Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
Alright, so Michael is asking how do we recognize true believers?
Speaker 2
How do we recognize true believers?
Speaker 1
Sorry. Okay, good. We’re having a little minor tech issue, but I think it’s just a glitch, but if you’re seeing me okay, that’s great. Alright, so I really love this question. Thank you, Michael. We’re asking it because we really need to understand what a good believer looks like because we don’t want to be led astray or hanging out with people who claim to be but aren’t. And at the same time, we want ourselves to be that believer. God wants us to. So love the question. And let’s start with Matthew seven, verse 21, 21 to 23, actually. And this is a shocking verse for a lot of people, because a lot of people think, well, I know God, I believe there’s God, therefore I’m going to be saved. And Jesus throws a wrench at this. And it reads, not everyone who says to me, lord, Lord. So this a person who says God is their Lord, you know, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my Father in heaven, many will say to me in that day, lord, Lord, we have not prophesied have we not prophesied in Your name?
Speaker 1
Cast out demons in Your name and done many wonders in Your name. And if you’re a Christian, you have the name of Christ, you’re bearing the name. And verse 23 says, and then Jesus speaking, says, I will declare to them, I never knew you depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. So Jesus saying there’s going to be a group of Christians, or could be Jews back in the day before they’re Christians, there’s going to be people who said, god, we thought we’re serving you, we’re doing amazing wonders in your name. Aren’t you happy with us? And God is going to say, no, I don’t want to have anything to do with you sort of saying there was never a relationship between us whatsoever. And then mentions, right, you practice lawlessness. And Jason mentioned earlier too, he who does the will, my Father will enter the kingdom. So there’s this key aspect here of people in heaven. Well, they’re not going to be lawless and they will be doing God’s will. But let’s build on this. What does it mean to really keep God’s law? Especially now that we’ve had the revelation of Jesus, we know what he was like.
Speaker 1
Let’s look at the Gospel of John, chapter 13, starting at verse 34 34, it says, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. So this is the new commandment. We now as Christians, having seen the life of Christ, we are called to love one another. And Jesus says elsewhere, all the law, the law and the prophets basically hang on the two commandments. Love God with all your heart, mind soul strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself. But Jesus took it up a notch. He says, now, as I have shown you what love looks like and I’ve loved you, I want you to love others. Verse 35 now is key right to this question. How do you know, how do you recognize a true believer? Here it is, verse 35. It says, by this all will know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another, this is the most important sign. If you walk into a church and people aren’t loving, you don’t feel the love. There’s no believers. There rarely that’ll be the case.
Speaker 1
There’s got to be one person, right? There’s got to be that one person somewhere who loves and is probably lonely for them. But that’s your telltale sign especially. It’s going to be this love. And this is really critical because a lot of Christians, especially today, I think we’re going to be seeing a huge move and a huge surge on the conservative side. And they are going to feel like they have to take control of the government, have to take back control of the schools, this and this and that. In the name of God, we got to take action and are going to start maybe going a little bit too far and going to try to control people. They think they got to control people, they got to force people to do God’s law. But look at this. Jesus has a warning here. It’s John 520. It says, Remember the word that I said to you. A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. So what is Jesus saying? Yeah, Jesus was persecuted. That, you know, God’s people rejected him except for a handful.
Speaker 1
And Jesus is saying, expect the same of his true believers. They’re not going to be necessarily the majority. In fact, where most people are, maybe if that’s where you are, reevaluate it, because did most people get on the ark? No, the Jews, when they’re hauled off away to Babylon, did most of them return? No. I mean, the Bible is again, again and and again about a small remnant usually is who’s remaining faithful to Jesus, a small group who’s peculiar. They’re different than everybody else. So that, I hope, gives you a guide. And yeah, if they’re doing the persecuting and not loving, they’re not the true believers. Tina, any thoughts?
Speaker 2
Yeah, I think that was very well said and I think Jesus made it so simple. He says in the book of Matthew, if you love me, keep my commandments. And then at another part in the Bible, they say, which is the greatest commandment? And Jesus says, these two, just to love God and to love your fellow man, basically. So if you love Jesus, you’ll obey and you’ll keep his commandments, but you’ll have the spirit of obedience, which is love. We obey God only out of a heart of love. Like it says in the Book of Psalms, I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou hast enlarged my heart. And so it’s only by love that we can really obey God and then we can show that love to other people. And so I think yeah, love is definitely the essence of everything of the Bible, because God is love. So I 100% agree with that. And we just have to make sure that we are keeping our hearts in check, that we are truly loving other people the way that Jesus would love them, and we’re demonstrating that in our lives.
Speaker 1
Yeah. And I like what Joy Christie wrote. He says, along with believing, it’s more important to know yeshua, which is sort of the Jewish name of Jesus in Aramaic. So yeah, that’s exactly right. I mean, it’s about the relationship and what is the basis of the relationship? It’s love. So Jesus wants us to serve him. I love how he said yeah. Jesus says, if you love me, keep my commandments. And that’s where so many people go astray they don’t want to keep the laws or they feel like God’s trying to control them. God say, no, do it out of love. We’re actually going to be coming back to that.
Speaker 2
Yeah. And I think, too, you’re so right, Joy, about you need to know God, because if you can’t love somebody, you don’t know. And so the first step is to know God. And Jesus says, this is like, eternal, that they would know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ to whom he has said, which is John 17 three. And then it’s like, well, who is God? Oh, God is love, like you see in John four eight. And God is good. Jesus says God is good. And so if somebody’s loving and loves you and he’s good, then of course you love them back. And then you can like you’re saying, then obedience follows that. But you can’t have obedience, true obedience with God without first knowing Him and loving Him.
Speaker 1
Exactly. We love Him because he first loved us.
Speaker 2
Amen. Exactly.
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In His Service
BibleAsk Team
