“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5a)
Every person who has genuinely placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ receives the indwelling Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. From that moment on, the Holy Spirit begins transforming the believer from the inside out, producing a life that increasingly reflects the character of Christ. While no Christian is perfectly Christlike in this life, genuine salvation will inevitably be evidenced by the spiritual fruit the Holy Spirit produces.
The question is not whether a genuine Christian ever sins, but whether the overall direction of his or her life increasingly reflects the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
“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).
Let’s look at some more of the characteristics of a genuine follower of Christ.
A true Christian, first and foremost, is one who has believed in and confessed publicly that Jesus is Lord!
“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. 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 genuine believer 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 follower of Christ 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).
One who belongs to Christ has an attitude that is the same as Jesus’ attitude.
“Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT).
A Christian 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. 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 believer 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 lover of Christ 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 Spirit-filled Christian is controlled by the Holy Spirit of God and exhibits the fruit of the Spirit.
“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.” (Galatians 5:22 NLT).
A Christ follower loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment’” (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT).
A sincere Christian exemplifies agapé love and lives out what Jesus called the second 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 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 Christian servant 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).
An obedient Christian obeys God rather than man.
“But Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than human authority’” (Acts 5:29 NLT).
A faithful Christian 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. 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 Christ follower follows the example of Christ.
“And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT).
An imitator of Christ 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 lover of Christ 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).
While no genuine Christian is ever perfect in this life, every genuine Christian should be growing. As the Holy Spirit continues His transforming work, believers increasingly obey Christ’s commands, reflect His character, and bear the fruit that identifies them as His disciples. These qualities do not earn God’s acceptance; rather, they are the visible evidence of a life that has been genuinely transformed by His saving grace.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6)
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