Tell Tale Truths to Being a Christian

Introduction

Going through 1 John to help me brush up a little bit in Greek has been very rewarding. As I go through these academic devotions of interpreting the biblical language, I am finding several tell tale truths regarding one's identity as a Christian. How can we tell if someone is a Christian? How do I know if I am a Christian or not? The epistle of 1 John in the first and second chapters have several indications as to who is and who isn't, and I would like to share these with you right now.

Six Tell Tale Truths to Being a Christian in 1 Jn. 1:1-2:8

1. "I don't have sin"

Those who say that they are perfect or without sin are not Christians. First of all such a statement identifies its owner as being deceived, and second it demonstrates that the Truth--Jesus Christ--is not in him/her. True Christians would recognize the sins in their lives and that they have a need for a Savior to redeem them from such sins.

2. "I have not sinned"

Those who say that they have not sinned or have never sinned are making God out to be a liar. However, God cannot lie, for this would be contrary to his nature and position as light and being without darkness. Those who sincerely believe this statement is true for their life clearly demonstrate that the Word--Jesus Christ--is not in them, meaning that they are not Christians. Followers of Christ would recognize that they have sinned and are not perfect.

3. Walking in the light vs. walking in darkness

The mark of one having fellowship with God is walking in the light. Those walking in darkness, however, do not have fellowship with God, and are therefore not Christians.

4. Confessing sins

Part of walking in the light means confessing sins, and doing so on a daily basis. For all you Greek buffs out there, the verb "to confess" is in the present tense. This means that confessing sin is a continuous action. The Christian is marked as one who daily confesses their sins to the Lord.

5. Keeping the commands of Christ

Those who are Christians know that they are by keeping Christ's commands. The one who says, however, that he knows Christ (aka, they call themselves, "Christians"), but does not keep Christ's commands, he is a liar and the Truth--Jesus Christ--is not in him.

6. Walking in Christ's footsteps

Christians know that they are followers of Jesus ("in Christ") by walking just as Jesus walked. By living in the same manner that Jesus walked, Christians mark themselves as being followers of Christ.

Conclusion

So there we have it. Christians are people who live as Jesus did, keep His commands, confess their sins on a daily basis to God, and walk in the light. Some tell tale truths to not being a Christian, however, are statements denying the existence or act of sin, walking in darkness, or not keeping the commands of Christ. This is (partially) how we know who are truthfully believers and who are not, for surely there are many who proclaim to be Christians, but only few actually walk the walk.