Counterfeit Fruit

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

As we turn to the Word of God, we find in Galatians 5 a list of the fruit borne in a believer’s life. These fruits—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are exhibited when believers respond rightly to God, His will, and His truth. However, we must recognize that there exists a spiritual counterfeit, an imitation of the truth. The enemy seeks to deceive by convincing you that being “close enough” to the truth is sufficient, placing you in a far more dangerous position than outright rebellion against God’s Word. This subtle deception can lull a person into complacency, believing they are “good” without truly aligning with God’s standards. Moreover, those who reject God often pursue their own righteousness, further straying from the authentic fruit of the Spirit.

"The counterfeit versions of these fruits are satanic, arising in a person's life when their focus is on themselves rather than others. This self-focus binds them to lies and blinds them to truth through deep deception, as much of what feels true can simply make us feel good about ourselves. Error reins when people believe they can produce these fruits without a relationship with God, because it is actually God who produces this fruit

"A blinded person's ultimate outlook is, 'I do, therefore I am good,' leading them to see themselves as good when they are actually evil.

2 Timothy 3:1–5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Love

The word here is agape in the Greek, which is defined as as affectionate regard or benevolence (goodwill or charitableness) toward someone. Another way to think about this is, generously giving to the needy. Literally putting someone else needs before your own at a personal cost.

Jesus and Paul helps us understand this idea in:

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Romans 13:10 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

So we see that Love is not doing harm to your neighbor, i.e. committing adultery, murdering, stealing, and coveting, so love fulfills the law.

And also Jesus gives us the positive side in giving us the new commandment:

John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

If I neglect my wife and children by failing to meet their needs—such as spending time with them, helping my wife with the children, changing diapers, or picking up around the house—and then merely tell them I love them, my words become an empty sentiment. True love demonstrates itself through consistent, selfless actions, not just verbal affirmations.

1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

How did God demonstrate His love for us?

Romans 5:6–8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Counterfeit love - insincere, deceptive, is based on self-interest rather than others oriented. Often emotionally driven based off of feeling rather than truth.

You can know if you possess a counterfeit love if you only “love” someone for what they can do for you or how they make you feel. This in essence is self love. “You make me feel good, so I will tell you I love you.” This is false and is bound to emotion. We can return this type of lip service to God as well to others.

another characteristic of counterfeit love is that it prioritizes acceptances above truth which inevitably leads to grave error, this is born out of a persons need to be accepted. The attitude is ‘I will accept you so accept me, and if you do not accept me, I will reject you’ This at its core is self worship, as a person sets their own standard of what needs to be accepted. The loudest voices that propagate this mentality seem to be coming from the LGBT camp, but it is really the worlds system, a system that says accept me the way I am or else. False prophets will twist scriptures like:

1 John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

To use against people who would tell them the truth, as to say, ‘If you don't accept me and my life style then you don’t love me therefore you do not know God, because God is love.’

This is first blasphemous, because God truly is love, Love is not just an attribute of God love is his very essence but the very God who is love is also just, and holds a standard above mans. Secondly it is idolatry because God is not our idea of love because fallen mans love is actually self love, which is self worship, and in turn idolatry.

We can not be people who sacrifice truth for acceptance, we can disagree with someone and still be kind and genuine, and when that persons behavior disagrees with the word of God, the most loving thing we can do is tell someone the truth.

Another way to spot the counterfeit love, is if we are unwilling to speak the truth to someone. We might think its out of not wanting to hurt someones feelings, but its probably more out of a self preservation. Sometimes we will be challenged to speak hard things, we must reject self love, trying to protect our self or status or whatever and relay the truth of Gods word.

Proverbs 26:5 “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.”

Ephesians 4:15 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,”

Galatians 6:1 “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

along with a counterfeit love we are also warned about a misplaced love:

Matthew 6:24 ““No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

1 John 2:15–16 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

1 Corinthians 13:4–6 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.”