CENTRAL THOUGHT
The marks of true believers identify them before God and man.
TEXT: Mathew 7:13-23
INTRODUCTION
A person who has a firm conviction in the reality of the finished work of salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is born again, is a believer. And there are marks of genuine believer; conspicuous sings that show that he is a believer. The use of the qualifier, true, is to distinguish actual believers from “false brethren.”
At creation, the Lord said that all living things should bear after their kinds (Genesis 1:24-26). This law is seen in nature even now. Animals bear their kind, trees bear fruit with seeds that produce the kind of tree that bore them. Man, also bears man. The Lord, in explaining the concept of the new birth to Nicodemus, said that flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit the spirit. This again shows the original law at creation. By this then, (John 3: 5-8), it is obvious that a child of God takes after God, just like a natural man after his father.
A true believer is a child of God and bears the characters of his father. These are distinguishing features that make him known by his brothers and different from the unbelievers. These are like birthmarks and not necessarily matters to strive for. For instance, a child’s surname identifies him or her with a family; his physique is a mark of his decent. By these features the child is identifiable by his people as well as others.
In this lesson, we shall be tracing the exact marks of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ such as know feature, which distinguish children of God in the first place. At the instance of new birth, what marks the believer as God’s own? And in effect what is the fruit of the new birth?
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are:
- To know who a true believer is.
- To show that true believers are distinguished from other human beings.
- To appreciate the cost of being a believer.
BIBLE TRUTH
Q1. WHO IS A TRUE BELIEVER?
Jesus followers were not all believer. Today, in the different local churches and denominations spread all over the world, not all members are true believers. A church member is not necessarily a believer. Holding a post, or title does not make one a believer either, even if people think one is. In fact, being good does not make on a believer, even if better in works than some known believers.
A believer is one who has received the Lord Jesus Christ and who has been given the power to be son of God (John 1:12). He is one who professes and exhibits absolute belief in, and owes total allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is one who is zealous for and about the Lord so much so that the Spirit of the Lord has possession of him. He is the one that is led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).
Q2. WHAT IS THE MARK OF TRUE BELIEVERS?
When a person repents of his sins and accepts the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, God forgives him his many sins and gives him an inheritance with the
other saints of God. He becomes a saint too! He is now born of the Spirit of God, having been given the power to be God’s child. He is born of God, a spiritual person, and no more a carnal being (John 1:12, 13; 3:1-21). This is the new birth, the beginning of every believer.
Believers in Jesus Christ owe supreme allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ alone (Mathew 6:24). The Lordship of Jesus Christ over their lives is spontaneous and continuous. They are given the Spirit of God to indwell them (Romans 8:9). Anyone that does not have the Holy Spirit of God (the Spirit of Jesus Christ) is not a true disciple. The Spirit knows and bears witness concerning them (Romans 8:16). When a person meets God, he cannot be in doubt as to whether it was the Lord or not! When a man believes and is saved, he would know it was because the Spirit of God would explain it to him.
As a result of the mark of the Holy Spirit on the believer, fruit of holiness is seen in his daily living (Galatians 5:23-26). The love of God is shared abroad in his heart. The Lord said that the final test of our discipleship is love for one another. By the way they show love, without dissimulation or cloak, you can know true believers (John 13:34,35). The believer cannot live any how he pleases. Heaven is watching him, he knows this and that he is an ambassador of Christ here on earth.
The Holy Spirit in him makes him not to join to do the things men gang up to do; to inflate figures in offices, to tell lies about or against somebody etc. The child of God grows spiritually, and matures towards perfection. His life is characterized by patience (composure, cool, equanimity, self-control, endurance, tolerance, imperturbability), temperance (avoidance of extremes, strict habitual and usually complete self-denial in gratification of appetites and passions), humility, joy, faith (confidence), goodness (righteousness, uprightness, virtue, morality, probity), and so on
He is dead to the old ways of thinking and living by the facilitation of this mark on him. He does not strive and would rather be hurt than hurt others. He accompanies his daily work with goodwill for others, that is he wishes others well.
Q3. WHAT IS THE COST OF BEING A TRUE BELIEVER?
Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is not reserved for the idle, irresponsible or never-do-wells in the society. The scriptures say that the one that would not work should not eat. A believer therefore is definitely one who has a vision of another world and therefore decides to loosen his grip from this one (Hebrews 11: 13-16). They leave parents, friends, relations, jobs, wealth, poverty, etc. to follow Christ. No one comes to Christ in sincerity without dropping off some things!
The Lord Jesus Christ said that because a servant is not greater than his master, let everyone carry his or her cross daily as we follow Him (Luke 6:40; 9:23; Mathew 6:24). A cross is not a luxury, it is in preparation for death. And for this the Lord said that death is not an issue for His true believers because, He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25, 26). If it means dying because of their faith, true believers are ready. Jesus died for them, no sacrifice is too big to make in honor of Him.
Anyone who would live a godly life would be persecuted (John 15:20,21; Galatians 5:11; 6:12; 2 Timothy 3:12). And the Lord said that if He being our Master, was persecuted and even taken to the cross, we should not expect a different treatment.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION
A believer is ready to face trials and temptations as he follows the Master. He stays with the Lord, when it is rosy and when it is dry. By these several trials and temptations, the believer’s faith in the Lord is tested and proven.
A true believer is identifiable by physical appearance, even though this may not be sufficient to conclude, and even though looks do not make one a believer. By these marks, a believer should be different both on the inside and on the outside!
MEMORY VERSE
Romans 8:9
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you, now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of His.”