No one wants to waste his life. Everyone seeks a meaningful existence, but what do you hope to get out of your time on the planet? What’s your highest objective? Man pursues the same basic goals today that he did thousands of years ago. The prophet put these competing aims in perspective 26 centuries ago in Jeremiah 9: 23-24, “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”

You see, my highest purpose is to know God, greater than my wisdom, greater than my might, greater than my riches. We recognize the truth of God’s existence, so when we reflect on the beauty and complexity of the world around us, some men willfully close their eyes and suppress the self evident and some inconvenient truths.

Romans 1: 18-19 “Romans 1:18-19 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.”

The Bible highlights the lives of men and women who take the less traveled high road in seeking God since God’s ways are higher than man’s.

Isaiah 55: 8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

He reveals himself more fully through nearly 800,000 words of scripture. Although God makes himself known in various ways in the Old Testament, we find only a shadow or outline of what he ultimately intends for us to know.

Hebrews 10: 1 “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.“

Thankfully God willed that we see him more clearly in the New Testament era. God blesses us with literacy, Bible availability in our language and a super abundance of Bible related resources. Compare this to the limited knowledge even of the Jews under the old law compared to the Jews.

The gentiles knew nothing. Quoting from Jeremiah’s prophecy, the Bible says in Hebrews 8: 10-11, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.”

Are you one of the billions of people who claim to know the Lord today? In the first century many Jews would have said they did, but they did not pass the test. The Holy Spirit warns in Titus 1:16, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

When I discovered a book titled Christian Atheist, the oxymoron intrigued me. You likely share my first thought that is there is no such thing. The author, however, established his point when he based his title on Titus 1:16, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him”

After reflecting on this scripture, are you a Christian atheist? Are you a counterfeit Christian?

We find shocking examples of bogus believers in the Bible. You remember what the Israelites did when God gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, written with the finger of God, on Mount Sinai? The Bible says in Exodus 32: 1, “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”

Instead of rebuking them as a godly leader would do, Aaron rounded up the people’s golden earrings and made a golden calf. The people blasphemously declared in Exodus 32: 4-5, “after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord.”

The Bible says in Exodus 32: 6-7, “And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.”

How could the people of God do something so offensive and worship a false god? You know what happened? They professed to know God, but in works, they denied him. They knew what God expected, but they offered a substitute while seemingly still wanting credit from Jehovah.

Way back in Exodus 17:14, the Lord said he would wipe out the amalekites for attacking God’s people. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven,” Exodus 17:14.

The wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine. Years later, God gave unambiguous orders to King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:3 “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.”

The Israelites slaughtered the Amalekites that day, but not all of them as God had commanded. King Saul spared king Agag and the best of their livestock. This deeply disturbed the Almighty and moved the Prophet Samuel to cry out to the Lord all night. Shockingly, we see no remorse, no tears, no guilt from King Saul. You know what he did in the aftermath of this great blunder? He built a monument to himself, not unlike the dancing surrounding the worship of the golden calf. Everyone carried on as if all was well. It gets worse.

Look at the first words out of King Saul’s mouth when he saw the prophet in 1 Samuel 15:13, “And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” When Samuel Confronts Saul about the sounds of the livestock, the king blames the people. After the prophet rebukes the king for his disobedience, like many today, Saul reasserts his innocence and insists that he did obey God. No, what happened is King Saul professed to know God, but in works he denied him.

In 2 Kings 17: 7-17, the Israelites reject Jehovah’s pleadings to serve only him and chased after the gods of the heathens.

“For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger: For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God.
And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.,” 2 Kings 17: 7-17The Bible says, 2 Kings 17:18, 24-26, “Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land,” 2 Kings 7: 7-17.

When they asked the king of Assyria to explain why the Lord punished them, the king arranged for one of the priests they had carried away from Sumeria to dwell and Bethel and teach them how they should fear the lord, but instead of turning wholeheartedly to the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Bible says in 2 Kings 17:33, “They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.” Their half hearted devotion demonstrated again of people who profess to know God but in works denied him.

More people worldwide claim to know the God of the Bible today than ever before. Though many of them do not practice Judaism, 15 million Jews descend from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Muslims claim Allah is the god of Abraham. They admit, of course, that the Allah of Islam is not the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as we understand it as Christians. About 2.2 billion people consider themselves Christians today and claim to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In a very general sense, as Jeremiah predicted, more people know God than ever before, over 4 billion people.

Knowing of God is available to all people. Man could recognize God’s existence by considering the origin of his surroundings. The Spirit teaches in Romans 1:20-24, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.”

When man refused to recognize and serve Him, God “gave them up” to their own wicked imaginations. In the case of Israel, he allowed them to be carried off by enemies in the Old Testament and in 70 AD, he destroyed the temple and the city of Jerusalem, ending their adulturous worship. Today, he allows numerous false religions to exist, but they too will be judged.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” Preaching from prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament help men connect the dots so they may truly know God and understand how to please God fully, by his daily life and in fulfilling his religious obligations.

God reveals himself most clearly though through Jesus’ life and teaching. Jesus tells the disciples in John 14:7-9, “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” By knowing Jesus, we also know the Father.

Jesus also said in Matthew 11:27, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”

True Christianity revolves around knowing the Father in the Son.

Jesus said in John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” Jesus prayed in John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

The two questions today are

• 1) do we truly know the Father and Jesus, the Son?
• 2) will we respond accordingly to his teaching through the apostles and prophets in the New Testament.

Pharisee Saul of Tarsus eventually got it the hard way. He wrote as the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” He adds in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

If we know Jesus, like the Apostle Paul will not straddle the fence separating the world and the church. No, we’ll be all in just like he was. You may know a lot about Jesus and not really know him. Some people diligently read and study the New Testament, but never dig in and apply these teachings properly. Some people claim to have memorized the entire Bible and have amazing that head knowledge. However, it does not guarantee that one pleases God. God has given us the scripture to reveal himeself to us. These writings demand a call to action. They force us to choose God or Mammon to build on the rock or on the sand, to take the narrow or the broad way.

Here is the challenge: which path are you on? Titus 1:16, “They profess to know God, but in works they deny him.” One of the beauties of this scripture, is that it tells us how we can know if we know God. Controversy surrounds this issue, but not because the Bible is ambiguous.

The Bible teaches in 1 John 2:3, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments..”

Notice the apostle says nothing about hearing the voice of God or seeing a vision of Jesus or angels. Nothing about goose bumps, hair standing on end or warm sensations flowing through your body. So what does the Holy Spirit teach is the test of whether or not we truly know him? It’s been there in black and white for 2000 years. If we keep his commandments.

People have it backwards. Their emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus sounds reasonable, but that language often cloaks at defense for disobedience.

Many in churches today are clear examples of Titus 1:16, allow the subjective voices, visions, and vibrations to overrule the objective evidence of scripture. Instead of simply submitting to what the Bible says they live as if the voices, visions, and vibrations release them from obeying God’s word.

Watch though how pointed the Apostle John gets on the subject. He writes in 1 John 2:4, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” The spirit bluntly calls out those who say they know God, but disobey God as imposters charlatans, fakes broads and counterfeits.

If I disregard simple biblical teaching while claiming to know God, I’m only a cheap imitation, a knockoff and not the real thing for emphasis. The Spirit Inspires the apostle John to add in the very next verse, 1 John 4:5, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” By this we know that we are in him.

In 1 John 4:6, the Apostle John restates the same truth. “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

If you do not respond to the apostles’ teaching, you are not of God.

Not the professions, but the practices of men are the index of their true character.

Who wants God to view them as a counterfeit Christian? Yet this is the warning we hear echo from Titus 1:16, “They profess to know God, but in works they deny him.” The term counterfeit Christian may seem harsh, but Adam Clark explains in his commentary that the word translated as “reprobate” in the King James Bible means adulterated like a bad coin, deficient both in the weight and goodness of the metal and without the proper sterling stamp and consequently not currency.

If they did a good work, they did not do it in the spirit in which it should be performed. They had the name of God’s people, but they were counterfeit. The Prophet said, “Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them,” Jeremiah 6:30. No wonder some translations render that word worthless. A counterfeit bill is not worth the paper it’s printed on and an imitation Christian is worse than worthless. He harms himself and those within his sphere of influence.

After his arrest in the garden, we find Jesus taken to the high priest’s house with Peter following at a distance. While Jesus was inside, being tried, Peter was outside by a fire. “Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not,” John 18:25 Peter denied Jesus three times. He believed on jesus, but for his own safety, he pretended to be something else. Not only can we act like a counterfeit Christian, we can live like a chameleon Christian content to blend in with our environment. When we surround ourselves with Christians, we behave those who profess to be Christians like believers, but when we’re in the world, sometimes we just try to blend in.

If you’re a Christian, do you go incognito when you are away from other Christians? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the few German preachers who boldly opposed Hitler while living in Nazi Germany and consequently died prematurely in prison, offered this astute comment, “There is no secret discipleship. Either the secrecy will destroy the discipleship or the discipleship will destroy the secrecy.”

Which is it with you? Are you fitting in with the world, in your fashion, activities and friendships or are you standing for Jesus, even when it may cause you ridicule or even persecution?

Jesus demands absolute surrender to him and to his teachings. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Back to Peter, after Peter’s denial and three times the rooster crowed was easily the low point of Peter’s life. Then we read one of the most pitiful interactions in the entire New Testament where in Luke 22:61-62, “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” Right after cursing and swearing that he did not know Jesus, Peter’s eyes met the eyes of the son of God.

Can you imagine the agonizing pain of that disappointment? We look back with great disappointment at the apostle Peter’s repeated denials, but the Spirit teaches that we can deny God without even whispering a word, when our actions do not support our claims to be Christians. God takes it as a denial.

I hope that after reading and considering these words from scripture that you’ve determined that you want to be a genuine Christian. You want to be the real thing. You don’t want to be one of these Christian atheists. You don’t want to be one of these Christian counterfeits.

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