Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Peace be with you.
What are the marks of true Christianity?
Have you heard of people who at one time had a zeal for God, were excited about the Word of God, just couldn’t get enough of Christianity, and then they walked away from it? Are you ever confused when you see people who were brought up under the Word of God run away from it? And what about those who get caught up in the worries of this life or the deceitfulness of riches and all of a sudden don’t have time for the things of God?
Can a person who is truly saved walk, as a habit of life, where Jesus would never walk? Can a person say that he or she doesn’t believe the Bible anymore and still be saved?
Basically, according to the Word of God, there are seven ways that you can tell the professors – those who merely name the name of Christ – from the possessors – those who truly indwelt by Him. True Christianity brings forth lasting fruit – the evidence of salvation. So it’s time we did some fruit inspecting.
“You did not choose Me but I choose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain…” (John 15:16)
A person who is a brand–new creature in Christ Jesus, indwelt by the Spirit of God because he has been born again, will renew his life to evidence these seven “good fruits.”
- A Christian walks in the light, following in the footsteps of Jesus.
“By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:5b-6)
Jesus said: “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes
in me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46)
- A Christian does not walk in darkness, living in habitual sin.
“You know that He appeared on order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen him or knows Him……The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in Him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3;5-6, 8-9)
- A Christian does not permanently stay from God, but perseveres in the faith.
The Bible speaks clearly of antichrists- those who seek to usurp the place of Christ in the life of a believer and, in doing so, to lead them astray from the faith.
“Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18)
The fruit of true Christianity is perseverance in faith. Mark it well, Beloved. True believers do not permanently stray from God.
- A Christian loves other people.
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments” (1 John 5:1-2)
- A Christian walks in righteousness, overcoming the world.
It is not a burden for a believer to walk in righteousness and to be obedient. We may fail now and then but it should never be because it is a burden! If we fail, it is because we have chosen to walk by the flesh rather by the Spirit,
“for whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5;4-5)
- A Christian has the witness of the Holy Spirit in his heart.
“By this we know that we abide in Him and He is in us, because He has given us of His Spirit” (1 John 4:13)
- A Christian hungers for His Word and His righteousness.
What is your relationship to the Word of God? How well do you understand it? What is life without it? Could you live without it? Would it make any difference if the government took away your Bible?
Have you ever wondered why people would risk their jobs, their freedom, their relationship with their loved ones, even their very lives for the Word of God? This happened for years behind the Iron Curtain and is still happening today in many countries around the world.
Why? Why is the Word more precious than freedom?
Because within the soul of every child of God there is a spiritual craving, a hunger and thirst for righteousness.
“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3b)
In the Sermon on the Mount our Lord said:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6)
Once the Holy Spirit moves in a person’s heart – convicting of sin, righteousness, and judgment – there is an awakening of a thirst for righteousness, a longing to be finished with sin and its awful harvest.
Have you wondered why, before you were saved, the Bible seemed boring and hard to understand, but after you were saved, you couldn’t get enough? Finally you could understand it! And it was interesting and exciting!
Now, you understand, don’t you? Without God’s Spirit inside us, we cannot understand the things of God! In fact, to the natural (unsaved) man and woman, the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness (1 Corinthians 2:14)
This is the seventh evidence of genuine faith. You can tell the saved from the lost because the saved are hungry for His Word and His righteousness.
“These things I have written to you who believes in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).
‘Speak to my heart, God’
By:
Kay Arthur
Author, Executive Vice President, Founder
Precept Ministries
United States of America
