“I’m a Christian,” or “He was a Christian,” or “He is going to Heaven”. People make statements or ones similar to these all the time. Well-meaning people do. Grieving people do. And some dishonest people do. Of course, I could say, “I wear a 30” waist and weigh 135 pounds” and everyone who knows me would say, “In your dreams!” And then, they should say, “Let’s pull out the scale and the measuring tape and see!” Then, I’d run.
Well, with God, there is a scale and measuring tape. It’s His word. This isn’t your word against mine. Your opinion against mine. It’s just the simple truth that God calls His disciples His and by His calling, they are Christians. How we really know that we are, or they are, Christians headed to heaven is really simple: God says how. This is how we know that I am, you are and they were – a Christian.
How we know is that they keep the Lord’s commandments. John says, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1John 2:3-6). A Christian is someone who keeps God’s commandments and live their life to keep His commandments.
Notice, John does not say there is just one commandment like, love your neighbor, get baptized, or go to church. He says, “We keep His commandments” which is more than one. Certainly, we should aim to keep all of them if we are supposed to keep several of them because he goes on to say that disciples will “keep His word” (2:5). Then he adds, we are supposed “to walk as Jesus walked” (2:6). This means that occasional faithfulness, infrequent obedience and sporadic walking is not really what a “Christian” is. That’s not my opinion. That is the inspired testimony of Scripture.
Lest we sway the swing too far and say, “you want me to be perfect” – you are wrong. Perfect faith saves us (James 2:24) by grace. But faith works the works God commands in us – that we may keep the commandments (1John 2:3); that we may keep His word (2:5); and that we may walk as He walked (2:6). One divine criteria to help us KNOW who GOD SAYS is a Christian is that we keep His commandments.
How we know is that they have been born again. Again the Apostle John writes, “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1:29). How we know someone is a Christian is that they have been born of God – or said a different way – has been born again. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And went on to say, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:4-5). Jesus said you and I cannot see or cannot enter the Kingdom unless we have been born again. This birth “of water and Spirit” parallels with what Paul told the Ephesian Christians had already happened to them “by the washing of water with the word” (Eph 5:26). And to Titus, Paul said that same salvation came by “the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). So, in the words of Jesus, “unless we are born of water and the Spirit”, how can we say that we – or any other person – are Christians bound to heaven?
How we know is that they love. Again in 1 John (5:2-4), he writes, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” Further, how we know we are His is if we love His children. Of course, John says that we love His children when we love God and obey His commandments. Therefore, our love is measured and verified because we keep His commands.
And, how we know is that they will be found walking in His commandments. One last point from the Apostle (2John 1-4) where he writes to the “elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth… I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.” Earlier, John said we would walk as Jesus walked. Here, John says that what quantifies and qualifies our identity as saved believers is that we will be found to be walking in the truth – as we follow the received commandment from the Father. It isn’t about what we feel in us. It isn’t what we say we are doing. It is about what the Father finds in us – and those around us – that should match what He says His children should be doing.
So can you know? YOU CAN. You know God loves you (John 3:16)! You know His grace is offered toin Christ to make you whole again (Ephesians 2:1-10)! So, have you been baptized for the forgiveness of your sins? Are you walking as Jesus walked? Are you living your every day to keep His word and follow His commandments? That’s how God knows. That’s how we know. And that’s how you know.