THE MARKS OF A TRUE BELIEVER
TEXT: MARK 8:34-38
" And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
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There has been a raging debate on who is a true believer. Many denominations are claiming the authenticity of Christianity despising other assemblies as not true followers of Christ.
We can only validate the genuineness of our walk with God from the evidence of the Scriptures.
From the passage above and other Scriptural references, the following conclusions are deduced.
A true believer is the disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. A disciple is in total submission of his will to the Lord Jesus Christ. Self and personal ambition are willingly renounced and aborted and they are subjected to the will of Christ. He offers the Lord exclusive loyalty and allegiance.
A true believer is identified with the following marks in his life.
*A Perfect and Supreme Love for God and Jesus Christ.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
A true believer puts God first in his relational hierarchy. God takes first place in his life. He places God above family members, above business or career, even above his own life.
* Sincere and Fervent Love for Fellow Believers
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
John 13:34- 35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.
1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
A true believer loves his fellow believers with genuine love without any kind of discrimination based on social class, tribal consideration, and what have you. His love is sincere without any hidden agenda.
* Never-ending Life of Self Denial
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
This means total and complete submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He renounces all self-dependency, self-interest and pursuit that are contrary to the will of God. He continues with this life of self-discipline no matter how wealthy he eventually becomes in life.
* Affection for the Word of God
John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed in him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
A true believer has an undying passion for the word of God and complete obedience to it. The word of God has the final say on every issue in his life. He places the words of God far above dreams and the prophecy of the merchant- prophets. The word of God supersedes societal traditions and cultures.
He is not lazy in verifying every matter from the Scriptures before taking action.
*A Fervent Prayer Life
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
A true believer takes prayers as a matter of life and death. Prayer to a true believer is what water is to a fish. Take a fish out of the water it will not survive. In the same vein, if you take prayer from a believer, he is on his way to backslide. Prayer is the oxygen of the Christian life. He continues instant in prayer at all times and in all places.
*A Burning Passion for Soul Winning
Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
A true believer is a stakeholder in the Kingdom's business. He takes a clue from Jesus Christ who was after the Father's business while He was here on earth.
A true believer must occupy in soul-winning till the Master comes.
Having highlighted the marks of a true believer you might want to mirror yourself with the word of God to be double sure that you are a believer indeed. If there be any discrepancy, it is not too late to make amend. It is better now than never.
Fellow believers, let's dedicate ourselves to the service of our God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's hold on to the sound doctrines of the Bible and earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints.
