How to Spot a Counterfeit
Month 5: What About Other Religions? · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Galatians 1:6-9
6 I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!
Memory Verse
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.”— 1 John 4:1 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Judges 1-4
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 144 of 365 — Israel forgets the Lord, and God raises up judges to rescue them.)The Heart of It
Bank workers who catch fake money have a surprising secret. They spend most of their training studying real bills, not fakes. They handle genuine money so often that the moment a counterfeit shows up, something feels off. Paul is doing the same thing in Galatians. Some teachers had slipped in with a "different gospel." It used Christian-sounding words. But it quietly changed the message. It added rules you had to keep to earn God's love. Paul is shocked. He writes, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon" (). The fake looked close enough to fool good people.
Here's how counterfeits usually work. A convincing counterfeit doesn't look completely wild. It borrows real features. Other religions and twisted versions of Christianity often keep some truth. They say God is real, be kind, there's life after death. But they change the one thing that matters most. They change how a person is made right with God. The real gospel says Jesus did it all. He died for everyone, and we receive Him by faith, as a gift of grace. The counterfeit always sneaks in a "but you must also." You must be good enough. You must follow this leader. You must do these works. So the test is simple and powerful. Is it Jesus plus nothing, by grace through faith? If a message adds requirements to earn what Jesus already gave, it's a counterfeit, no matter how spiritual it sounds.
Around the Table
A fake dollar can look almost real! Some people teach about God in a way that's almost right but leaves Jesus out. We hold on to the real Jesus.
Let's do it: Hold up two drawings of a coin (one a little wrong). Spot the fake! Then say, "Jesus is the real treasure."
A counterfeit gospel keeps some truth but changes the most important part: that Jesus saves us by grace, not by us being good enough.
Let's talk: Why do you think a fake is more dangerous when it looks almost real?
The test for any belief is the gospel itself. It is Jesus, crucified and risen, received by faith as a free gift. Watch for the little word "also." It sneaks in things like this: Jesus, but you also need your good works. Or Jesus, but also this prophet. Or Jesus, but also this book.
Let's go deeper: "Do good things so God will accept you" and "God accepts you in Christ, so now do good things" sound similar. Why are they actually two different religions?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever bought (or been given) something that turned out to be a knock-off of the real thing? How did you figure out it was fake?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "All religions basically teach the same thing," you can kindly answer. "They actually disagree about the most important question of all. They disagree about how we're made right with God. Every other path says do these things to reach God. Jesus says I came down to reach you, as a gift you receive by faith (). That's not a small difference. It's the whole difference." Say it with a smile and curiosity, never a sneer. calls us to gentleness and respect.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Paul's strong language ("let him be accursed," v. 8) can feel jarring to a generation trained to say all paths are equal. But notice why Paul is so fierce. A false gospel doesn't just bruise feelings. It sends people away from rescue while telling them they're safe. Love for people is exactly what makes the truth non-negotiable. The most useful tool you can hand your kids is the gospel's own outline. Use it as a measuring stick: grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It's Jesus plus nothing. Frank Turek puts it memorably. Counterfeits work because they imitate something valuable. So train your children on the real thing so often that the fake feels wrong in their hands.
Draws on: Frank Turek, Stealing from God; J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus did it all. We receive Him as a gift. Help us know the true Jesus so well that we can spot every counterfeit. Make us kind to people who have been fooled. In Jesus' name, amen."
The test for any belief is simple. It's Jesus plus nothing, received by grace through faith.