The Great Delusion
Words like “imitation,” “fake,” and “copy” are well known to all of us. There are also people who call themselves Christians who are actually not Christians at all.
Recently a car pulled up next to me and the driver offered me “best leather” goods for very little money. The offer took me by surprise, but I bought something small since I was in a hurry. Not long afterward, I noticed that the material was imitation leather, and it fell apart almost instantly!
There are many fake things that look so identical to the authentic article that you can hardly tell the difference: flowers, gold, diamonds, money, paintings, wood, carpets, etc. Sometimes it takes an expert to tell—often by tiny details—what is true and what is imitation.
In Christianity there are also copies and imitations, true and false Christians. This is very clearly portrayed in the parable of the ten virgins recorded in Matthew 25. The five foolish virgins were very similar to the wise virgins, only they lacked oil, which is a picture of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Many people live a Christian life because they are carried along by the tide of Christianity surrounding them. Their surroundings are Christian, and therefore they also regard themselves as Christians.
I do not want to rob anyone of the assurance of salvation they have in their hearts through the testimony of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, I am convinced that a Christian who has been spiritually born again cannot be lost (Hebrews 10:10, 14). But I would not want anyone to live with a false assurance to which he or she has no right.
Sometimes we are surprised when a person who seemed to be a Christian suddenly turns away from the faith and does not want to hear anything more of Jesus and His work on Calvary’s cross, even going so far as to deny it. The Apostle John also had this painful experience and wrote in his first letter, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John 2:19).
These people claim theological authority and believe they are serving God, but they know neither the Father nor the Son. That was the case at the time of the Crusaders and the Inquisition. Even today there is a theology that claims all authority for itself and denounces “fundamentalists.” Think about Islam and its many sects, which claim that God has no son.
According to one survey, one out of every two Americans claims to be a born-again Christian. Yet on closer examination it becomes clear that many are confusing the new birth with a good “feeling” where God and Jesus are concerned.
The Bible leaves no doubt in stating that besides true Christianity, which involves being born again out of “water and Spirit,” there is also a pseudo-Christianity comprised of “Christians” who are not united with Jesus, not rooted in Him and do not live with and through Him. Everything seems to be genuine, but they are mere imitations. In his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul referred to this sort of Christian as “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:5).
A statistic among confessing Christians in the United States1 is very sobering and is also representative of Christians in Europe:
If this is true in the United States, which has a Puritan background, how much more is it the case with the more superficial Europe?
The Lord Jesus made it very clear when He warned that there can be a mere confession of faith without any real content: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). The Lord was referring to two completely different things: two that are not enough to save us, and two that are indispensable.
Neither mere confession nor the performance of deeds in the name of Jesus is enough to save us for eternity. In so many Christian churches, denominations, missions and organizations, people who do not belong to Jesus pray formal prayers and perform Christian deeds in the name of the Lord. It is alarming that Jesus actually refers to these deeds as misdeeds: “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity!”
Two components for salvation are that we must do the will of God and God must know us. Doing the Father’s will does not mean doing larger and smaller good deeds; it means having faith in Jesus Christ. It is the conscious surrender of our lives to Him.
The Jews who lived at that time had plenty of “good deeds” to produce. Many were zealous followers of the Law, people who had studied God’s Word, driven out evil spirits and accomplished miracles. But one thing they did not want to do was believe in Jesus Christ and accept the grace they could receive through Him. They thought they could get to heaven without Him; they believed that God would acknowledge their good deeds and then grant them entry. But with these few words, Jesus dashed all of those hopes. They had to learn to accept that the will of God was for them to declare their own spiritual bankruptcy and believe in Jesus.
We have the same problem today. People who have been born into a Christian environment think they can get to heaven by performing Christian deeds. When told that they are lost, and that their good deeds are misdeeds in God’s eyes, most react with indignance because they think they do not need Jesus personally. When Jesus was asked, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” He answered, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:28-29)
God must know us. There will be people to whom the Lord Jesus will have to say in that day, “I never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity!”
It is not enough to believe in Jesus superficially or to accept Him only in a manner of speaking. We must have a personal relationship with Him. I could say, “I know Angela Merkel, the Federal Chancellor of Germany.” How do I know her? I’ve seen her on the news. But does she know me? Hardly! If I received a personal invitation to meet her, I naturally would accept it. Only then would I have a personal contact with her, and she would know me personally.
The Lord Jesus invites all people to come to Him personally: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Those who accept this invitation and come to Him with all of their sins will receive Him in their hearts and lives and believe in His name (John 1:12). Those who do that are known to the Father and the Son and will go to heaven: “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).
“Thou hast the name that thou lives…and art dead” (Revelation 3:1). Some people call themselves Christians, but they are Christians in name only. The Lord Jesus spoke about such people, who thought they were serving God, but who killed genuine Christians: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me” (John 16:2-3).
These people claim theological authority and believe they are serving God, but they know neither the Father nor the Son. That was the case at the time of the Crusaders and the Inquisition. Even today there is a theology that claims all authority for itself and denounces “fundamentalists.” Think about Islam and its many sects, which claim that God has no son.
As far back as 7 B.C., during the time of Jeremiah, there were spiritual dignitaries who were “men of God” in name only. We read Jeremiah’s lamentation: “The priests said not, Where is the Lord? And they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit” (Jeremiah 2:8).
Even a nominal Christian can fall away from his or her profession of faith.
Those who confess Christ with their lips but do not live Christian lives must ask themselves whether they have fallen prey to self-delusion.
Isn’t this just what we are seeing today? Many theologians have departed from the biblical faith and are following convictions that are of no value. They have opened themselves up to religions and spiritual trends that have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. This was also the case for the people of Israel who wandered in the wilderness. After Moses had praised the majesty of God (Deuteronomy 32:3-4), he said of the apostates, “They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation” (verse 5). So even such people who are not His children can fall away from Him.
Of the sons of the priest Eli, we read, “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord…wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for men abhorred the offering of the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12,17). They did not know the Lord because they abhorred the offerings. As long as a person (however “Christian” he or she may seem) abhors Jesus’ sacrifice for his or her sins, that person does not know the Lord.
The children of Israel left Egypt, but God was not pleased with most of them, which is why they perished in the wilderness (compare 1 Corinthians 10:1-12).
Balaam is a striking example of a man who was a believer in word and deed, yet who was spiritually dead (compare Numbers 22-24):
In spite of these facts, Balaam is described in the Bible as being a false prophet, a soothsayer and a deceiver (compare Numbers 31:16; Joshua 13:22; Nehemiah 13:1-3; 2 Peter 2:15-16; Jude 11 and Revelation 2:14-16). Why is this? Because Balaam tolerated compromise and mingling, and he led others to mingle. There was a discrepancy between his words and his deeds: “And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel” (Numbers 15:1-3). Balaam deceived the people of Israel into mingling with the Moabites (Numbers 31:16, Nehemiah 13:1-3). The Apostle Peter referred to Balaam as a man who “loved the wages of unrighteousness,” Jude identifies him as a deceiver (“the error of Balaam”) and in the book of Revelation he is portrayed as someone who led people to sin.
The Bible says of the endtimes that, “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). Those who tend to mingle and compromise, and tolerate behavior without any conviction, should ask themselves whether, in spite of a Christian appearance, they are true Christians. By this I do not mean the battle against sin that every child of God must wage. I am not talking about the “defeats” in the fight of faith that all children of God experience. I do mean whether we treat sin indifferently and flippantly, whether we cling to it and do not want to let go of it.
We are not saved by our own works, but by faith in Jesus Christ through our conversion to Him. Only those who have received the Son of God in their hearts and lives in childlike faith will be able to accomplish works that testify to the genuine nature of their faith. This faith must have its “roots” in the Word of God. The Lord Jesus said in His parable of the sower that there are people who will receive the Word of God with joy but have no root and later on fall away (Matthew 13:20-21). The root connects a plant to the earth from which it lives. It gives it stability, absorbs moisture and passes it on to the plant. The root is a picture of the Holy Spirit, through which we are rooted in God. The Holy Spirit passes life to us from God by absorbing food from the Word of God.
We can receive the Word of God superficially, sympathize with it, walk with Christians for a while and yet fall away because we were never really born again and have no “roots.” Jesus said to His disciples, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him” (John 6:64). According to Hebrews 6:4-6 there are people who have been “enlightened,” who have “tasted the heavenly gift,” and even “partaken of the Holy Spirit” …yet they will fall away. Why is this?
Such people can imitate Christianity for a while and participate in it. But one day they will “fall away” and deny Jesus. Many people ask how that is possible. When the Lord Jesus spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood in order to receive eternal life (John 6:53- 59), some of His disciples said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (verse 60), and turned away from Him (verse 66), although He had explained to them beforehand what this meant: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (verse 63).
“We deceive ourselves when we say, ‘We are all Christians!’ When I asked, ‘Why?’ the answer was usually, ‘I have Christian parents’ or even, ‘I had a Christian grandmother’!
Billy Graham used to say, ‘If a person is born in a garage, that doesn’t make him a car!’ And someone who is born into a Christian family is not automatically a Christian” (Wilhelm Busch).
Jesus said to Peter, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). On the one hand, the Lord was confirming Peter’s faith, but on the other hand He was speaking of the necessity of Peter’s future conversion. Peter could have said, “Lord, I am a Jew, a son of Abraham. I live according to the commandments, was circumcised on the eighth day, pray three times a day, keep the feast of the Passover and bring sacrifices. I have been following You for almost threeyears!” Yet that track record wasn’t enough; he had to be converted. The Apostle Paul had been zealous for the law, but he had to be converted, just as all the other apostles and disciples.
Every person who wants to be saved needs to be converted—even those who call themselves “Christians,” whether they are members of the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant, Evangelical or Free Church, even if they have been brought up in a Christian family. Many Christians are born into Christianity, just as Jews are born into Judaism, but the birth in itself does not provide salvation. Only a new birth does this: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In spite of baptism, confirmation, church attendance and participation in Holy Communion, we have to be converted; if this does not happen, we are lost.
When the Apostle Peter was later converted, and had experienced the new birth, he wrote in his first letter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
Those who have the testimony of the Holy Spirit that they have been born again (Romans 8:16) should rejoice over this assurance and thank Jesus Christ for it. Those who do not have this clear testimony of the Holy Spirit, and yet think they are Christians, could be making a big mistake. Such “Christians” can attain an assurance of salvation today, however, by turning to Jesus Christ. Why wait any longer?
How to Know God.
Did you know that you were created to have a loving relationship with God? He is patiently and lovingly waiting for you to respond to His invitation to salvation. Yes, you can receive forgiveness for your sins and assurance of eternal life through faith in His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17). "Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
You may be asking yourself: "How can I know God?" Man is able to know the true and living God through His Word (that is, the Bible). The Bible reveals God's character and His plan for mankind. It is through reading His Word that we come to a knowledge of the righteousness of God and that which He requires of us.
What is it that prevents us from personally knowing God? Our sin has separated us from God — our corruption is to such a degree that we cannot know Him personally and cannot experience His love. God's Word says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Man was created to have fellowship with God, but because of his sin (i.e., anything that is against the righteousness revealed in God's Law) he is prevented from that fellowship. This includes anything less than perfect obedience to God's commands.
"The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). The ultimate result of this death is an eternity in Hell. This spiritual death forces a separation from God. Man is sinful and God is holy. This creates a gulf unbridgeable by man making that intended fellowship impossible. The only solution is a divine bridge — that bridge is Christ.
God created a way by sending His Son to pay the price for our sin. "God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He died in our place; He who knew no sin became sin for us. This removed our burden of sin and allows us to enter into that desired fellowship if we follow His way.
He is the only way. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
It is not just enough that you know these truths. We must individually place our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It is by repenting of our sins and believing on Christ that we can know God personally and experience His love.
"But as many as receive Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10).
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
You can receive Jesus Christ right now by faith. "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).
If you now believe on God and place your faith in His Son, congratulations — and welcome to His family. We, all being His children, share in a heavenly inheritance! We are heirs to heaven and are promised the eternal pleasure of glorifying God. As our life here on earth progresses, God will continue to work in our hearts. We are daily being conformed to the image of Christ, Himself. We will begin to live lives of righteousness. Obedience to God will not be a burden to us, but rather a joy.
You may wonder, now that you are a Christian, "What now?" Our greatest recommendation for believers, new and old, is fourfold: 1) find a church so you might hear the preaching of the Word and rejoice in the fellowship of other Christians, 2) study the Bible for that is where we learn of God and His plans, 3) pray to Him to strengthen your faith and increase your love toward Him, and 4) enjoy the blessings given by God in the heavenly ordained sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. All of these will work to encourage and build upon your faith. If you have any questions, search the Scriptures, ask your Pastor, or please feel free to ask us.
Please send me an e-mail at HisMan@cox.net