Beth-El Baptist Church
05/13/2007
Greg Tomlinson
Can someone deceive himself
regarding his salvation?
Many times you will run into people who say they are Christian and their dress, attitude, communication and behavior very much looks like those who claim they are not a Christian.
1. Is it possible for an unbeliever to say they are Christian when they are not?
Matthew 7:21-23
Luke 13:25-27
Revelation 2:9; 3:9
It is very possible for someone to say that they are a Christian and yet not be a Christian.
2. How can we tell if someone is a true Christian?
1 Corinthians 4:3-5
2 Corinthians 13:5
First understand that we are not the judges of someone else’s relationship to God. The judgment of a person’s salvation rests not with us but with the living Christ. We need to be very careful about laying claim that someone who claims to be a Christian is not an actual believer. We do need to verify our own Christianity by searching our hearts to know that Jesus Christ dwells there.
John 13:35
1 John 2:3-5; 5:2-3
Galatians 5:19-24 (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28; 1 John 3:15)
Romans 5:20-6:2
While we cannot know with absolute certainty the state of salvation of another, we can look at their life in order to discern a sense of probabilities. The primary thing to look for is love. If the person loves and exhibit the fruits of the spirit of God (Galatians 5:22-23) and they have a desire to be obedient to the Word of God, then these are good indications of their state of salvation. Just because he may disagree with you on the structure of the church or on some doctrines does not mean that he is an unbeliever. None of us has perfect doctrine and theology. If we were perfect, we would be God.
3. How can we tell if someone is a false Christian?
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
1 John 2:18-19
2 Timothy 4:3-4
Malachi 3:1
Remember that we are not the judge, but a brother in Christ. The salvation of another rests in the hands of God through Jesus Christ. Someone who claims to be a Christian but claims that all paths lead to heaven (John 14:6) or refuses to be obedient to the Word of God or seeks for Bible teachers and preachers that make them feel good by neglecting the reality of sin. Without understanding the reality of sin, the purpose and message of Jesus Christ will not make sense.
4. What should we do if we know that someone claims to be a Christian but is living in open sin?
Matthew 18:15-17
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Galatians
2:11-14; 6:1-6
When a person who claims to be a Christian is living in open sin, he is to be privately confronted, using the scriptures, of the reality of his sin. If he continues to live in open sin and refuses to repent, then it becomes necessary to treat him as though he is not a brother in Christ but as “worse” than an unbeliever. The goal of the confrontation is not to shame or humiliate him but to restore him to a position of fellowship with the brethren.
While it is definitely possible for someone to claim to be a believer but not be one, the state of their salvation is not our call. Whether someone is a believer or not a believer, it is up to the Lord Jesus Christ to decide that matter. As a believer, we can legitimately question someone who claims to be a believer but is living in open sin and rejecting the clear teaching of God. When confronting another about sin, be sure that it is clearly taught in scripture and not a matter of taught doctrine or personal theology. There needs to be very clear ‘thou shall’ or ‘thou shall not’ before any movement is made.