ARE YOU THE PERSON YOU CLAIM TO BE?

Many of the claims we make are questionable. For instance, did you really make that grade? Was that person your friend or an acquaintance? How about that quote: is it original with you or with someone else? How do people respond when they find out the truth about your claims? You might be wondering, “How would they find out anyway?” Most claims can be verified, that’s how!

Are you a Christian, or do you just claim to be one? Let’s make sure! How did you become a Christian? I hope you claim to be a Christian because at some point in your life, you understood that you are a sinner, and that if you remain in that state much longer, you’d go to hell when you died. But you also learned that Jesus died to pay for your sins, and so you repented, asking God for forgiveness through Jesus. He forgave you and gave you the assurance that you are His child: “To all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12-13). If you took this step sincerely, you are a Christian!

On the other hand, if your claim is based on anything other than what I just said, then you are not a Christian. You cannot base your claim on being good, having a church-going family, or anything else. If you’d like to be a Christian, I encourage you to do what I just described above. God loves you and is waiting to hear your prayer of repentance.

Now that we’ve settled the issue of how to become a Christian, let’s figure out how you can be sure and how others can see and attest to your claim that you are a Christian. First thing, as a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell you at the moment of salvation, and that identifies you as a child of God. It also serves as the down payment for all the promises He has made: “He has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us” (2 Corinthians 1:22). Second, the Scriptures tell us we experience a transformation when we become Christians: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Because, “God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his footsteps” (1 Peter 2:21).

Third, the change is gradual, but it is nevertheless a change. The change will become more evident as you read and study the Word of God, and obey it through the help of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God is your spiritual food; feed on it: “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness” (1 Peter 2:2-3).

So if you are nourishing your new nature, you should notice a change in your thinking, desires, actions, priorities, etc. Would you like to be sure you have a personal relationship with God? Here’s the test for you: “We can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims ‘I know God,’ but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him” (1 John 2:3-5). Are you obeying Him?   Others should also notice over time that you are a changed person (not perfect). If you claim to be a Christian but demonstrate no change, people will question that claim, and for good reason.

What are some of the things that will make your claims questionable?

Living contrary to Christ’s nature (our new nature) casts doubts on our claims. “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth” (1 John 1:5). Also, our attitude towards other believers proves or disproves our claim: “If anyone claims ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is still in darkness” (1 John2:9). Expressed more earnestly, John says, “If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them” (1 John 3:14-15).

When we don’t live according to the standards of the Word of God, we are in essence saying we are not God’s children, which means we are children of the devil: “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are the children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God” (1 John 3:9-10).

So are you the person you claim to be—a Christian? Well then, let it show! Being a Christian means you love God, and “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith” (1 John 5:3-4). Seek fellowship with other believers, share your faith with others, and be a living testimony for God’s glory!