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Let’s examine five of those tests.
Test 1:
A TRUE CHRISTIAN CANNOT IGNORE SIN
1 John 1:6-10 (NLT):
So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with
God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.
But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have
fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from
all sin.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling
ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God
a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
These verses tell us
that everyone sins, but that true Christians cannot continually practice sin
–he must confess it (agree with God about it). Any person who practices sin, refuses to agree with God about the sin,
and refuses to turn from the sin is not a true Christian.
Test 2:
A TRUE
CHRISTIAN OBEYS CHRIST’S COMMANDS
1 John 2:3-5 (NLT):
And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, "I know God,” but
doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the
truth. But those who obey
God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are
living in him.
As we see, a true Christian has a deep desire to obey Christ. Obedience to Him is the pattern of a true
Christian’s life.
Test
3:
A
TRUE CHRISTIAN DOES NOT LOVE THE WORLD
1 John 2:15 (NLT):
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love
the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.
The ‘world’ is a value system that leaves God out and is controlled by
Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). A true Christian does not find joy in the
world’s value system. A person who
leaves God out of their decisions and daily life –and finds joy in those things
that leave God out—is not a true Christian.
Test
4:
A TRUE CHRISTIAN DOES NOT LOVE THE WORLD
1 John 2:19 (NLT):
These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us;
otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they
did not belong with us.
A person who has forsaken the church –making a final
turning away from it—is a person who lacked genuineness from the
beginning.
Test 5:
A CHRISTIAN CANNOT CONTINUE IN HATRED
1 John 3:14-15
If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have
passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is
really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life
within them.
The heart of a true Christian cannot be a permanent
dwelling place for hate. The above
verses are not referring to a momentary flare up, but an attitude of hate as a
pattern of life.
How did you do?
· If you are sure that you pass the tests of 1
John visit www. … .org and continue learning how you may Exchange Your Life for
a New One!
· If you didn’t do so well, or have any doubts,
continue reading.
Are you good enough to be accepted by God?
The Bible tells us that we have been given a ‘measuring
stick’ to determine if we measure up to God’s standard for acceptance. That standard is The Law –summarized in the Ten Commandments.
Romans 3:20 (NLT):
For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law
commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
Before we see how you stack up against the Law of God, I
have bad news to share:
· God doesn’t grade on a curve! He does not
measure you and me against how well others do.
· If we are guilty of breaking only one of God’s
commandments, we are guilty of breaking them all!
James 2:10 (NLT)
For the person who keeps all of the laws except one
is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
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