1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
What is the proof that we really do know Jesus and are saved? If you asked a number of those who claim to be followers of Jesus, they might say that you can tell someone is a genuine follower of Jesus by the number of times they go to church, read their Bible and Pray each week.
The Biblical definition is much more practical and easier to define. A true follower of Jesus must manifest these seven qualities or their confession of Jesus would appear to not be valid:
- A visible love for other believers.
- A sincere desire for Holiness.
- An active prayer life.
- A burden for the lost.
- A desire to study the Word of God.
- A desire for fellowship with other believers.
- An earnest expectation of Jesus’ return.
A visible love for other believers:
John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
If a person who claims to know and follow Jesus does not have a sincere love for all other believers in Jesus, they are not a true follower of the Lord. It is a basic fundamental and visible proof that a person is truly Born Again when they manifest love for all other believers. This love is practically demonstrated by faithfulness, loyalty and commitment. To gossip against another believer is an abomination and something that the Lord hates. To support, defend and remain loyal to all other believers is an absolute requirement.
A sincere desire for Holiness:
Hebrews 12:14 Pursue… holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
This subject was covered in a recent Daily Walk. When a person comes into a relationship with Jesus, they will immediately begin to notice their sinfulness in relation to Jesus’ Holiness. A longing to be holy in all conduct is an internal sign that external behavior must change. The achievement of holiness is a lifelong process but must be pursued and practiced daily in order to manifest lifelong results. A person who has no desire for holiness must question whether their salvation was genuine, whereas a person who has the desire for holiness but finds it difficult, can be confident that their salvation is sure.
An Active Prayer Life:
Psalms 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing
In order for two persons to really be close they must communicate with each other often. Prayer is the method by which a believer in Jesus communicates their heart with their Lord. Sitting before the Lord and waiting quietly for Him to speak to the heart is the second part of prayer. Without an active prayer life there is no relationship with the Father, and surely represents a lack of spiritual desire. Prayer, like all seven of these qualities, must be practiced daily in order to grow and mature.
A Burden for the Lost:
Ezekiel 3:18 When I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Jesus did not save us for ourselves, He came into our lives so that we would reproduce our salvation experience by telling others what we have found. There are millions of people that die and go into hell every day, that have no hope of a second chance. Their opportunity for eternal life existed only during their short life on earth in which other believers were appointed to act as instruments to make their salvation possible. If someone claims to know Jesus but does not ache in their heart for the lost, a serious examination of the heart is in order.
A Desire to Study the Word of God:
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Timothy 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
It is impossible to grow in our relationship with Jesus without growing in our knowledge of His word. The Bible was left to us as our instruction manual for how to know and grow in our knowledge of God and what His will is for our life. The exercise of opening the Bible everyday and seeking to know God in a deeper way is an absolute necessity and a sign of a growing and thriving relationship with the Lord.
A Desire for Fellowship with Other Believers:
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
When the church of Jesus Christ was birthed by Him in the Book of Acts, those who first surrendered their lives to His Lordship, found it compelling to be together as often as possible. They shared all things that they had with each other, they became actively involved in each other’s lives. They worked as a team to witness to the Lost, they prayed for and supported each other. Without an active fellowship with other believers, as imperfect as they are, no one can grow into the spiritual person the Lord intends that they should become.
An Earnest Expectation of Jesus’ Return:
Luke 12:45-46 But if that servant says in his heart, “My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Jesus said that to begin to consider in your heart that He is not coming soon is so dangerous that it could cause you to fall completely away from Him and be lost. Jesus promised to return for His church in the last days. It is an absolute necessity to wake up every new day with an excitement that your Lord could be coming for you today. When Jesus returns for us, if He finds us watching and waiting for Him, He will appoint us as rulers over many things in the new kingdom that He is to establish upon His return. To deny that His return is imminent and live your life as if He is not coming soon, is a sure sign of a larger spiritual problem of the heart that needs repair.
These seven are some of the most important principles that everyone who claims to know Jesus should actively be working on everyday. Our salvation was a free gift by Jesus, we did not earn it. To remain close to the Lord and continue to grow in our relationship with Him, requires desire and effort to make these seven a reality in our life. May the Lord bless you as you pursue Him with all of your heart.
Rob Robinson
