How can one tell if a person is Christian or just claiming to be Christian ?

Question

As a child, we had a song we would sing in church. It stated, " They will know we are Christian by our love."

Could this be the sign ?

Answer 1

Yes, they will know you are a christian by your "unconditional love" the same kind of love God gives us, that's how He wants us to love thy neighbor. You can tell a christian by their attitude, the way they carry themselves, the things they say and how they respond to things, christians are to be meek and kind, gentle and sincere love. (romans 13:9-19) and (ephesians 4:17-32 and 5:1-14) those are awesome scriptures, please do read them. If a person is like what those scripture say or even if they are striving toward that, you will SEE it, especially if it's someone you see daily. God bless.

Answer 2

You know this has been a question many ask, and often non believers in churches run alot of good people off.

And I wish I could say that you can tell by those going to church and those doing good works, will show you, but guess what alot of people do good workds for the wrong reason.

I know a lady, who in her almost 90 years has never missed a church service, she has given to every charity, gives 1000's each year to the church, has her name on a pew because she donated the money for it, but in real life, to family she is the most hateful person you would ever want to know, and does not really belive in heaven, she does all the good because it is expected of her in her position.

So lets go to the Bible, which also does not give us an answer except that you can't tell. In the various stories, like the weeds growing up with the grain ( that is beleivers and non beleivers together in the church till the last day.

And they can't really be seperated, because till the end, you can't really tell them apart.

Now in some it is easy, you use the bible as a guide, if they try and change God's word to allow them to sin, that is fairly easy to see. But most are more hidden in and amoung Chritians.

This does not mean that even the Christians are perfect, since the bible also shows us that apostles had thier personal faults and were all sinners.

And yes I remember the song, "we are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord.

And they do, but they also will belive others are Christians by thier works, the trouble, you can not prove love, it is hiden in our hearts.

Answer 3

You can never know what is inside a person's heart. Only God can do that. Christians are often known by the fruits that they produce. By the lives they lead. Love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, self control are good considerations.

As you get to know someone you can see by their life choices, their level of kindness, their prayer life and their church attendance if they are Christian.

A person that claims to be a Christian but spends Friday night at a bar, brings home a stranger to spend the night with...well, I would not believe they were a Christian.

A person that spends an evening with friends, doesn't have a "friend" overnight, is faithful to their spouse, goes to church, will pray with you and give you scriptural advice, then I would believe they are a Christian.

Answer 4

Yes if you could be sure of the love. Many people do not know what real love is. Sometimes real love is admonishing the sinner because you do not want to see them in Hell. Love is not a huggy soft fuzzy deal. Love is making the hard decision of putting someone else before you and that is really hard. Also a true Christian will love God first and people second not the other way around which is a big push today.

Answer 5

Here are a few verses that John wrote about how we can know who the genuine Christians are.
1 John 2:4-6 If someone says, "I belong to God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. but those who obey God's word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.
1 John 2:9-ll If anyone says, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves other Christians is living in the light and does not cause anyone to stumble. Anyone who hates a Christian brother or sister is living and walking in darkness. Such a person is lost, having been blinded by the darkness.

John is repeating what Jesus said "Love one another as I have loved you." We must look for the evidence of love and obedience in the life of a Christian.

Answer 6

That's ultimately up to God. It's almost impossible to know a persons heart. I would say the "love" test would not work because many Christians are too new in Christ and beat up by the world to have a lot to give back right at first. Also many other Christians have not gotten into relationships inside the body of Christ that helped them grow beyond their own selfishness.

Answer 7

I belive a true Christian is someone who lives for got and there family never speek bad about anyone never does wrong always helping someone even if its to carry in grocery anything.Not saying hay i belive in God I go to church every Sunday and Wensday and Saturday and on Friday i go the bars or play card tonight because i cant play cards on Sunday night thats not Christian like. Thats not a Christian at all

Answer 8

Yes that is a sign but I have friends that aren't saved and they have an earthly type of love that they think is a godly one. I think that the best way to see if someone is christian for real or not is if what they believe lines up with the Word of God.

Answer 9

Usually it is the ones who sit by quietly and answer questions intelligently rather than those who yell and thump their bibles at you. You can distinguish a true Christian by the examples they give of what a Christian should be through their own walk of life. Looks like a duck, acts like a duck....you know they need to walk the walk not just talk the talk.

Answer 10

Other signs to pay attention to are what they teach. If they teach a gospel of salvation that is contrary to what he Bible teaches, they do not know Christ. Obviously one has to know the BIble well enough to identify false teachings.

Another sign is their lifestyle. Are they habitually and comfortably living in sin? Sexual immorality. Theft. Lying. Violence, etc. If these behavioral characteristics are the normal experience of their life, you have good reason to doubt their claim to be Christian. Anyone can say they are a follower of Christ. But Jesus also said you will know them by their fruit. The fruit may be their lifestyle or the doctrines they teach.