False religions are a lot like a Frankenstein monster: they are courageous attempts which eventually show themselves to be maimed, incomplete, and out of balance. But, like the fabled monster, they also have many things about them that remind us of the real thing. That's what is so destructive about them, they can fool us.
There are all kinds of things that we want to think of as signs of real spiritual life, and they can indeed be seen in the life of a Christian, but they can also be counterfeited.
It would be hard to find someone who would argue against this sign of spiritual life. Nobody is going to stand up and say Christians should not love. It is absolutely true that love is a necessary result of having new life in Jesus Christ. But it is a huge mistake to think that, because Christians love, all w ho love are Christians. Some people figure that Satan can not love because that sign of life is too foreign to someone whose very nature is hatred and malice.
But it is very na�ve to come to the conclusion that the enemy of our souls would not be a master at counterfeits of love. Isn't it true that there are far more fake diamonds than fake gravel? Look at all the shiny things in stores that want you to think they are just like gold or silver even though they are plastic. Think about it: gold is very hard to copy in its true qualities � its density, pliability, conductivity, resistance to corrosion, and so on � yet a great deal of effort is put into producing exact imitations of the appearance of gold. Or consider cubic zirconia, it it hard to tell it from a true diamond even with close examination, but it cannot do the things that only diamonds can do. These things are only good to look at and can not be put to the test in any other way than appearances. The same is true of signs of life like love; Satan is crafty, and our own hearts are always desiring to keep up appearances. So there is a great deal of effort in faking things that make for a good reputation. Two of the most valued of signs of life are love and humility � people possessing those appear to be the best of Christians � so they are the most counterfeited.
The Scriptures very plainly teach that people can have a kind of religious love and still not have experienced God's saving grace. Jesus taught that there will will be a time when persecution and evil is so great that many people can not keep up appearances anymore. He says their love grows cold:
People can seem to have a great love for God and Christ, really strong feelings that seem to be real signs of life, but there is not yet anything of God's grace in them:
The apostle Paul gives us a hint that there were those in his day who had a counterfeit love for Christ. In Ephesians 6:24 he closes his letter by saying,
It is even possible to counterfeit a love for God's people. Remember Paul's description of the people of Galatia? I mentioned before that the Galatians had great joy and love for Paul, but Paul was perplexed and worried about them that maybe his efforts were were wasted on them: