A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that although
80% of Americans say they believe in God, only 56% of them identify their ‘god’
as the God of the bible. They consider almost anything that is their higher
power or ultimate force in the universe to be their god.
This is one of many
reasons why true believers must be able to recognize the difference between
biblical truths and worldly falsehoods and philosophies.
The devil loves to
deceive. His followers are deceived. Let us dig into scripture to make sure
that we are not deceived.
The bible makes a clear distinction between true and false
Christianity. It warns us against falling prey to false teachers, and it
provides foundational principles of true believers.
If we wish to honor God and receive our eternal reward one
day, then it is vital that we study His Word to ‘work out our own faith’
and to know what ‘true and undefiled religion before God’ would have us do. James 1:27.
In Matthew 15:8
Jesus says ‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor Me with
their lips, but their hearts is far from Me.’ Here our Savior is making an
irrefutably clear statement that there are many individuals who pretend (or
genuinely assume) to be believers. This passage also delineates a truth that
your words are not enough; you must take the next Step and act on the prompts
in scripture.
On that same note, 1
John 2:9 strikes a dividing line between what we say and what we
believe (or how we live). ‘He who says he is in the light, and hates his
brother, is in darkness until now.’ The bible says to love your neighbor. You
cannot be obedient to God while hating your neighbor. This includes other
believers—when the verse says ‘brother’ it could indicate neighbor or fellow
believers, or both. Either way, harboring hatred for others is a big indication
of a heart that is not right with God. False believers are easily identified when
they express hatred for certain people or groups of people.
Perhaps the clearest statement and the surest way to
identify false believers is to memorize and live John 14:23.
Here Jesus states
unequivocally: ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will
love him and We will come to him and make Our home in him. He who does not love
Me does not keep My words—’ That pretty
much sums it up.
If you know someone who claims to be a Christian, or who seems
outwardly righteous, note if that person actually obeys the Word of God. If
they attend church but spit out foul language (Colossians 3:8) on Friday, then
they probably don’t have much respect for God’s Word. If they decorate their
house with angels and say they believe in God but reject the idea of the devil
and neglect their studies of scripture (Matthew 6:33, Psalm 119:9, James 4:8),
then you know that their heart is not right with God.
Study, if you will, James 1:27. Meditate on this verse. Let
it inspire you and move you to a greater appreciation for the duty and
requirements of true faith.
Proverbs 3:7 outlines the heart of true faith: ‘Do not be
wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to
your flesh, and strength to your bones.’
If a ‘Christian’ gives off airs of pride, and does not
bother to depart from and shun sin, then you know this one is not truly in the
faith. It then becomes your Christian duty to guide this one to God’s Word.
