🙏 Friday Service @ The RRC • Is This Person A Christian? 🙏

🙏 Friday Service @ The RRC • Is This Person A Christian? 🙏

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There are several ways that God has given us to know if someone is truly in Christ. If we follow what the scripture says, we can easily identify a fellow Christian. There are many who claim Christ, but who will be told, “depart from me, I never knew you” on that faithful day.

First and foremost, someone has to confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that Jesus is Lord of their life and of all things. There is only one way to the Father and that is through the Son.

We must also use discernment and test each spirit. 1 John 4 says this:

Test the Spirits - “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out.”

A Christian lives a lifestyle of repentance and when we miss it, we are convicted by the Holy Spirit and repent. We confess our sins to one another and turn from them.

Here are a few of the main ways to know if someone is a Christian.

1. The are known by there fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control. If someone exudes these and makes the daily effort to die to flesh and follow the ways of Jesus Christ, that is one way to tell. If they continually exude the anti-fruit than they don’t have good fruit.

What might be considered an "antifruit," would be actions or behaviors that go against these virtues, such as the acts of the sinful nature mentioned in the same chapter of Galatians.

2. Known by our love. John 13:34-35 says:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

If someone is unloving and unkind, they are ungodly. It’s very clear about this.

3. A Christian follows the commandments of Jesus Christ and His Word. In John 14:15-31st says thus:

“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever.”

4. If someone is in Christ, they have repented of past sin and unrighteousness and turned away from it. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 says this:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

5. They are not someone who gossips, causes division, seeks to malign or destroy someone else. They are not self seeking, manipulative, haughty, mean-spirited, jealous, narcissistic, controlling, or anything close to these types of behaviors.

The Bible addresses the issue of causing division in several places, emphasizing the importance of unity and harmony within the Christian community and Body of Christ.

Here are some key points:

1. **Romans 16:17-18**: Apostle Paul warns the believers to "watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned." He advises them to keep away from such people, describing them as serving their own appetites and deceiving the naive with smooth talk and flattery.

2. **1 Corinthians 1:10-13**: Paul appeals for unity in the church, urging the Corinthians to agree with one another and not to be divided. He emphasizes the importance of being perfectly united in mind and thought, pointing out the folly of following different leaders in a divisive manner.

3. **Titus 3:10-11**: Paul advises Titus to warn a divisive person once, then twice, and after that to have nothing to do with them. He explains that such a person is warped and sinful and self-condemned.

4. **James 3:14-16**: James speaks about the dangers of envy and selfish ambition, noting that where they exist, there is disorder and every evil practice. This suggests that selfish or envious motives often lead to division and conflict.

5. **Proverbs 6:16-19**: This passage lists things the Lord hates, and among them is "a person who stirs up conflict in the Body”.

Divisiveness, especially when it stems from self-interest, pride, or false teachings, is viewed as contrary to the spirit of Christian fellowship and love.

These are some very important elements of determining if someone is a Christian or not. The types of vicious online attacks on believers and constant vitriol is a sign of brokenness and misunderstanding of what it means to be a Christian.

There should always be an attempt to find a place of agreement and/or even love and blessing eachother rather than looking like crazy people online as the world is watching. This doesn’t mean we ever compromise or accept sin, nor cave to it. Just because we are called to love each other, doesn’t mean we have to hang out or be friends with everyone.

God knew that Christians would argue about their interpretations of Scripture. Therefore, He had Paul write this to Timothy: “Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen” (2 Tim. 2:14 NIV).

Can we please adhere to these scriptures and uphold the standard of God’s Word? I believe this will be a game changer if we do this!

Philippians 4:8 says this:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

A Christian is commissioned to be a soul winner. We should all care about souls and make soul winning a priority.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).