[Pursue the Light Series] Pursue the Light Sample

Counterfeit Vs. Real Christians

Have you ever been fooled by an impersonator? They look, dress, and move like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears or Justin Bieber, but they are not them. Sometimes you can be tricked into believing that they are the real deal. However, if you look close and long enough, you will see that something is off. It is a lot of fun and entertaining to look at them. As long as the impersonator is performing on a show, everything is fine. 

But what happens when we encounter real-life impersonators, people who look and act in a certain way but are world-class deceivers? Once the fun ends, we might find ourselves in a dangerous, vulnerable position. 

In the first letter of John, the apostle deals with spiritual impersonators. He writes to a church placed in modern-day Turkey, warning them about people who are in the congregation deceiving and causing divisions among them. 

These counterfeit Christians claimed to know God, but their actions denied it. John addresses the problem of people who claim to know the Light (God) but walk in darkness. This is important for us because we live in a time, age, and culture filled with people who call themselves Christians, but are not. And more importantly, the danger John sees is that we might be deceiving not only those around us but even ourselves! 

Are we walking in alignment with God’s Word, or are we following the ways of the world? Are God’s Kingdom and His will a priority in our lives, or do we care more about what our friends, family, or culture say our lives should be like? John says: “If we say we have no sin; we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 ESV). When God comes to our lives, everything is exposed and revealed; we cannot hide anything from Him. The realization of who God is brings us to understand that we are sinners to the core, in desperate need of a savior.

Real Christians are aware of their sin and understand that God had to provide the solution to our problem because we could not save ourselves. Let that truth sink in and examine yourself, always keeping in mind that Jesus loved you and gave His life so that you and I could have fellowship with Him forever. Let us walk in the Light!