It's shrink wrapped and inside a familiar colorful box sporting a major brand name. And we're in an established store; not buying from a street vendor where "boot legging" is common. "Still", my Ghanaian friend says, "we need to examine it to be sure." So the vendor removes the wrapping, pulls the cassette from the colorful box and hands us the tape. Ignoring the brand name cast in the plastic flap across the front of the tape, my friend looks for a brand name stamped on the leader of the tape itself. "The boxes are printed cheaply in Nigeria, and the flap just snaps on the case and is easily changed, but usually the real things have the brand name on the tape itself," he explains.
Why all this trouble over a $2 video cassette? Even a counterfeit will record our program and, though the quality may be poor, will allow us to show it a number times. "But it won't last. After just a few showings, it will deteriorate and stop functioning," my friend explains.
If unscrupulous business men will go to that much trouble to make, distribute, and market counterfeit $2 video tapes, how much trouble do you think Satan will go to in order to counterfeit the gospel and it's benefit-our salvation? And how can we determine what is genuine and what is false?
Sometimes it's just a matter of ripping off the shrink-wrap and closely examining the cover. But sometimes the only real test is, "how long does it last?"
Any old tape looks pretty good for a time or two, and any religious profession looks good when it's fresh. But does it last, year after year, viewing after viewing? Jesus said it's those that endure that have the real thing. Peter said our salvation comes at the end of our faith. And the Scriptures consistently challenge us to examine, make sure, test, and prove our faith.
Does mine look pretty on the shelf? Or will it last through regular use?