How Can You Know That You Are A Christian?

Did you ever wonder how you can really know that you are a Christian? In the book of 1 John in the Bible, John wrote that those who believe in Jesus Christ have eternal life. God tests us so that we know we have eternal life.

1 John 5:13 ~ "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

There is a way to know that you are a Christian. John gives us the evidences of being called a follower of Jesus Christ.

• #1). Christians have the faith to believe that Jesus is the Christ.

1 John 5: 1 & 5 ~ "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. v.5 ~ "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God".

• #2). Christians will obey God and love others as well.

1 John 5: 2-4 ~ "This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. v.3 ~ This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, v.4 ~ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."

• #3). Christians will receive answers that they pray to God for.

1 John 5: 14 & 15 ~ "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He Hears us. v. 15 ~ And if we know that He hears us ~ whatever we ask ~ we know that we have what we asked of Him."

First of all, we need to know His will before we ask God for anything. Then we pray in faith believing for an answer, and then we receive the answer. As we pray the Bible back to God, we receive His help. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it's no, and sometimes....it's wait. When the answer is 'wait', it's God's way of showing us we aren't ready for the answer yet. Waiting can be a blessing, even though it may not seem like it at the moment. We want the answer Now! God know's what's best for us. In the waiting we build our faith and become even stronger than when we first started. And when the answer finally does come, after all the waiting we did, we will see that it really was worth the wait after all. It all worked out for the best in the end.

#4). Christian's don't live in continuous sin.

1 John 5: 18 & 21 ~ "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. v. 21 ~ Dear children, keep yourselves from idols."

Do you have any 'idols' in your life? Perhaps it's watching the television? Following after celebrities and movie stars in hopes of being like them or looking like them? Or your job and trying to make it up the corporate ladder to be 'more important'? There are many things in life that can be an idol. Anything you make thats number one in your life besides God being number one, that's an idol.

Because we know Jesus Christ we receive from Him a new nature that doesn't want to continue on in sin anymore. We have a Godly fear that makes us want to love God and obey what He says. God wants us to experience Jesus Christ on our own. When you believe on Jesus you will also experience the overflow of eternal life ~ ~ faith, love , obedience, prayer and freedom.

John shares three different testimonies that confirm to us that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5: 6 - 9 ~ "This is the One who came by water and blood ~ Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. v. 7~ "For there are three that testify: v. 8 ~ The Spirit, the water and the blood' and the three are in agreement. v. 9 ~ We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son".

The Holy Spirit is the One Who convicts people of the sin they are doing and draws them to Jesus Christ. The water baptism of Jesus was evidenced by the Holy Spirit coming down from Heaven in the form of a dove, descending on Jesus, and the Father testifying that Jesus is His Son. The Blood of Jesus that He shed on the cross cleanses believers of all unrighteousness. He shed that Blood for all mankind. There is forgiveness found only in Him.

John shares the believer's testimony that confirms Jesus as being the Son of God.

1 John 5: 10 ~ "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son."

The Holy Spirit is drawing you to Jesus Christ in this service no matter where you are in faith's journey. Will you respond to God as He draws you to His Son? I pray that you do.

John taught us how to pray for those that commit a sin that does not lead unto death.

1 John 5: 16a & b ~ "If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death."

John also taught us to not pray for those that commit a sin that is unto death.

1 John 5: 16c. ~"There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. v. 17 ~ All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death."

We need to be more aggressive in our praying for our family members and others as well. In so doing, that they too may find God's forgiveness. For those that have rejected Jesus Christ and want nothing at all to do with Him, we need to pray that God will melt their hardened hearts, and reveal who He really is. We need to pray that they too find forgiveness in Him. Pray that they repent of their rejection of Him, and find salvation for their soul.

• Please respond to God's testimony about His Son and discover faith in Jesus Christ today.
• When you turn to Jesus Christ and ask for Him to forgive your sins and live in your life, He will live inside you changing your life.
• The evidences of salvation is the presence of Jesus on the inside of your life, and the change of lifestyle that follows.

You will never regret asking Jesus into your heart. It is a life changing experience that you will be glad you did it. I can't guarantee a lot of things in life, because of the uncertainty of things that happen all around us. But, this I guarantee!!! You will never regret!!!