Ture or False Questions of Being Born Again

Question

How can I detect a false conversion?

Reply

To convert is to be "born again." At the moment of conversion, the converted person is filled with the Holy Spirit and begins a journey of turning away from sin and beginning to worship and serve the Lord. A "false conversion" is no conversion at all. A false conversion may look similar a truthful, Spirit-acquired conversion, just it is non. The reasons for false conversions are varied. Sometimes the person experiencing a false conversion doesn't even realize it. At other times, at that place is intentional charade on his/her part. Non everyone who claims to have been converted has, in fact, been converted.

Just as those trained to recognize counterfeit money become intimately acquainted with the real thing, in social club to find a simulated conversion, information technology is necessary to showtime know what true Christian behavior looks like. We do this by studying and knowing intimately God'southward Discussion. We learn from the Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13:24–30 that Satan works to deceive the church by mingling his children with God's children, often making information technology difficult for believers to discern the truthful from the false. The more than we are familiar with Scripture, the easier it will exist for us to detect the true Christians from the simulated converts.

True Christians are "born again" (John 3:3) and are controlled by the Holy Spirit; they are no longer controlled by their sinful nature (Romans 8:9). Indeed, born-once more Christians take the Spirit of Christ indwelling their hearts (Galatians 4:half-dozen), and they become new creations: "The onetime has gone, the new has come!" (two Corinthians v:17). When a person receives Christ, tremendous spiritual changes take place in him, and truthful converts volition indeed brandish the characteristics of 18-carat Christians. For example, true Christians will sympathize the importance of abiding daily in God's Word, which shows not only how nosotros can be saved from our sins, only also how nosotros may be equipped to serve God and how to obtain true success in life (2 Timothy iii:17; James 1:25). True Christians will walk in the low-cal and obey God'southward commands, for "God's love is truly made consummate" in those who obey His Give-and-take (1 John 2:five).

Christians alive by the Spirit so as non to appease the desires of the sinful nature, "for the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature" (Galatians 5:17). The things of this world, "the cravings of sinful homo, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does" (ane John 2:sixteen) no longer accept a stronghold on the life of the true believer. Indeed, "those who belong to Christ Jesus accept crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24). We no longer alive for us; rather, we live for the One who died for u.s., sacrificing our desires and ambitions and replacing them with those of Christ. Granted, we will never be completely victorious in our Christian walk (ane John ane:viii); nonetheless, Christians will not repeatedly appoint in sinful behavior, as "no 1 who is born of God will continue to sin, considering God'south seed [nature] remains in him" (i John three:9). And this new nature exhibits the habitual character of righteousness produced past the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).

In Matthew seven:xiii–14 Christ tells His followers the road that leads to eternal life is narrow and that "only a few find it." The broad road with the wide gate, on the other manus, is the 1 that leads to devastation, and we encounter that "many" will take this path. And many who claim to exist converted Christians will never leave the broad road with its worldly allurements. They want to live an like shooting fish in a barrel Christianity that makes few demands on them, yet when "trouble or persecution comes considering of the word" they apace autumn abroad (Matthew 13:21). Furthermore, they produce picayune, if whatever, fruit. Nonetheless we know that true organized religion in Christ greatly changes one'due south life and volition cause us to produce much fruit for God's glory. And, ultimately, fruit is the test of true salvation, and this includes holiness (Romans six:22), Christian character (Galatians 5:22–23), good works (Colossians one:10), winning others to Christ (Romans ane:13), sharing what we have (Romans xv:25–28; Hebrews 13:16), and praising God (Hebrews xiii:fifteen). Every bit Christ said, "By their fruit yous volition recognize them. . . . A good tree cannot comport bad fruit and a bad tree cannot acquit good fruit" (Matthew 7:16, 18).

Truly converted sinners have trusted Christ alone and seek to become more than and more Christlike all the time. Those who claim to be Christians should display the characteristics of true Christians: audio doctrine, obedience to God's Word, and love. They should unashamedly work to spread the adept news of the gospel, as we are chosen to practice (Matthew 28:19–20), knowing well that they might be mocked and ridiculed by many in these increasingly secular times. And although imitation Christians may sometimes exist able to deceive the states, they certainly cannot deceive God, as goose egg in all creation is hidden from His sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare earlier the eyes of Him to whom we must give business relationship (Hebrews 4:13). At the end of the age, His angels will split up the true from the false Christians.

Return to:

Questions about the Christian Life

How can I detect a faux conversion?

Subscribe to the

Question of the Week

Become our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox!

© Copyright 2002-2022 Got Questions Ministries. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy

This page concluding updated: January 4, 2022

bertscholawkway1985.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/false-conversion.html

Share this post