Can I Know If My Friend Is Really A Christian?

WAYPOINT
Directions for the traveler toward eternity
"How can I understand except some man guide me?"

These pages were last edited 01/03/99

CAN I KNOW FOR SURE MY FRIEND IS REALLY A CHRISTIAN - OR NOT?

One of the facets of the grand delusion of the Church today is the "snow job" which has been done by "theologians" relating to the question of assurance. Every one wants to know that they are assured of salvation - every believer that is.

There are two ways that the devil throws us in relation to this question by causing doubt. James tells us that when in doubt we get nothing James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways. Doubt cripples the Church and this plays right into the enemy's hands.

The second way that the devil has the church fooled concerning assurance is by re-defining the theological values of the Word of God. He began to do this long ago with the words "Hath God said" then proceeded to recite God's word embellished with his own interpolations of error.

THE POPULAR VIEW

The popular view is that if my friend has put his/her hand up, gone forward at altar call, prayed the prayer, signed a decision card, been baptized (even as an infant) or anguished in private prayer to be accepted as God's child, to be saved, redeemed, born again or any other way you like to put it --(deep breath) they must be from then on safe and secure in God's family. If they were to die tonight they would be safely in heaven.

If what I write in the next page or so shatters your illusions, it is not because I am an argumentative coot just wanting every one to receive my particular brand of theology. It is because God has assigned me to love you and I can't believe that allows me to accept your disillusionment as your "own business". I am no friend to folks I allow to continue under the misapprehension that they are "saved" when really they are lost. I have no other resource for this than the Bible. I am not about to tell you my ideas on it. If I had my way only people I liked would be saved, but God is far bigger than that.

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES

1. THE BIBLE TEACHES - That when people are getting away with sin un-checked, undisciplined, they are not sons and daughters of God.

Here is the reference:

Hebrews 12:6
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God
dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

We are not including the believer here who slips - 1John covered that situation, we are talking about people who habitually sin without divine intervention, without any desire to repent more than a superficial desire to be like their fellows "church buddies".

2. THE BIBLE TEACHES - The believer that does not walk in the light lies about his standing with God.

Here is the reference:

1John 1:6, 8, 10
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
8 � If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If we are true believers we are conscious that we are still able to sin - even though we do not want to. The person who "walks in the light" is conscious of their shortcomings though the Word of God and its statements of God's standard of righteousness. The remedy is always sought by the penitent believer and this is a mark of a genuine follower of Jesus Christ.

3. THE BIBLE TEACHES - It follows from a comparison of verses 6,7 (below) that the person who is ruled out in verse 6 is ruled out of the benefits stated in verse7. Therefore if you have a friend who is "walking in darkness" (sin without repentance) and at the same time claims to be a believer, according to verse 7 he is not cleansed and is still under the penalty of sin.

Here is the reference:

1John 1:6
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

4. THE BIBLE TEACHES -A person who claims to be a disciple of Jesus but who does not keep the commandments of Jesus is a liar - ie not a disciple at all.

Here is the reference:
1 John 4:20-5:4
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
1 � Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.

5. THE BIBLE TEACHES -A believer must abide in Jesus and His love by keeping His commandments Those who do not keep Jesus words or commandments do not love Him.

Here is the reference:
John 14:23
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

6. THE BIBLE TEACHES -A believer who abides in Jesus will bear fruit. A person without this spiritual fruit is not a Christian.

Here is the reference.

John 15:1-12;
1 � I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 � As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

What is fruit? There are two kinds according to the Bible, the first is Spiritual fruit in the believer's life - note my word "fruit" is singular and so is the word used in the Bible in Galatians 5: 22-26 - this means that all of those things at once in the life of the believer (are only possible) as the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

The second kind is that of spiritual reproduction, i.e. introducing others to Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord , Matt 28:19,20.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

7. THE BIBLE TEACHES - The counterfeit believer will lead a person to Church, but does not know how to lead that person to Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord.

Here is the reference:

Luke 6:39
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

8. THE BIBLE TEACHES - He that hath not the Son of God hath not Life

Here is the reference:

1 John 5:11
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

9. THE BIBLE TEACHES - Those who are not led of the Holy Spirit are not sons(daughters) of God by adoption.

Here is the reference:

Romans 8:14
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

10. THE BIBLE TEACHES - The true believer has the Holy Spirit from the moment they were born-again.

Here is the reference:

Romans 8:14
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
1 John 3:24
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

11. THE BIBLE TEACHES - A counterfeit Christian will not hear a challenge to his beliefs or experience on the basis of the Apostles teaching. That is if he is challenged to compare what he believes with what the Apostles taught he will refuse.

Here is the reference:

1 John 4:6
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

12. THE BIBLE TEACHES - A person who refuses to study God's Word is not a Christian, or is a counterfeit Christian

Here is the reference:

John 8:47
47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear [them] not, because ye are not of God.

Perhaps you have a relative or friend whom you thought was a Christian but now you know that they do not meet the Bible description of a true believer. Don't listen to those who tell you you have no right to judge, they are motivated by spirits who want your friends to go to hell. You want better than that for them. If there is still a doubt in your mind ask them this question,

"If you were to die to night John (insert your friends name) and would stand before God. If He would ask you the question "Why should I let you into my heaven John?" what would your answer be?"

A person who is not saved cannot adequately answer that question. The answer to the question is to be found on our page "Finding Jesus" click to go there.

The above study does not make a case for salvation by works. The Bible rules this out in Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. However the Bible does teach that when the believer is saved by grace, the mark of this will be that his works will be different from the works of darkness he used to perform. A result of salvation not a cause. Many today are claiming to be followers of Jesus but their lives deny it. Do not be fooled by this, and by the way the Great Shepherd knows the difference between His sheep and another's.

Luke 13:23
23 � Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, 24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all [ye] workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you [yourselves] thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and [from] the west, and from the north, and [from] the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

Matthew 7:21
21 � Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

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