Don’t Be Fooled: 3 Ways to Spot Counterfeit Signs
Jesus said they would come and left us safeguards.
Question: How can we discern false signs and wonders and alleged miracles of other religions? “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).
Response: God has provided several safeguards, but first let me say I agree with your assumption: God still performs miracles today. Some believe the miracles, signs, and wonders in the book of Acts ceased soon thereafter and God doesn't work this way anymore. Two things have not changed that I believe discount that understanding:
The Gospel. The church perseveres in an environment as hostile as the first century, when God validated the church's preaching and presence, "bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit" (Hebrews 2:4). The Gospel proclaims the supernatural change in the heart of the individual while miracles bear witness by working supernaturally in the physical realm. This witness is just as necessary today.
Christ. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus is no less a miracle worker now than He was then, and the need is no less.
Now, for the safeguards.
1. See where the sign points.
Signs primarily point away from themselves to something else. When we are on the highway, we're thankful to see "Atlanta 25 miles" and move on, glad for its help in measuring our progress.
Ask yourself, What does the sign point to? Amazing as they may be, counterfeits typically promote themselves and the wonder-worker. They want your focus.
An early disciple, Simon the Sorcerer, wanted this kind of self-promotion when he saw evidence of the Holy Spirit in believers on whom the apostles laid hands (Acts 8:18). The apostles spurned him.
In contrast, the disciples performed many wonders and signs with this result: "Fear came upon every soul" (Acts 2:43). Throughout Acts, the fear and wonder of God accompanied the signs which pointed beyond the disciples to the God who worked through them.
Counterfeits dazzle; the genuine points to the truth. If a sign leads you elsewhere, it's a dead end.
2. Test its message.
Examine whether the sign aligns with God's word. Signs are not the message but serve it up. What do they want you to believe?
An example will help.
Moses was apprehensive when God sent him to Egypt to liberate the Hebrews. "Who will believe me?" he asked.
God answered with three signs. "It will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign" (Exodus 4:8).
God reveals here an important property of signs: they relate a message. He gave Moses three signs to communicate one thing to the enslaved Hebrews: "The LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you" (Exodus 4:5).
Beyond this, God added that He would "multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt."
And their message? "The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD" (Exodus 7:5).
The Egyptian magicians replicated several of Moses's signs, professing by their counterfeits, "Our gods are as powerful as Israel's. Pay no attention to Moses."
If a miracle leads you to somewhere besides the truth, it is a dead end.
And the counterfeits had their desired effect. "Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them" (Exodus 7:22).
Fast-forward to us who proclaim that God sent Jesus from heaven and that whoever believes Him may have eternal life. Like Moses, we ask, "Who will believe us?" Signs that affirm this truth will have this effect: "We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true ... This is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:20).
Genuine signs affirm God, not us. When a miracle, sign, or wonder gets your attention, does it harden your heart toward God (like Pharaoh)? Does it affirm you in your ways, or establish you in the truth?
3. Get to know the real Jesus.
The ultimate safeguard is to know the truth thoroughly.
Jesus warned that many will come in His name and perform powerful deceptions.
I have warned you, do not believe them. (Matthew 24:25-26).
How can we discern these imitators? There are two ways.
First, two tips for spotting counterfeit bills will help.
Use your knowledge of genuine currency.
Use a genuine note for comparison.
Know what a genuine bill looks like and have one with you. It has been said that bank tellers spend inordinate time examining the genuine to become so familiar that they can quickly spot the counterfeit.
In the context of this discussion, know Jesus that well and have Him with you. This means a wholehearted commitment to Jesus's command: Abide in Me.
Spend time in the Bible. Let God train you to hear His words and voice.
Spend time with Jesus—attend church to watch Him with His people. Jesus said that when we gather in His name, He is with us. Private devotions are important, but gathering with believers is necessary (Hebrews 10:25).
Listen and talk to Him in prayer.
Second, discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of discernment that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12:10 enables us to distinguish the false and to withdraw. This may explain Jude’s confidence when he wrote: "To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 1:24).
The graphic I chose for this discussion highlights the skill of counterfeits. This is not a photograph, but an image generated by artificial intelligence. The adage, you can't believe your eyes, is truer than ever.
But we need not fear. God has given us safeguards and backs up the promise that Paul counted on: I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Timothy 1:12).
These are the days to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
Commit yourself to the Lord. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
Do this, and no counterfeit can fool you.
Excellent and timely.