Satan’s Counterfeit Gospels
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” — Proverbs 14:12
Spiritual Bootlegging
There are many who hear the gospel and do not believe in it, but there are also many who do believe — yet they will be cast away by Christ, for he never knew them (Matthew 7:21–23, Luke 13:22–30). Such people are deceived into believing that they know the gospel, when in reality, they held to a false gospel. Do you believe in a counterfeit?
What is the gospel of Satan? Does such a gospel even exist? The two words “Satan” and “Gospel“ are diametrically opposed — the word “Gospel” comes from the Greek word “euangelion” which means “good news,” and “Satan” means “adversary” in Hebrew. Could Satan be simply presenting a different set of “good news?” Could it be any world religion? Let us explore what it is.
Satanism or World Religions ?
Could the gospel of Satan be the “good news” presented by Satanists? We know that this would be too narrow of a definition. In addition, most Satanists are atheists who label themselves ironically and sometimes do things to poke fun at mainstream religion.
Assuming that Satan is the Great Deceiver who works against God and His plans (Revelation 12:9), we may argue that the gospel of Satan is one of or all of the world religions. It can be reasonably argued that if Jesus is the only way to salvation, then every other way leads unto death. In the postmodern era, it is very easy to travel from one place to another and to hear different kinds of faith. As such, how can a lost sheep know that they have found the pearl of great price if there are many “pearls” in this world?
Satan could certainly create a magnitude of different pearls for any person to endlessly search. Some will attempt to search for the greatest pearl, analyzing in detail the lustre, size, and shape; while others may simply conclude that all pearls are great, that they have their beauty, and they might as well collect them all like Pokémon. Regardless, the array of pearls are mere counterfeits that cannot sell for anything, and by the time anyone attempts to obtain the pearl of great price, they are too late.
Where People Fall
Should I end this blog here and say that the gospel of Satan is any path that doesn’t lead to Jesus Christ? If that is the case, can we conclude that about one-third of the world knows the way to Christ? But we know that the number of believers whom Christ will save is much smaller, for Christ himself has said that many will claim to know him but he will cast out (Matthew 7:21–23, Luke 13:22–30), that there will be people who are thrown out of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:11–14), and that there are seeds that will die after some growth (Mark 4:5–7). It is obvious even to non-Christians that neither Buddhism, Islam, nor Hinduism are Christianity. If Satan is by nature known to be the Great Deceiver, what other works would he be capable of?
In the same way that the best counterfeit bills are almost identical to the original, the most terrifying are the ones closest to Christianity. Such gospels look, feel, and smell like Christianity but differ subtly enough that it isn’t. It deceives many Christians, and it is the same gospel to which Paul the apostle has said, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (that is to say, let him be condemned by God) (Galatians 1:8).
This kind of counterfeit is not radical in that it promotes war, anarchy, or slavery, but that it seeks “peace.” It appeals to “human goodness” and seeks to create a world where God will not be “needed.” Counterfeits seek to include certain truths about Christianity, such as Christ, but omit certain details. Whereas certain heavy truths are plainly said in Scripture, these truths are hidden away with sophisticated language in order to declare certain sins as morally neutral.
The gospel of Satan is fundamentally a salvation by human attainment. There is enough morality for the self-professed Christian to feel saved, yet he is still an abomination to God (Luke 16:15).
There are even self-professing Atheists out there working in ministry, and they seem to go on without shame.
How People Fall
If you think I was going to remain mystic about my description of counterfeit gospels, I will give you an example of one. Knowing that deception starts with an obfuscation of the Gospel, I will proceed to confuse certain truths such that it is no longer Christianity.
First, we nominalize the Gospel of Jesus Christ by saying it’s an old story. Who needs the details of the gospel, that he was truly God and truly Man? There are many gospels, like the gospel of Thomas, that say otherwise. In fact, if God is love, then why couldn’t he show mercy to those who have never heard the gospel? Surely it is unfair for those who have never heard the truth. How can hell be a place where God’s wrath is eternally displayed? For who even deserves that? Except for maybe Satan and his demons.
In addition, most people have conceptions of good and evil, and we know that there are some people who are LGBTQIA2S+ that have “greater kindness” than straight Christians. Surely God can’t “condemn them for falling in love in that way that he has created them to do.” Nevertheless, the New Testament only condemns pederasty, and it is certain that the Old Testament God is not the same as Jesus who preaches nothing but love. Thus when all sinners eventually meet God, they will recognize the wrong they have done and God will forgive them. In conclusion, all will end up in heaven someday.
Let the Reader Understand
The description I gave above may look absurd to people who grew up in evangelical churches, but many forget that this is a similar path that has led to the spiritual death of many individuals, including denominations like the United Church of Canada.
The worst fate of a false believer isn’t that they will just be cast into hell, but that the individual will remain as a lifeless parasite that will suck the life out of the struggling sheep who sadly stay behind, pushing the other sheep into rebelling against their shepherd for a season. The parasite will on occasion confuse the sheep into believing that they are sheep as well. Finally, the leeches will produce larvae that will become twice an abomination. Such individuals will experience the seven bowls of God’s wrath unless they repent of their works (Revelation 16).
Reliance on God
If the example I gave is just one of many deceptions, who can come to the truth? Who can know God except the one whom God has chosen to reveal himself to? No man can come to God except by the power of God himself. Jesus himself said that after He leaves, He will send the Holy Spirit to convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8–9). Thus we must first remember that salvation is a gift of God, so that no one may boast in themselves (Ephesians 2:8–9).
In addition, where can we find out what God has said and commanded to all except through the Bible? The Bible gives self-attestation that it is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training, and righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Furthermore, it explains that God is not one who changes his mind (Numbers 23:19). Therefore, if a man claims to have heard the voice of God and says something contrary to the Bible, we know that such a man is wrong. On top of that, if a man were to use the Bible to justify something wrong, we ought to study the Bible in order to disprove it.
Finally, we must seek and pray to God. If a normal father can never ignore the cry of their child who is in danger, how much more would the perfect heavenly Father seek out His children who cry out to Him (Matthew 7:7–10)? Though God knows what we need before we even ask (Matthew 6:8), the bible explains that we ought to make our requests and thanksgivings to him (Philippians 4:6).
Though reading the Bible and praying every day can be hard and cumbersome, it is a discipline that every Christian should do at least for a few minutes a day so that they may know God and be better attuned to His voice, for God has explained to Israel that His people were destroyed because they didn’t know him (Hosea 4:6).
God Alone
Let the one who cries out to God find his rest in Him, for in Him the burden is light (Matthew 11:28), in Him there is light, and in Him He gave them the right to become the children of light (John 1:12).
Do not let others obfuscate the truth of the gospel that was given to you. I paraphrase this again, that even if an angel were to tell you a Gospel contrary to the hope, then let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8). Do not delay, for if you are seeking truth, if you ponder certain questions, ask them now when you still have breath. God is indeed merciful to all who repent in this life. But there is only wrath for the unrepentant in the next life.
Soli Deo Gloria
