Many years ago, I was acquainted with a clever bank teller who could easily distinguish counterfeit from genuine paper money. Numerous times over many years he discovered counterfeit money in customer’s deposits. Few people who do not handle paper currency daily are able tell the difference.
In other realms of life distinguishing real from false can often be done easily. For example, a bogus email most people readily recognize and delete it lest they inadvertently open it and corrupt their computer.
Sadly, too many Christians unwittingly refuse to accept the biblical marks of genuine believers and in certain circumstances substitute unbiblical proof instead. What do I refer to? Well, I am speaking about people who insist that someone who made a profession of faith but then wander far from the path of obedience to the Lord is still considered to be a Christian. As long as they prayed a “sinner’s prayer” or “made their decision” they are regarded to be in a state of grace. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that someone, who is far from the Lord is to be considered a child of God because they “made their decision”.
Jesus gives us several marks of a true or genuine Christian as we see in John 10:
His sheep listen to His voice
His sheep follow Him
His sheep know His voice
A stranger His sheep simply will not follow
His sheep will flee from false shepherds
His sheep do not know (listen to) the voices of strangers
So according to Jesus the marks of genuine Christians are sixfold in this passage. Are you willing to ignore the very clear, crystal clear teaching of Jesus on this critical subject? Or will you substitute your own idea of the evidence of a true Christian and ignore Jesus’ teaching? Our modern version of biblical teaching that usurps the plain teaching of Jesus for our own ideas is desperately wrong.
In 1 John we read of many of the distinguishing traits of Christian character. Some marks of a genuine believer according to John include obedience to the Lord 1 John 2:8-9, love for other Christians v. 10, doing the will of God v.17.
Never in the Bible can we find even one statement to the effect that if a sinner’s prayer is offered then that proves the person is a Christian. Hear what Jesus and John say and, if necessary, change your mind on this very critical matter of the evidence of true Christian character.
