Who Is a True Christian?

It is important to note that only God can definitively determine who is His and who is not a Christian, for we judge appearances while He judges hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). That being said, I do believe that there ought to be visible evidence of Christ-likeness in the life of anyone who claims to be a Christian.

“You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don't pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles” (Matthew 7:16 NLT).

Since so many people today, from Oprah to our president, claim to be “Christians,” I thought it judicious to list some Biblical criteria for how to identify a true follower of Christ.

• A true Christian, first and foremost, is one who has believed in and confessed publicly that Jesus is Lord!

“9 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who acknowledges Jesus Christ and the only way to salvation.

“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who holds to the Truth in love and becomes more like Jesus Christ every day.

“Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).

• A true Christian is one whose attitude is the same as Jesus’.

“Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who bases what he believes, who he is, and what he does on the inerrant, infallible, and eternal Word of God.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. 17 It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT).

“Forever, O LORD, your word stands firm in heaven” (Psalm 119:89 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who follows God’s example in all that he does.

“Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children” (Ephesians 5:1 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who loves what God loves, hates what He hates, says only what God says, and does only what God wants.

“Jesus replied, "I assure you, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does” (John 5:19 NLT).

“But I do nothing without consulting the Father. I judge as I am told. And my judgment is absolutely just, because it is according to the will of God who sent me; it is not merely my own” (John 5:30 NLT).

• A true Christian is one whose life is controlled by the Holy Spirit of God and who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit.

“22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.” (Galatians 5:22 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“37 Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment’” (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who exemplifies Agapé love and lives out what Jesus called the 2nd greatest commandment--to love his neighbor as himself.

“A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:39 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who loves others in the same way that Jesus loves him.

“I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you” (John 15:12 NLT).

• A true Christian is a servant of God who boldly proclaims His Word persistently regardless of the time or circumstance, and who corrects, rebukes, and encourages other believers using God’s Word as his basis.

“Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who obeys God rather than man.

“But Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than human authority’” (Acts 5:29 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who obeys God and by so doing has the assurance that they belong to Him.

“And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments. 4 If someone says, "I belong to God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth” (1 John 2:3-4 NLT).

“This is the message we have heard from the beginning: We should love one another” (1 John 3:11 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who follows the example of Christ.

“And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ's” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who does not copy the world’s ways, but has allowed God to change him and the way he thinks so that he always does what God wants.

“Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” (Romans 12:2 NLT).

• A true Christian is one who hates the world and rejects what it has to offer.

“Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you” (1 John 2:15 NLT).

This is by no means a complete list, but it should help one to identify what I call the CINOs (Christians in name only) of the world. Jesus, Himself said that not everyone who claimed to belonged to Him would make it to heaven. What matters is obedience to His commands.

“21 Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 On judgment day many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' 23 But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized'” (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV)