Characteristics of True Believers

April, 2002

by: John Richard

Recently I read a survey, which found that 85 percent of teenagers believe that they are Christians. This means that 1700 students out of a 2000 student public high school would be believers. Is that true? Are the majority of students at Burbank and Burroughs High Schools saved? Your answer to this question is most likely an emphatic no; because based upon their actions not many of the students are truly saved. So, how is it possible that many students across America think they are believers? One of the reasons probably is that they don't know what it truly means to repent and put their faith in the person and work of Christ. Furthermore, they most likely believe that as long as they believe in God, they can live how they want. However, the Scriptures are clear in what a true believer looks like. In the last issue of the Calvary Review, we looked at three characteristics of true believers, and in this issue we will look at several more characteristics of true believers.

A true believer loves the Lord more than anybody or anything else

In Luke 14:26, Jesus makes some interesting comments when He said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Jesus is not advocating for us to hate our parents or even our own life, but He is advocating that in comparison with our love for Him, we are to hate our own lives and family. A true disciple loves Jesus so much, more than anybody (family) or anything (even your own life). Is this how much you love Jesus? Or do you love your own family or things more than Him? Sometimes people say they love Jesus more, but by their actions it shows that they don't. One way to find out where your love meter is, is to evaluate what you spend the most of your time on, money on, and what you talk about the most. The answers to these questions will give you a good evaluation as to whether you love the Lord more than anybody or anything.

Another characteristic of a true believer is that they love God's Word

In 1 Peter 2:3, Peter states “if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” What will the people do if they have tasted that the Lord is gracious? They will lay aside sin and crave the pure milk of the Word (vs. 1-2). Peter mentions that if people have tasted the grace of the Lord they will continually lay aside sin and desire the Word of God like a baby loves milk. If a person is a believer, they have tasted the grace of the Lord, because God has given us His Son when we don't deserve Him. Grace is His utterly undeserved favor, which He bestowed upon us, by giving us His Son. True believers have put their faith in the person and work of God's gift to us. So they tasted the grace of God. Therefore they will lay aside their sin, like a person lays aside their clothes before they take a shower and will desire the Word. A true believer loves the Word so much that He desires it like a baby does milk. A baby loves milk and doesn't want anything else. A baby also wants it all the time. Finally, a baby will cry if it doesn't get the milk. Is this how we are? Do we want the Word of God all the time? Do we read it all the time? Do we crave it? A true believer does all of these things.

The final characteristic of a true believer is that they will not only love the Word of God, but they will keep it

John 14:23-24 , says that if a person loves Christ (which a true believer does), then he will keep His words. If a person is a true believer, he will obey God. Do you obey God?