it to be true.
  • The evil effect of this belief is that it teaches that one is saved in sin instead of from sin. The effect is that sin can be excused, and that is why we find sin prevailing in church today. The rate of divorce in the church right now is almost the same as the rate outside in the world. That’s why many of the churches now see no problem with having homosexual priests or officers in the church. The standard of truth is lowered.
  • This teaching immortalizes sin. In other words, you can continue to sin and still merit salvation.
  • This teaching declares that anyone who professes to believe in Christ will be saved the moment he or she says, “I believe in Jesus Christ.” There is no self-denial. There is no obedience. This teaching apparently declares that the devil is justified and can be taken back to heaven. James 2:19 states that the devil believes in God. So if we continue to teach that once we have faith, we’re saved, we must accept that the devil and his angels will also be saved. We contradict ourselves if we say otherwise.

“As we approach the close of time, as the people of God stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, Satan will, as of old, redouble his efforts to prevent them from entering the goodly land.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 457. He’s doing it right now. As the devil doubles up his efforts, we also need two or three times more of the Spirit of God.

In Revelation 2:1, it says, “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.” And verse 6 says, “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” God is saying, “You, in the church of Ephesus, you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans. I also hate it.”

Revelation 2:12 says, “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges.” The angel spoke to the church in Pergamos, and verse 15 says, “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.” There are some that are still believing in the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. This same doctrine of the Nicolaitans is now largely taught, that the gospel of Christ has made the law of God of no effect. The law is done away and that by believing we are released from the necessity of being doers of the word. This is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which Christ so unsparingly condemned.

The doctrine of the Nicolaitans is the doctrine of faith only and this has done away with the law of God. In the book of Revelation, right at the end time, God says that He hates this doctrine.

“I [Ellen White] was attending a meeting, and a large congregation were present. In my dream you were presenting the subject of faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith. You repeated several times that works amounted to nothing, that there were no conditions [in other words, salvation was unconditional]. The matter was presented in that light that I knew minds would be confused, and would not receive the correct impression in reference to faith and works, and I decided to write to you. You state this matter too strongly. There are conditions to our receiving justification and sanctification, and the righteousness of Christ. I know your meaning, but you leave a wrong impression upon many minds. While good works will not save even one soul, yet it is impossible for even one soul to be saved without good works.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 377.

“John did not teach that salvation was to be earned by obedience; but that obedience was the fruit of faith and love. ‘Ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins,’ he said, ‘and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.’ I John 3:5, 6. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in the heart, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God. The sanctified heart is in harmony with the precepts of God’s law.” The Acts of the Apostles, 563.

“We do not earn salvation by our obedience, for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith. ‘Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not’ (I John 3:5, 6). Here is the true test. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law. ‘Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous’ (verse 7). Righteousness is defined by the standard of God’s holy law, as expressed in the ten precepts given on Sinai.” Reflecting Christ, 274.

If I have a glass that contains 99 percent water and 1 percent of poison, the whole glass is poisoned. Truth and error mixed together is no more truth. It is a counterfeit. Today you will hear truth mixed with error prevailing everywhere—not only in America, but worldwide. It is a counterfeit, nonetheless. Faith alone is a counterfeit and is not justification by faith, as appealing as it may sound.

“The desire for an easy religion that requires no striving, no self-denial, no divorce from the follies of the world, has made the doctrine of faith, and faith only, a popular doctrine; but what saith the word of God? Says the apostle James: ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? … Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? … Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.’ James 2:14–24.” The Great Controversy, 472. The two go together and cannot be separated.

The Jewish people in the time of Christ did not have faith. They did not believe in Christ and had no faith in Him, their religion was one of works alone. Today, we have the opposite extreme of faith alone. We have gone from one extreme to another, entirely missing the truth. Our religion must be balanced but so many theologians attack works. Works are good, if they are wrought through the channel of faith and love to God. It is not a heresy, and it is not Pharisaical. (See James 2:14–24.)

“There are grand truths, long hidden under the rubbish of error, that are to be revealed to the people. The doctrine of justification by faith has been lost sight of by many who have professed to believe the third angel’s message. The Holiness people have gone to great extremes on this point. With great zeal they have taught, ‘Only believe in Christ, and be saved; but away with the law of God.’ This is not the teaching of the word of God. There is no foundation for such a faith. This is not precious gem of truth that God has given to His people for this time. This doctrine misleads honest souls.” The Review and Herald, August 13, 1889.

“As the storm approaches [talking about the time that is coming], a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition.” The Great Controversy, 608.

If as a church we continue to believe in faith only, the result will be that a large class will abandon the truth when the storm comes. They will become the enemies of those who have recognized the counterfeit.

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” I’ve heard a lot of people say, “As long as I accept Jesus Christ, I’m okay.” No one can accept Jesus Christ without truth, because He is the truth; He is the way. So when we accept Jesus Christ, we must accept His way, too. We must accept His conditions.

A few years back when my two girls were very small, they were getting ready to go to school, so when school started, I took time off from work in the morning and I held their hands because the buses were running on the road along with cars, and it was pretty unsafe for them to cross on their own. And they were little and they were going for the first time to school so I wanted to train them.

So I held their hands and I stood on the side of the road and I said, “Take note of what I’m going to say. I want you to look to the left and to the right; look to the left, and look to the right.” Now they don’t have a crossing guard on the road where I come from. You have to find your own way across the road. So I told them to look to the left and look to the right. When it is clear, you can go.

I continued to give them instructions and told them that if you do cross without looking to the right or to the left you will surely die. As I said it, I was crying. You see, the command was full of love. I didn’t give that command to kill them; I wanted to save their lives.

Holding their hands I made everything clear and took them across. I said, “Good bye,” and they left. For three days during that first week, we went through the same routine. Look to the left, look to the right; if you don’t look, you will surely die. And just because I said, “You will surely die,” somebody may say that I am mean. No, I said it because I love them, I don’t want them to die.

And when God said to Adam and Eve, “the day you eat thereof, you will surely die,” He had never intended to kill them. He was just telling them the consequence of eating from that tree: they would die. They would kill themselves. It was because of God’s love for them that He gave them such a dire warning. He did not want them to die. How sad that people can’t see that and as a result, misrepresent God! They see the command as a set of rules. They can’t see God’s loving protection in the command.

When we say we have faith in Jesus Christ, when we love Him, we recognize that obedience to the law of God is not something that is burdensome. Instead, we see the grace of God in providing boundaries for our protection, not wanting that any should die.

We see the love of God and His grace in sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross of Calvary. That very act of obedience unto death affirms the fact that obedience is a condition to eternal life. When we truly love God we will have faith in Him and obey Him. Salvation then will be assured.

Metusela Albert was a guest speaker at Steps to Life camp meeting in 2007. Any comments may be sent by email at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.