Something Is Not Right

The use of all spiritual gifts must and should be tested if it is perceived that something is not right. Satan is the great counterfeiter. He will do his best to distort what is genuine giving the fake appearance of credibility. But testing spiritual gifts is not the same as rejecting them.

For example, we know that Satan can counterfeit miracles. So some within Christendom simply reject miracles altogether and say it is not for this present dispensation. Satan can counterfeit tongues (the gift of praising God in known languages). However, some, rather than testing this gift using the Bible as a foundational tool, simply put tongues in the age of the apostles and say that the gift of tongues is no longer needed today. This also applies to the gift of healing. We know that Satan can and does counterfeit healing, providing lots of fake examples with the appearance of genuineness. So again, there are those who simply shift the gift to the times of Jesus and the apostles and say that miraculous healings are not for today, at least not in the way it was done in the early days of the first century.

Let’s take this logic and continue our application. We know Satan can counterfeit preaching and teaching (2 Pet. 2:1). He does so all the time. So, rather than testing a message, let’s simply do away with teaching and preaching and push back to the first century as the only viable solution for its intended use.

“Pastor Rich, don’t be silly. How can you even suggest that?” That’s my point. How can it be suggested that some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which Satan can and does counterfeit, be pushed back to the first century and told that in our present dispensation, such gifts are no longer operative?

Hey, if we are going to be consistent, let’s go all the way!