Can we tell if someone is saved or not?
This matter should be approached with love and respect for the
person you are concerned about.
Since we are unable to see a person’s heart like God can, the
only way we can possibly know if a person is truly born again is by primarily two
things.
1.
Knowledge
of the truth
2.
Conduct
based on truth
Both have to be operating in a person’s life if they’re claiming
to be saved. We can not obey God without a proper understanding of God through the
pages of Holy Scripture.
If one is claiming to be saved then their lives should exemplify
that claim or profession faithfully and consistently.
The following does not necessarily mean a person is saved:
Attending
Church
Singing
in the choir
“Paying
tithes”
Speaking,
praying in tongues[1]
Getting
water baptized
Walking
down the aisle
Praying
the sinner’s prayer
Getting
slain in the spirit (i.e. falling on the ground when someone lays hands on you for
a supposed healing).
Folks like these are a dime-a-dozen. When they practice these
things mechanically, traditionally and spiritless-ly
every week, chances are these type of individuals do not truly know the
Lord. Its religious externalism. The person is in the right place bodily, and
may be close to genuine saving faith (like Judas Iscariot - the traitor), but
has not repented of sin and implored the Lord for the forgiveness of their sins.
Confession of one’s sins and being saved by grace through faith constitutes
real regeneration and salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Other indicators that a person is not truly saved are if one
denies the triune Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), deity of Christ, His sacrificial
death for our sins, burial and resurrection,
Jesus being God in the flesh, His ascension into heaven, His bodily
return and establishing of His eternal kingdom in the new heavens and new earth.
Lastly and most importantly that He is the only way, truth, and life for all mankind
(John 14:6).
The aforementioned are Christian essentials and one HAS to
believe all of them. Failure to adhere to all of these truths actually destroys
our entire belief system and Christian world view.
For anyone to say they are saved and also believe there are
many ways to God save Jesus Christ only is 1) immature in the Christian faith
or 2) a liar and they can not be truly saved at all. That person(s) is deceived
and blind.
On the opposite side, those that exercise the fruit of the
Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control show that they are truly born again (Galatians
5:22-23). These virtues can only be produced by the Holy Spirit working in the
life of a true believer. The Holy Spirit CAN NOT dwell in the soul of the
unsaved. The Holy Spirit dwells only in those whom he has converted.
For the Christian this HAS to be a daily pursuit of life; the
fruit of the Spirit.
Right before that Paul describes the works of flesh which he
says are evident: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry,
sorcery[2],
hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions,
dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of
which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in times past, that those
who practice (italics mine) such
things WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 19-21).
Translation,
those that live ungodly PROVE they are not saved.
Of course any believer can and has engaged these sins, but
these things CAN NOT be our way of life or we are can not say we are saved. We
have to be grieved by this lifestyle, go to God immediately confess and cry out
to God and ask Him to help us overcome those weak area(s) in our lives.
As a matter of fact the Elder John the apostle said that a
truly born again person can not continue
in sin because God’s seed[3]
dwells within us (I John 3:9).
Contrast that with the false convert who will claim he/she is
saved yet will live like the world.
That person is an obvious hypocrite thinking they can have
the best of both worlds; the Church on Sunday, and the world the rest of the
week.
I John 2:15 says, “love not the world, neither the things that
are in the world. For whoever loves the world, the love of the Father is not in
him”.
It does not get any clearer than that.
Concluding, it is important that we are not so quick to judge
a person’s spirituality or lack thereof. Unless you spend quality time with a
person and monitor their behavior, we have no right to judge them based on a
few encounters. However, if you see consistent, ongoing pattern of wickedness
when you know someone has been exposed to biblical truth and refuses to submit
to it, that person MUST examine themselves to see if they are in the faith (2
Corinthians 13:5). The aforementioned is the way we take a person’s temperature;
the word of God. It would be a loving thing to pull them aside and warn them
about their deviant behavior. You have concern for their soul and that is a
good thing. Pray with and for people like that.
They may have started off the right way, but have been horribly
sidetracked because of other ungodly things; deceitfulness of riches, cares of
this present world (Matthew 13:22).
Jesus preaching on the sermon on the mount said this, “seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and these things (i.e. things we
need and desire) will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Saved people seek God’s direction everyday. Unsaved people do
not unless they are in trouble and need God to bail them out.
[2]
The greek word is pharmakeia where we
get the English word Pharmacy which deals
with medicines. This word
also deals with mind altering drugs, getting high. This word
Also deals with those
involved in witchcraft, the occult and magic which pagans often engaged
Themselves in.
[3]
Seed is the Greek word sperma. In
this context the seed is the permanence of the life of God within
The believer. As a result of such permanence the child
of God can not live anyway they want. The life
Of God within will bring about a righteous conviction
of sin and drive us to genuine repentance. The child
Of God does not make excuses for their sins, they run
to God and repents of them with the intent to forsake
Them with the power of the Holy Spirit.
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