STUDY No. 7 - CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRISTIANS

It is an important question, and one we hope to answer partly in this study. Saying that you belong to Christ does not always mean possession by or of Christ. Many who appear to ‘fall away’ were never His in the first place. There are people of whom all you can say is: "The Lord knoweth them that are His".

WHAT ARE THE EVIDENCES OF SPIRITUAL LIFE?

• In the first place there should be an increasing likeness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Commitment to a person’s teaching is not the same as devotion to the person. If we truly love a person we shall become ‘like him’.
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 speaks of being changed into His IMAGE or LIKENESS. How is this effected?
• 1 John 1:6 speaks of walking as He walked. How is this achieved? See the following verse (verse 7).
• Galatians 5:22 speaks of ‘fruit’ or similarities that ought to be seen in us. Try a self check! How do you match up?
• 1 John 3:3 speaks of our purifying ourselves - in view of what?
• In the second place there should be an increasing love for other people.
• Galatians 5:13,14 - In what way can we show our love for others?
• Colossians 3:14 - In what other way can we show our love for others?
• 1 Peter 1:22 - To whom especially should we show Christian love?
• Ponder the words of the Lord Jesus Christ found in John’s Gospel 13:34 and 35.
• How will we show such love? Do you?
• In the third place there should be an increasing knowledge of His Word.
• This is sadly lacking these days. Indeed the increased reading of scripture and knowledge of scripture - being in updated language - has not in fact occurred. "Bible knowledge is decreasing seriously even among Christians who might be expected to read the Bible." (Tom Houston).

 

 
 
 

The Bereans not only received the Word, but they searched the Scriptures every day! See Acts 17:11. Why was this? Think about it!
 

• Ponder: Colossians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:2, Acts 20:32, Psalm 119:11,12
• Reminder: It is the careful meditation over the Word of God that will provide the greatest help in these studies.
• It is a good sign of spiritual health when a Christian is reading the Bible every day and studying it at least once a week. Following some kind of Bible reading plan, such as is available from the Trinitarian Bible Society, makes good sense.
• In the fourth place there should be an increasing desire to pray.

Read carefully Romans 8:1-6. The way a person thinks will govern his or her everyday behaviour.

One of the first evidences of the fact that Paul was a real Christian was that he would (as Ananias was told) be found praying. See Acts 9:11.Notice how it became Paul's normal practice in life, as is evident from Romans 1:9, Ephesians 1:16 and Philippians 1:3,4.

These increasing evidences are worth remembering when answering the question .... "Is this person a Christian?"

One of the best books of the Bible for a new Christian to read is 1 John. It is the first of John’s three letters, before Jude and Revelation.

It is full of assurances and promises, but also contains seven tests of true spirituality:
 

Finally, a verse for you to think about - 1 John 3:9.

Some things in the Bible are "hard to understand". The apostle Peter said so (2 Peter 3:16). Unfortunately many begin to question the Bible because they do not understand it.
It is wiser:

1. To pray about it,
2. To confer with more mature Christians,
3. To recognise God’s timing for your understanding - it may not be now, but later!