Author: admin

We all know people who once were active Christians who now claim they no longer believe in Christ. At times these people suffered hurt or disappointment in church, and now they angrily dismiss their previous belief. Others became involved in sin and now, to justify their actions, they adamantly claim they no longer accept Christian standards and beliefs.

At times well-meaning friends and family can claim, “Even though he adamantly denies Christ today, I am trusting that his earlier profession of faith still holds and he will go to heaven when he dies.” We vainly hope that, a decision made in their youth will somehow trump the denunciations and apostasy that are occurring today.

Scripture indicates that people cannot profess Christ as Lord unless the Holy Spirit is at work in their lives. Likewise, to denounce Christ is clear indication that the Holy Spirit is not resident in them. A true child of God will not deny Christ’s existence nor will they adamantly refuse to acknowledge Christ’s lordship. But an unbeliever will.

It can be hard to understand why someone who used to be active in church chooses to walk away from the Christian life. These people used to regularly attend Bible studies, sing in the choir, and talk about Christian doctrines. But now they claim to no longer believe Christianity, or they are upset at their church leaders and refuse to attend any longer.

It can be puzzling how people who once were active in their faith can choose to abandon it. Of course, there are many reasons why this occurs. Yet the aged apostle suggested a simple explanation: these people never were true Christians. They were religious. They regularly attended church services. They became familiar with Christian beliefs. They even learned the Christian subculture. But they were never born again.

John suggested that by abandoning God’s people, they finally made manifest what was in their heart. As long as they remained among God’s people, they fooled others into assuming they were spiritually alive. But now that they have gone, it becomes clear that they only had a surface belief, and not a faith that saved and transformed them. They were among us, but they were not of us.

The “world” is the secular, material, temporal, and often immoral values and perspectives that dominate society. The “world” appeals to our flesh. It promises us pleasure without accountability. It affirms our every lustful thought and supports us in every evil desire. The “world” is completely at odds with the standards of holy God.

When we become Christians, we are made into an entirely new creature (2 Corinthians5:17). Nevertheless, we remain in the world. We are in the world but we do not belong to it. Some, however, succumb to the constant allurement of the world around them. They gaze upon the temporal pleasures and temptations until they embrace them.

The problem is that the world is at enmity with God. God hates the values and behaviors the world promotes. Therefore, to love the world is to love what God hates. Loving the world is not a one-time event. It signifies an attitude. It is a lifestyle and a settled opinion. We may all yield to the occasional worldly temptation. But to live your life in love with the world is impossible for those who genuinely love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

How does your love for the things in this world compare to your love for God?

Just as there is clear evidence that reveals whether or not we are disciples of Jesus. So there are tale tell signs that we are not. One of the sinful behaviors most damning to those who claim to be Christians is when they hate their brother. Scripture is clear: you cannot hold bitterness and hatred against your brother or sister and yet truly have the heart of Christ. It’s impossible.

Jesus laid His life down for people who were mocking Him, spitting in His face, and nailing Him to a cross. Despite how people treated Him, Jesus loved and forgave them. You cannot have Him residing within you and yet refuse to forgive someone who has offended you.

Tragically, unforgiveness is one of the most common sins in the church today. God’s people are rife with anger, bitterness, and hatred toward one another. People claiming to be Christians regularly explain how they “can’t” or “won’t” forgive someone for what they have done. Beware! The apostle John claimed one of the clearest signs that someone did not belong to Christ was an unwillingness to forgive others.

Is there anyone in your life today who you have refused to thoroughly, completely, and wholeheartedly, forgive?

Abiding in Christ entails far more than attending church once a week. Walking closely with Christ means that you behave as He does.

To be Jesus’ disciple involves far more than merely believing in Him. It also consists in following Him. The twelve disciples did not simply believe that Jesus existed. Nor did they become disciples by affirming His cause. They were Jesus’ disciples because they followed Him. What Jesus did, they did. Where He went, they went.

Over time, Jesus’ perspective became their perspective. His heart became their heart. You could tell someone who was Jesus’ disciple because they acted like Him.

Today, there are those who act nothing like Christ, yet they claim to be His disciple. There ought to be a clear, distinguishing characteristic of those who belong to Jesus. They should act, live, speak, and behave just like Him.

One of the simplest ways to know if you are a genuine child of God or not is this: do you obey Him? This would seem obvious. Yet there are many today who adamantly insist that although they do not live the life they know God wants them to, they are still believers.

There is an insidious heresy that proclaims it is possible to live in constant disobedience to Christ and yet to be heaven-bound when you die. Of course, no one is perfect. Everyone sins at times. Yet those who truly belong to Christ will have a desire within them to please God and to do what He says. When they fall short, they will feel convicted and know they are dishonoring God.

However, for those who willingly and knowingly reject God’s clear instructions day after day without any sense of conviction or remorse, it is doubtful that they have ever truly been born again. They may have prayed a prayer or signed card some time in their past, but the evidence that it “took” is missing.

If you want assurance you are a born again, child of God, you don’t have to peer back into your distant past to remember a hasty decision you made as a child. Just ask yourself the question: am I doing what I know God wants me to today?

Everyone needs an advocate. Life is too challenging to do it alone. It is too easy for us to be misunderstood or to face issues too complex for us to adequately handle. How wonderful it is, therefore, to have someone who comes to our aid and pleads our case!

When it comes to transgressions, we are out of our league. Despite all of our willpower and determination, sin is too difficult for us to deal with on our own. That is where Christ comes to our rescue. He is unlike any other friend or supporter, for He is righteous. He can boldly come to our defense because He is the only One to successfully overcome evil and wickedness. An advocate is someone who stands beside us and pleads our case. What confidence that gives us to know that the Holy Son of God ensures that our sins are forgiven and remembered no more!

Perhaps you have been struggling with sin in your life. Maybe you have been burdened by guilt and shame. If so, it is time for you to ask your heavenly advocate to come alongside you, to help you deal with your sin, and to find forgiveness. Your absolution will not come because you tried hard enough but because your Advocate was righteous Christ. Allow Him to do in your life what only He can do.

Life provides us with 1,000 excuses! It is not our fault because: someone else started the argument; I missed my flight; my administrative assistant made a mistake; the economy is a disaster; no one told me; I was tired; I struggle in that area . . . When we say or do something we know to be wrong, our natural instinct is to find an explanation that absolves us from blame. In our society, it is always someone else’s fault.

Christian leaders, however, do not shirk their responsibility. They face it head on. It is a sign of cowardice when we cannot admit we have made a mistake. The path to freedom is confession. It relieves us of the burden of constantly finding someone or some thing to blame. As long as we keep pointing our finger at someone else, we are not growing, or being forgiven.

But, once we confess our wrongdoing, God is quick to forgive and to help us move on. No one expects us to be perfect, but they do want us to be honest. What is it you are presently struggling to admit? Why is it so hard for you to do? Few things bring as much freedom as when we admit our wrongdoing, receive God’s forgiveness, and move on.

Those who walk most closely with God are not people who never sin, but rather, they are the ones who are most keenly aware of their shortcomings before God. Some people are continually justifying their questionable actions. They experience broken relationships but acknowledge no wrongdoing on their part. They participate in questionable moral or ethical practices and yet adamantly claim they have done no wrong. Their church condemns their immoral activities and these people angrily find another church.

There is also a Christian heresy that proclaims that Christians do not sin. Some assert that God, in His grace, loves His children regardless of how they behave. Clearly this is self-centered and deluded thinking.

The revered apostle spoke clearly on this point. Anyone who claims they have not sinned is a liar. Those who walk most closely with God are the ones who grieve most over their offenses. They recognize their sin for what it is, repent of it, and turn away from it. If people put half as much energy into turning from their sin as they do justifying it, they would be wonderful saints of God today! How are you handling the sin in your life?

There are many people today who believe they are a Christians, despite how they are currently living. These people no longer attend church. They never pray or read their Bible. Worse yet, they have sinful habits and blatantly disregard God’s standards and instructions on how to live. Yet they feel certain they will go to heaven when they die. Such people typically look back to a moment in their past, when they prayed a “sinners prayer” or walked an aisle during an alter call, or raised their hand when an evangelist asked who wanted to become a Christian.

Today, there is no evidence, from their lifestyle, that they are followers of Christ, yet these people rest assured that “once saved, always saved.” While it is true that you cannot “lose” your salvation, it is also a fact that those who are born again, act born again. Christians will certainly sin. Being a follower of Jesus does not mean you are perfect, or sinless. But there will be evidence, somewhere in your life that the Holy Spirit dwells within you.

People who have embraced a sinful lifestyle ought to beware. Those who walk in darkness are people who do not dwell in the light. A true Christian cannot embrace a lifestyle of sin without any sense of remorse or conviction. The Holy Spirit dwelling within them would not allow that. We need to stop assuring people who are continually living in sin that they are children of God. If they have rejected God’s ways and are habitually sinning, then clearly any “decision” they made earlier in their life was not genuine. It matters not whether they prayed the “sinner’s prayer” 1,000 times. The key is whether God “heard” their prayer and changed their life.