John’s first letter was written, it seems, to counter some of the heresies faced by the early Christians and not surprisingly, therefore, the final verses look at knowing Him who is true and keeping ourselves from idols. (1 John 5:18-21) The false teachers mentioned throughout the letter and denounced as antichrists (1 John 2:18-23) are those who are counterfeit: not genuine, not authentic, no matter how they may initially seem.
The Bank of England informs us that although there were 2,500 prosecutions for passing forged notes last year and some £25 million was seized, one banknote in a hundred in circulation is a forgery, and numbers are on the increase. Being able to recognise forged notes is crucial. A genuine £5 note should:
- feel crisp (Banknotes are printed on special paper that gives them their unique feel. By running your finger across the front of the £5 note you can feel raised print in areas such as the words ‘Bank of England’.)
- have a metallic strip, (There is a metallic thread embedded in every banknote. This appears as silver dashes on the back of the £5 note. If you hold the note up to the light the metallic thread will appear as a continuous dark line.)
- a watermark (Queen’s head)
- sharp clear printing. (Using a magnifying glass, look closely at the lettering beneath the Queen’s portrait on the £5 note – you will see the value of the note written in small letters and numbers.)
- check the ultra violet feature (If you look at the front of the £5 note under a good quality ultra-violet light, the number 5 appears in bright red and green whilst the background remains dull in contrast.)
- Check the hologram (There is a hologram on the foil patch on the front of the £5 note. If you tilt the note, the image will change between a brightly coloured picture of Britannia and the number 5.)
Counterfeit goods (colloquially known as ‘knock-offs’) are big business for many people, reproducing goods such as shoes, boots, clothes, perfume, jewellery or electronic goods that are not genuinely made by the designer on the label. Sometimes, we are deceived into receiving forgeries or counterfeit goods. In the same way, the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor 4:4) and we are prone to walk in darkness at times without the true light to illuminate our hearts (see 1 John 2:11, John 1:9). At other times, we choose deliberately to purchase such goods because they are cheaper and feed our need for status and apparent importance. Idols – false substitutes for God, the illusory rather than the real (Blaikclock), clever facsimiles (The Message) – are much less demanding than God, who wants us to surrender our whole lives to Him. (Mark 8:34-37, Rom 12:1-2) But we need to understand that no substitute for God will ever satisfy and have to search our hearts continually to ensure we flee from idolatry. (1 Cor 10:14)