Is There a Way to Tell Who Is a True Christian

Is there a way
to tell who is
a true
Christian and
who is not?
www.confidentchristians.org

“And when statistics come out that
show how the divorce rate among
Christians is really no different than
that of the rest of the world … and
when other studies are done that
show how unmarried teen pregnancy
rates are no different inside or
outside the Body of Christ … and
when reports come out that speak to
heavy use of alcohol and drugs
among professing believers … you
have to pause and wonder … why –
with a God who transforms lives –
why are so many supposed
Christians living lives with no
evidence of any transformation
having taken place?”
- John MacArthur


The Evidences of Being Lost
Maturing/Growth Process

Love things of
world / sin

Fleshly Positive / Reject God /
Affections Negative things of God
Human Birth Works
Experience / Reject Spiritual
Old Nature Truth Fruit
Darkened
Mind
Mind centered Personal life
on self/flesh

God & Sinful Motion Self &
Holy Things Sinful Things
Away From Toward


The Evidences of Salvation
Maturing/Growth Process
Love
God/Things of
God

Holy Hate sin / world
Positive /
/ enemies of
Affections Negative God
New Birth / Works
New Nature Accept
Spiritual Truth Fruit
Renewed
Mind Mind of the Personal life
Sprit in Holy
living

Self & Sinful Holy Motion God &
Things Holy Things
Away From Toward


Five Teachings of Christ Provide the Details

1. The beginning of the Sermon on the Mount
2. The end of the Sermon on the Mount
3. The parable of the ten virgins
4. The parable of the sower
5. The parable of the wheat and the tares

The end of the Sermon on the Mount

The End of the Sermon on the Mount

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the
way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many
who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is
narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
(Matthew 7:13-14)


“Through many tribulations we
must enter the kingdom of God.”
(Acts 14:22)

Two Ways…

1. A Narrow way
2. A Broad way

Two Destinations…

1. Life
2. Destruction

Two Groups…

1. Few
2. Many

The Key Evidence of True/False Believers

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits.
Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are
they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad
fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce
good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
(Matthew 7:15–20)

Two Trees…

1. Good Tree
2. Bad Tree

What Kind of „Good‟ Fruit is Produced?

1. Holiness : “But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to
God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the
outcome, eternal life.” (Romans 6:22)
2. Christian character: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-
control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)



3. Good works: “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have
not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that
you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all
respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God; ” (Colossians 1:9–10)
4. Evangelism/Witnessing: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the
Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)


5. Generosity (Luke 3:11): “And he would answer and say to them,
“The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has
none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” ” (Luke 3:11)
6. Praise toward God: “Through Him then, let us continually offer
up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give
thanks to His name. ” (Hebrews 13:15)

Peter‟s Signs of a True Believer
“His divine power has granted to us everything
pertaining to life and godliness, through the true
knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory
and excellence. For by these He has granted to us
His precious and magnificent promises, so that by
them you may become partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in
the world by lust. Now for this very reason also,
applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral
excellence, and in your moral excellence,
knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control,
and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your
perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness,
brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly
kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and
are increasing, they render you neither useless
nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ. ”
(2 Peter 1:3–8)

Peter‟s Signs of a True Believer

“Therefore, brethren, be
all the more diligent to
make certain about His
calling and choosing you;
for as long as you practice
these things [previous
slide], you will never
stumble”
(2 Peter 1:10)


“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will
enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your
name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
(Matthew 7:13-14, 21–23)

Can God Work Through Unbelievers?
“Then the Lord put a word in
Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return
to Balak, and you shall speak
thus.” ”
(Numbers 23:5)

“forsaking the right way, they
have gone astray, having followed
the way of Balaam, the son of
Beor, who loved the wages of
unrighteousness; ”
(2 Peter 2:15)

“By this means *false religion and
misleading affections] he [the
devil] deceives great multitudes
about the state of their souls;
making them think they are
something, when they are
nothing; and so eternally undoes
them; and not only so, but
establishes many in a strong
confidence of their eminent
holiness, who are in God’s sight
some of the vilest hypocrites.”
- Jonathan Edwards


“Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands,
having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are
His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the
Lord is to abstain from wickedness.””
(2 Timothy 2:19)

Two Types of People…

1. The Doers
2. The Sayers

Mark of a True and False Believer

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who
delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a
doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for
once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately
forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at
the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having
become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be
blessed in what he does.”
(James 1:22–25)

Mark of a False Believer

“The Dialect of Canaan”
(“Le patois de Canaan”)
French theologians have a saying for the sayers-only. It describes a
person who has a spiritual language, but whose heart is actually far
from God. They know all the right lingo, can punch all the right
buttons … in fact, they do it so well they‟ve actually deceived
themselves into the ultimate case of false security.

Faith and Works
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no
works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and
in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed
and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body,
what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your
faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You
believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works
is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered
up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works,
and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was
fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him
as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is
justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab
the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and
sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is
dead, so also faith without works is dead. ”
(James 2:14–26)



“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may
be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell,
and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and
yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears
these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who
built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds
blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
(Matthew 7:24–27)

Two Builders…

1. Builder on sand
2. Builder on rock

Two Final Outcomes…

1. Perseverance
2. Destruction

“The wicked are overthrown and are
no more, But the house of the
righteous will stand.”
(Proverbs 12:7)

The Inevitable Progression

False Path

False Teachers

False Follower

False Foundation

True Destruction

“Wherever a profession
of conversion is not
accompanied by holiness
of life it must be
understood that the
individual concern is not a
Christian.”
- Jonathan Edwards


One Self-Exam

1. Do I have a longing for holy
things?
2. Do I seek those things that
honor God?
3. Am I sensitive to sin?
4. Am I enjoying fellowship with
God?
5. Do I delight in God’s Word and
ways?


The parable of the ten virgins

Parable of the Ten Virgins
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten
virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. “Five of them were foolish, and five were
prudent. “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no
oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with
their lamps. “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all
got drowsy and began to sleep. “But at midnight there was a
shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. “The
foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our
lamps are going out.’ “But the prudent answered, ‘No, there
will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the
dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ “And while they were
going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and
those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast;
and the door was shut. “Later the other virgins also came,
saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ “But he answered, ‘Truly I
say to you, I do not know you.’ “Be on the alert then, for you
do not know the day nor the hour. ”
(Matthew 25:1–13)

The Jewish Marriage

1. The engagement – arranged by the fathers of the bride and groom; amounted to a
contract of marriage
2. The betrothal – ceremony where the vows were exchanged in the presence of
family and friends. The couple was considered married at this point. Could last up
to a year. During this time the groom would go away and build a home for the
couple to live in
3. The wedding feast – began with the groom coming unexpectedly to the bride‟s
house. They would parade through the streets proclaiming the wedding feast was
about to begin; this was usually done at night with torches to light their way and
attract attention. The „best man‟ would place the hand of the bride‟s into the
groom‟s and the couple would go back to the place the groom had prepared and
remain for seven days, after which a great feast was held. This is what is about to
happen in the parable of the ten virgins.

Who‟s Who in the Parable

• Who‟s missing? The Bride. Assumed to be with the groom.
• The bridegroom – Jesus. A point of His deity: “For your husband is your
Maker, Whose name is the Lord of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy
One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. ” (Isaiah 54:5)
• The ten virgins – most likely represents Israel. Demonstrate outward
readiness for entrance into His kingdom. In appearance the ten were
indistinguishable. They were all dressed appropriately in wedding
garments and all had the required torch needed at night.
• The lamps– Torches. Symbolize the virgin‟s outward identity with the
groom. Also an expectation of an imminent return
• Oil – the one thing the wise had that the unwise didn‟t: the Holy Spirit


“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so
that you will prove yourselves to be blameless
and innocent, children of God above reproach in
the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you appear as lights in the world”
(Philippians 2:14–15)

The Chiasm of the Parable

Bridegroom will come (v.1)
Five with oil; Five without oil (v.2-4)
All sleep (v. 5)
Behold the Bridegroom is coming! (v. 6)
All rise (v. 7)
Five with oil; five without oil (v. 8-9)
Bridegroom has come (v. 10)


Other Notes of Interest
• “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.” Just like: “Therefore everyone
who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man
who built his house on the rock. . . . “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and
does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”
(Matthew 7:24, 26)
• “Now while the bridegroom was delaying…” – the Church period; currently now.
• “But at midnight…” – an unlikely time for the Bridegroom to come (the Midnight
Cry). “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an
hour when you do not think He will. ” (Matthew 24:44). Israel began their exodus
from Egypt at midnight
• “there was a shout…” “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in
Christ will rise first. ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
• “The foolish said to the prudent, „Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going
out.‟ “But the prudent answered, „No…” The unwise recognize their need, but the
wise cannot help them at this point; the saved cannot become saviors. A torch
without fuel is obviously worthless, and a profession of faith in Jesus Christ
without a saving relationship to Him is infinitely more worthless, because one is
left in spiritual darkness.
• “and the door was shut”. Literally „having been and staying shut‟
• “‟Lord, lord, open up for us.‟ “But he answered, „Truly I say to you, I do not know
you.‟ Just like: “Many will say to Me on that day, „Lord, Lord . . .‟ And then I will
declare to them, „I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness.‟ ” (Matthew 7:22–23)

“And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?”
And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I
tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house
gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the
door, saying, „Lord, open up to us!‟ then He will answer and say to you, „I do
not know where you are from.‟ “Then you will begin to say, „We ate and
drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets‟; and He will say, „I tell
you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.‟
“In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God,
but yourselves being thrown out.”
(Luke 13:23–28)

“Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as
God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him.”
(Genesis 7:16)


“Like that man without proper wedding
clothes, five of the bridesmaids were without
proper torches. They had a form of godliness
but had no spiritual life or power because
they did not belong to God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:5).
They were committed to Jesus Christ
religiously, intellectually, socially, and no
doubt emotionally. But they were not
committed to Him in their hearts because
their hearts had not been regenerated by His
saving grace. They had the appearance of
faith, but it was dead (cf. James 2:17). They
were in darkness, not light. The warning Jesus
gave in this parable is repeated over and over
in the gospels, a continually recurring theme
of His teaching. He warns that professed
believers are like wheat and tares; some are
genuine and some are false. They are
compared to various kinds of soils, some of
which give initial evidence of productivity but
only one of which genuinely receives the seed
of the gospel and allows it to take root and
grow. It was not a popular message in Jesus‟
day and is not a popular message today even
in many evangelical churches.”
- John MacArthur

Is There a Way to Tell Who Is a True Christian

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