Articles
Are You a True Christian?
Some might be tempted to reply to our title question with, “How dare you ask such a question!” or “You can’t question someone else’s beliefs!” or “Each person’s faith is between Him and God/Christ!” or “You have no right to ‘judge’ another’s relationship with God/Christ.” Whether or not any (or all) of these objections have merit is not really the point of the question is it? The question simply calls for self-inspection, self-introspection, and self-declaration. But our title does, obviously, imply that there is such a thing as a “false” Christian. Such should not surprise us at all since the NT warns of:
- False “witnesses,” Matt.15:9 who swear and testify to things that are not true;
- False “teachers,” 2Pet.2:1, who teach things that are not true;
- False “prophets,” Matt.5:11, who reveal things that are not true;
- False “spirits,” 1John 4:1, who lead/direct in things that are not true;
- False “apostles,” 2Cor.11:3, who proclaim things that are not true;
- False “gospels,” Gal.1:6-7, which declare things that are not true;
- False “Christs,” Matt.24:24, who claim things that are not true;
- False “knowledge,” 1Tim.6:20, that believes things that are not true; and,
- False “brethren,” 2Cor.11:26, who pretend things that are not true.
From noting all of these falsities, there are obviously “Christians” that are not true, and you or I may be one of them! Therefore, we would do well to follow the true instructions given by the true Holy Spirit of the one and only true God through the true apostle Paul in 2Cor.13:5a, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” That is, and obviously paraphrased, “Are you a true Christian?”
We can be “honest and sincere” and still be wrong if our faith comes false witnesses, teachers, prophets, spirits, apostles, brethren, and even Christs who proclaim and teach false gospels. How could we derive from such sources anything but false knowledge and therefore false faith, since true faith comes from “hearing” (listening to and understanding) the true “word of Christ,” Rom.10:17?
Given these things, the notion common among many who profess to be Christians that “If you’re honest and sincere in your beliefs/faith, that God will accept you or your worship” is simply preposterous, and obviously FALSE. Don’t believe me? Note carefully Matt.7:21-23’s depiction of the judgment scene where some who profess not only allegiance to Christ, but claim to have prophesied, casted out demons, and performed many miracles “in Your (Christ’s, PCS) name” were told by Jesus, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Please observe that Jesus contradicted neither the “honesty” nor the “sincerity” of these claims; He just said, “I never knew you.” Thus, despite their beliefs about themselves, they had never been truly His. They weren’t then, nor had they ever been, “true Christians.” And why do you suppose this regrettably sad scene will occur? Two reasons are provided in 2Thess.2: 1) “they did not receive a love of the truth so as to be saved,” v.10b; and, 2) they “did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness,” v.12b.
Now I ask again the question of our title, “Are You a True Christian?” We all had better “test” and “examine” ourselves by the TRUE standard of God’s Word “to see if” WE really “are in the faith,” 2Cor.13:5! It matters eternally.
- Are_You_a_True_Christian.pdf (79.83 kB)
