Counterfeit Christianity - PART ONE

PART ONE

I believe that the number one mistake that Christians make is that their lifestyle is not authentic and their so-called "Christianity" becomes null and void. This is what gives us the reputation that we have to the world.

Judas was one of the twelve disciples. He wasn't just a Christian, he was one of the ultimate Christians. He walked with Jesus physically, watched Jesus' many miracles, and even witnessed His death on a cross. I could only wish to have been there; how deeper their faith must have been to have seen it all happen! But what made Judas different from the other eleven disciples is what he did on that last night he spent with Jesus. I believe that counterfeit Christianity started with Judas Iscariot and his actions to betray Jesus to the chief priests.

Mark 14:10&11 ~ Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

I think this is when the temptation begins to stir in Judas' mind. The chief priests offer Judas money if he betrays Jesus so that they can arrest Him. Once they "promised to give him money," Judas "sought an opportunity to betray" Jesus.

[SIDE NOTE: Judas betrayed Jesus for money- don't we (Christians) do the same? Anything that we do that involves instinctively choosing to earn money over serving our Lord falls in this category.]

But Judas' example of counterfeit faith doesn't come until verses 17-19, after the temptation had already begun in his heart. ~ And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?"

At this point, Judas had already plotted in his mind to betray Jesus when he got a chance. He knew that he was going to do it. And so when he's sitting at the table with the rest of the disciples and Jesus tells them that he knows one of them is going to betray him, it seems predictable that he would join in the unbelief of the disciples and try to cover it up this way. Judas conceals his plan to betray Jesus by falsely joining the curiosity and wonder of the other eleven disciples at the table. He obviously didn't want them to know what he was planning on doing. Judas wants them to think he is something that he's not. Isn't that what most of us do? Act a certain way around our Christian friends because we want them to think we're something that we're not?

Judas' actions supporting his counterfeit Christianity continued to grow, and with that came spiritual apathy in his life. This growth is evident more throughout the chapter, as Judas' actions go down hill from here. I urge you to continue reading as I continue to write about this Christian trend that I believe began with Judas all these years ago.