Today, there are many people making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ whose life would indicate that such is not the case. We, of course, cannot see into anyone's heart to test the genuineness of their belief in Him. Yet, Paul encourages the church at Corinth to test themselves to be sure their faith was saving faith. Jesus Himself, as we read in the gospels, would not commit to some who claimed to believe in Him. In one passage in John, in fact, Jesus, speaking to a crowd of people who claimed to believe in Him, completely destroyed the illusion that they were real believers. He even told them that they were of their father the Devil, liars and murderers just like Satan.
And it is in that same message that Jesus clearly identifies those whose faith is genuine, those whose faith is solid, rooted faith, a faith that will grow and produce spiritual fruit. And the characteristics He gives of those who are truly His disciples are easily discernible.
First, He says that they love Him. Anyone who knows Him and fully understands who He is and what He has done for them, and what He is doing for them on a daily basis, and what He intends for them to experience in their eternal future, cannot help but fall madly in love with Him. No Name is sweeter. No longing greater than the desire to one day see His face, to be embraced by those arms. True believers love Jesus.
A second characteristic of possessing faith is a love for His Word, His instructions. Those with such a faith never get tired of hearing about Him. They love the time they spend in His Word. They never tire of conversations about Him. Their Bible is a treasured book. Studying is never a chore. When they go through times away from His Word, they sense the emptiness such a vacuum leaves in their lives. They long to get back to the feast, to the meat and the milk of the Word that strengthens them day by day.
The third characteristic that Jesus gave as proof that someone was indeed a disciple was their desire to follow Him in obedience. They long to do what He desires them to do. When they fail to do so, they are eager to confess. They treasure each opportunity to shower Him with love through acts of obedience.
If someone has never experienced these three loves--a love for Jesus, a love for His Word, and a love for an obedient life--his or her faith is not genuine. To claim to believe in Him and to hate to hear His name mentioned, to claim to believe in Him and have no desire to hear His words--to cringe when the Word is opened and taught, to claim to love Him and have no desire to follow Him in loving obedience, is to have a false claim. It is time for a genuine profession of faith, a genuine confession of sin, a genuine repentance, and a genuine regeneration and a new life in Christ. He is eager to adopt you into His family of true believers. "Now is the day of salvation."
If someone has known these three loves, he senses a deep need to return to those first loves when one or more of them is missing from His life. He knows he is miserable, and he knows why. And it is only when he returns wholeheartedly to those three loves that the full measure of joy returns. And all of us who have possessing faith have struggled in these three areas at times. And hopefully have known the joy of embracing them again. There is no sweeter life than a life filled with a love for Jesus our Savior, a love for His Word, and a love--a deep desire--to please Him through daily acts of obedience.
Professing or possessing? Jesus Himself tells us how we can know the difference. And He willingly died that we might possess the faith that gives eternal life. He did not come to condemn and judge mankind. He came to rescue us from condemnation. He is waiting for you to truly trust in Him with all your heart. And He is waiting for you who have drifted from love to return to those always open arms.
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