In a world where the term“Christian” is used very loosely and almost everyone claims to be one whether that’s because they go to church or because they come from a Christian background or because they acknowledge the existence of God or because they read the Bible or because they live a somewhat upright life and do alot of good things or because they have a baptism certificate or because they tick that as their religion when they fill out forms, it’s imperative to carry out (and pass) 4 self-inventory tests as highlighted in 1 John before you consider yourself a true Christian as described in the Bible. These tests include:
1) The doctrinal test
This test boils down to what do you believe about Jesus. Do you believe Jesus is God or do you believe He is just a good guy or a prophet at best? Do you believe He is the only way to God or do you believe He is one of many ways? Do you believe He is God the Son who came in flesh or do you believe God can never stoop that low as to become a man? Do you believe He is Lord and Savior or do you believe you don’t need any saving and your goodness will get you to heaven? Do you believe He died on the cross for your sins and resurrected on the third day or do you believe this is just another one of those made-up campfire stories? Do you believe He is who He says He is or do you believe He is a liar and a madman?
This is the first test every true Christian needs to pass, without exception. A true Christian must believe everything the Bible says about Jesus. Infact, John says you have an antichrist spirit (and not the Spirit of God) if you don’t.
In 1 John 2:22-23 he says:
“And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
In 1 John 4:2-3 he says:
“This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if anyone does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that He came in the flesh, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.”
In 1 John 5:1 John goes on to say:
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the Child born of Him."
Many people who claim to be Christians today do not believe half of what the Bible says about Jesus. Most of them have subscribed to a unitarian gospel (which is no gospel at all) where they only acknowledge God the Father but they do not acknowledge or believe that Jesus is the Son of God, which voids their faith. The biblical claim that Jesus is the Son of God is a fundamental Christian truth and belief.
If you don't believe Jesus is the Son of God who came in the flesh and who died for our sins and rose again on the third day for our justification and is seated on the right hand of the Father in heaven today as our Advocate and will return again as King and Judge, then you have no part in Him.
The Bible says if you dishonor the Son you dishonor the Father. (see John 5:21-23)
John Newton in his poem,“What do you think of Christ?”, says:
What do you think of Christ? Is the ultimate test,
Unless you think rightly of Him,
You cannot be right in the rest,
As Jesus appears in your mind,
So is God inclined to you,
And mercy or wrath is your lot.
Some take Him as a creature,
A man, or an angel at most,
Surely, I don’t share their sentiments,
They don’t know they’re wretched and lost,
I am guilty and helpless,
If I don’t confide in His blood,
Or rely on His protection,
But I wouldn’t do that,
Unless I was sure He is God.
A true Christian must abide in the doctrine of Christ as John puts it in 2 John 1:9. They must be grounded in sound belief on the basic and fundamental biblical teachings about Jesus. There’s no two ways about it.
2) The Spirit test
Contrary to popular belief, assurance of salvation does not come from confessing a text in the Bible. You cannot claim to be a Christian by pointing to this or that verse in the Bible and saying, "I confessed, recited or quoted this or that verse and so I am saved". A good example of a verse that is used as a proof text is Romans 10:9. The Bible however is very clear that there is only one way to be sure that you are saved and that is if the Holy Spirit in you bears witness. It’s the Spirit who tells you that you’re a Christian, not the Bible or confessing a verse in the Bible.
In 1 John 4:13, John says:
"And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us."
In 1 John 5:10a he says:
"He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself;..."
In John 3:24b he goes on to says:
"...And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us."
In Galatians 4:6 Paul says:
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba Father!"
In Romans 8:16, Paul goes on the says:
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
So without the assurance of the Holy Spirit, we don’t pass the second test.
3) The moral test
This is the third test every true Christian needs to pass.
Is how you think, talk or behave in line with how a true Christian should think, talk or behave as outlined in Scripture? Can we tell you apart from an unbeliever or are you both cut from the same cloth?
A lot of professing Christians think they can keep living the way they want and keep walking in sin and still claim to be true Christians but they are gravely mistaken, according to the Bible.
In Titus 1:16, Paul says:
"They claim to know God, but they deny Him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient and unfit for doing anything good."
In 1 John 3:6 John says:
"Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him."
Now John is not saying a Christian cannot sin, he is saying a true Christian does not keep on sinning. You see, there is a huge difference between falling into sin and practicing or living in sin. It is the latter that John is warning against.
Infact the NIV puts it like this:
"No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him."
In 1 John 3:9 John goes on to say:
"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God."
This means if you go on living in sin yet you claim to be a true Christian, you really need to question whether you are truly saved.
In 1 John 2:4-6 John says:
“Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His word, the love of God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.”
So a true Christian must reflect the Christ they profess to believe in.
James says in James 1:22:
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
John Newton in his poem, “What do you think of Christ?” goes on to says:
Some call Him the pearl of great price,
And say He's the fountain of joys,
Yet they feed upon foolishness and wickedness,
And hold firmly to the world and all its toys,
Like Judas, they kiss the Savior,
And, while they greet Him with such enthusiasm, betray Him.
Ah! What will just saying nice things about Him,
Avail on His day of judgement?
God is not mocked. You might think you have one over Him but one day you will stand before Jesus on the Day of judgement and it will dawn on you that you were the fool.
So for the so-called Christian who keeps living in sin, driving a coach and horse through God’s grace, thinking they are above the rules and claiming to be ‘under grace’ as if that gives them a licence to live anyhow, remember, we are saved by grace, but one day, we will all be judged by works (how we lived our lives). (see Romans 2:6; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
4) The people test
The final test of a true Christian is the people or social test.
We cannot claim to be true Christians if we don’t love people, especially fellow Christians.
John says in 1 John 4:7-8:
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."
In 1 John 4:11, he goes on to say:
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
Further down in verse 20 he says:
"If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?"
Now I’ll admit that Christians are not the easiest lot to love. I should know. I'm not that loveable all the time myself. Infact one preacher speaking of believers once said:
“To dwell above with Saints I love that will be glory. To dwell below with Saints I know that’s a different story!”
So I understand it’s not easy, but it's possible.
Plus think about it, if God can love you knowing all that you know about yourself, you can surely extend the same gesture to others.
Clearly, if we are being honest, God does not love us because we are so lovely, but because He is love.
I'll agree, it's not something that comes naturally for most of us, and that is why the Bible says God has shed His love abroad in our hearts. (see Romans 5:5)
God has supernaturally empowered you to love others so you need to rise above your natural disposition.
So there you have it. 4 very practical ways to test whether you are a true Christian.
God bless you.