BELIEVER OR
DECEIVER
"My sheep hear my voice, and
I know them, and they follow me: And I
give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand." - John 10:27-28
Most
Americans consider themselves to be Christians. Many will engage in spiritual conversations without
hesitation. They have no problem
identifying themselves with the Christian label, but there is a glaring problem. Their lives do not manifest the fruit that
accompanies genuine salvation. I fear
that many of these individuals have religion but have never been born again.
Biblical
Christianity is more than repeating a "sinner's prayer," or becoming
a church member. Genuine salvation is a
life-changing experience. A person
cannot have a real encounter with the God of the universe and remain
unchanged. It is possible to join a
church, get baptized and attend church regularly without being changed, but it
is impossible to be saved by God's grace and live the same way as before. Religion is no substitute for salvation.
Jesus
was bold when He shared spiritual truth.
In John 10:27-28, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me: And I give unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand." I believe these two verses give us insight concerning a genuine
Christian.
1. A GENUINE CHRISTIAN LISTENS TO GOD
First
of all, Jesus teaches us that a genuine Christian hears the voice of God. Jesus refers to believers as "My
sheep." Sheep are dirty, smelly,
dumb animals. Not a very attractive
description, is it? Yet this
description is very accurate. Apart
from Christ, we are dirty and dumb.
When a man recognizes his sinful condition & turns to Christ in
repentance, he is changed by the grace of God.
At this point, his appetite is changed.
He is hungry for God and His Word.
It
is wrong to claim that God doesn't speak if you keep your Bible closed. God speaks to us through His Word. I believe a genuine Christian has a hunger
for God's Word. The Bible becomes a
regular part of his daily ritual.
Furthermore, he has a hunger to hear God's Word preached & taught
through the ministry of the local church.
Many
who claim to be Christians refuse to assemble at God's House. If the truth were known, they probably never
read the Bible either. The facts speak
louder than their words.
2. A GENUINE CHRISTIAN IS KNOWN BY GOD
Secondly,
we know that the Good Shepherd knows His sheep. He knows whether a person belongs to Him or not. The Father knows His children.
Sadly, most people know ABOUT God, but don't know Him personally. Be assured, if you don't know Him personally, He doesn't recognize you as one of His children.
3. A GENUINE CHRISTIAN FOLLOWS CHRIST
Next, a genuine Christian
follows Christ. In other words, a real
Christian obeys God. Obedience is a key
component of Christian discipleship.
Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). It is difficult to seriously confess faith
in Christ while living in willful disobedience.
Look
around at our society. Many who claim
to be Christians are living in willful disobedience. A "Christian" girl lives with her boyfriend. A "Christian" businessman lies and
takes ethical shortcuts. A "Christian"
layman tells dirty jokes and uses profanity.
Does this bother you? It
should. If we claim to love Jesus, it
should show through our obedience.
4. A GENUINE CHRISTIAN HAS ETERNAL LIFE
Finally,
a genuine Christian has eternal life.
Abundant, everlasting life is granted to those who truly repent and
believe. Eternal life does not begin at
death, it begins at the moment of conversion.
For the Christian, our citizenship is on high. We are not at home here on earth. We are not comfortable living in this sin-cursed world. We are eager for Christ's return. We long for heaven. We have a desire to be with Jesus.
I
am convinced than most who profess Christ do not possess Christ. They are deceivers and not believers. Worst of all, they have deceived
themselves.
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