Recognizing Counterfeits: How God’s Word Exposes Sin & Sanctifies Us
Photo by Dmytro Glazunov on Unsplash
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” –John 17:17 (NKJV)
Several years ago, when I was homeschooling all three of our girls, we took a memorable field trip with another family of three daughters to the Denver Mint and Denver Money Museum. I was so excited that such an essential government agency, offering free tours, was within a short drive of our home. My friend and I couldn’t wait to give our girls a hands-on lesson in history and economics by touring the Mint’s manufacturing facility and visiting the nearby interactive museum.
A popular tourist attraction, the Denver Mint was busy, but we explored artifacts and historical documents lining the hallway while waiting in line. In contrast, the Money Museum was nearly empty, giving us plenty of time to enjoy each educational station.
My friend, who had been a bank teller after high school, gathered our girls together to take a closer look at a display labeled, “Can you detect a counterfeit?” As she pointed out the highlighted areas on the display, she said something I’ll never forget.
“Back when I worked at a bank, we were trained to recognize counterfeit bills by studying everything about real ones very carefully,” she explained. “If you know everything you need to know about the original, it’s much easier to spot a fake.”
I couldn’t stop thinking about what she said, especially when I consider how applicable this principle is to other areas of life. In our current culture, the enemy’s deception isn’t limited to typical “worldly” sources—many so-called Christian books, music, philosophies, and even church environments offer messages that sound like truth but fall far short. As believers, we must know God’s truth well enough to recognize a counterfeit Gospel.
In John 17, Jesus prayed for His apostles and the believers who would follow them. “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world,” Jesus said in verse 16—the “world” being the culture and belief system that rejects God and His authority. Sound familiar?
However, Jesus followed this up by asking the Father to “sanctify them by Your truth,” clarifying that God’s word is not only the truth—it sanctifies us.
As believers, we are called to be separate from the unbelieving world, but God has provided us with all we need to be sanctified and set apart—His word and the Helper, the Holy Spirit of Truth. (John 15:26) When we read, meditate on, and apply God’s Word, it has the power to transform us, so we also reflect His truth.
Back to my former banker friend and the counterfeit cash display. I remember being so grateful that God has given us all we need to truly know the original—the Creator, the Way, the Truth, and the Life—and as Psalm 18:30 beautifully states, “As for God, His way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless.”
That’s why “hiding” God’s Word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11) is so critical. We live in a world that calls truth relative, filled with people who are proud to wear a banner of rebellion and unbelief labeled “my truth.” When we face temptations and counterfeit messages, especially from wolves in sheep’s clothing, we can count on His Word to make plain what is true and sanctify us in the process.
Questions for Reflection:
1. What specific practices have you adopted to become more familiar with God’s truth?
2. How do you discern which “Christian” messages are authentic and which are counterfeit?
3. What does it mean to you to know that God’s word will sanctify you?
