The Five Signs Of A Believer

In the great commission that Jesus gave us, He said that five signs would follow all those that believe on Him. Well, as we look at much of the church today, or should I say, so called "church", we see very little, if any of the five signs following those who proclaim to be Christians. These signs aren’t just for certain people or only those in ministry. These signs are to follow ALL those who are believers. This is what marks the life of a true believer - just as much as love does. Let’s now take a look at the great commission to see what these five signs are.

Mark 16:15-20 - "And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved: but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. So then after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen." (NKJV)

So here are the five signs of a believer:

1. Casting out demons

2. Speaking with new tongues

3. Taking up serpents

4. Being unharmed by anything deadly

5. Laying hands on the sick who recover

The church needs to have a wake-up call concerning this, because Jesus did’nt give us the great suggestion, He gave us the great commission! The church has fallen asleep in the enemy’s lap, oblivious to the fact that they are lukewarm and in unbelief. Far too many churches have turned into country clubs and entertainment facilities. These "churches" are more concerned with trying to appease people than in pleasing God. It’s time the church steps up to the plate and starts to walk in it’s full authority and anointing. Forget about the tupperware parties and the fund raisers and start proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If people get offended, then so be it. Who cares. Jesus offended people all the time - so you’re in good company! People call me narrow minded all the time, but it’s really a compliment because Jesus said that narrow is the way which leads to life (Matt 7:14), so praise God I am narrow-minded. My mind is the width of a Bible !

So if someone comes to you and says that they are a believer, ask them if they believe these five signs, and more importantly, do they walk in them? You will most likely find out that there are a lot of unbelieving "believer" out there. Don’t be one of them. Choose today to start walking in the full measure of your authority in Christ. Jesus preached cause and effect, and as long as your walking in Him and with Him, He has you covered. The choice is up to each and every one of us. We have free will, and God won’t over-ride that free will. My advice is that every Christian stand up and be counted as one of the soldiers in God’s Army. Time is getting short, and we need to take this seriously. Jesus said that we would cast out demons in His Name. Look around, there are quite a few demons loose in the world. We have the anointing in and upon us to destroy every yoke of bondage, and remove every burden. Jesus said that believers shall speak with new tongues. This refers to our prayer language when we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you look around, many so-called Christians reject this awesome experience, yet Jesus said that this would be a sign of those who believe. When Jesus said we would take up serpents, He wasn’t talking about dancing with snakes trying to look spiritual. He was referring to dealing with the demonic, and exposing the venomous poison of false doctrine. If you listen to a lot of churches and ministries, you will indeed see false doctrine and vicious lies being spewed. Those of us who are true believers will recognize this, and not only break free from it, but also expose it for what it is. Jesus also said that those who believe on Him would be unharmed by anything deadly. Great examples of this are Daniel in the lions den, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the burning fiery furnace. These men believed and trusted God, and they came out unharmed. Jesus said that those who believe on Him would also lay hands on the sick, and the sick would recover. This is God’s divine healing, and it is always God’s will to heal. We are the vessels He uses to accomplish His will. We are called believers for a reason. We must believe. And when we do, God will confirm it with signs following. Amen!