How Does the Bible Define a False Convert?
[How Does the
Bible Define a False Convert?
Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries]
"The most terrifying words any
professing Christian could ever hear
would be the irreversible words of
our Lord Jesus Christ, "Depart from
Me, I never knew you" (Mat. 7:23).
Tragically, Jesus will turn away
"many" who call Him Lord on judgment
day. They are people who may have
been loyal to their denomination,
who did mighty works and prophesied
in His name, yet they will be
unqualified to enter into heaven
(Mat. 7:21-23). The phrase "Depart
from Me" is the final sentence to
hell as noted when Jesus uses it
again in Mat. 25:41. He declares:
"Depart from Me, you cursed, into
the eternal fire prepared for the
devil and his angels." You would
think this unexpected and horrifying
judgment would cause Christians to
wonder who these people are and, if
in fact, they could be one of them.
Some would dismiss any idea that the
warning applies to them because they
know they believe in Jesus. But how
do they know their faith is genuine?
James describes two kinds of faith
in his epistle. He contrasts a
living, genuine faith that justifies
with a dead, spurious faith that
gives only a false hope. James is
warning professing Christians, whose
faith is barren and unfruitful, that
they are foolish if they don't
recognize their faith is dead and
useless (Jas. 2:17, 20). Only
genuine faith bears fruit. Faith
without works is the faith of the
devils, mere intellectual assent
without repentance. When James says,
"show me your faith," he is asking
for evidence of their new life in
Christ (Jas. 2:18). Since faith is
invisible, it cannot be seen by
other men. Likewise, no one can see
a gusting wind, but they can see its
effects. True faith is vindicated by
those who are "doers of the word and
not merely hearers" (Jas. 1:22).
That is why James said: "I will show
you my faith by my works" (Jas.
2:18).
James is in harmony with our Lord
Jesus who said those who bear fruit
prove to be His disciples (Jn.
15:8). They are the branches that
abide in Christ, the Vine. A
professing Christian who bears no
fruit is separated from Christ (John
15:6). The Lord's illustration makes
a distinction between true and false
converts, those who bear fruit and
those who do not. The fruit reveals
whether one is in Christ or
separated from Christ. Fruit that
glorifies God is the evidence of an
abiding, living faith in Christ
Jesus. True justifying faith will be
evidenced by works and obedience to
God's Word. Those abiding in the
Vine will live to glorify God while
turning from "lawlessness" (Mat.
7:23; John 15:4-8).
What did Jesus mean when He said, "I
never knew you; depart from me, you
workers of lawlessness"? Clearly, He
is omniscient and knows everyone.
However, He does not know everyone
in the sense of having an abiding,
intimate, covenantal relationship
with them as His disciples. This is
similar to those who say they know
Jesus, but do not know Him in a
relational, experiential way. They
may know that He was a historical
person and even believe some facts
about what He did, but they may not
be personally involved with Him or
experience Him in an intimate bond
of love. It was for this reason,
Paul said, "I count everything as
loss because of the surpassing worth
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord"
(Phil. 3:8).
Just as no one will know they are
deceived until they are confronted
with the truth, no one will know
they are a false convert until they
experience true conversion. May I
lovingly invite you to examine
yourself today and test your faith
to see if it is genuine (2 Cor.
13:5). If you are truly saved by
God's grace, it will give you
further assurance of salvation.
However, if you fail the tests that
are given in James 2 and 1 John,
trust the objective Word of God and
not your subjective profession of
faith..." Pro-gospel.org
Also see:
False Converts and Biblical
Assurance
Walking Others through Biblical
Assurance
Response to comment [from a
Christian]: "[Note]: [T]he
Spirit in a person is not passive
like they say in Church.
The best to you.."
Yes, the Holy
Spirit (the third person of the
trinity) indwells the believer. It's
not about religion
It's about
a relationship.
"What was your question again? The assumed Holy Spirit is not it..."
In the video ([URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK_XRwtuDD0"]False Converts and Biblical Assurance[/URL]) Jesse Barrington discusses false conversions. Many people believe that they are saved when they are not.
"Church is not from GOD."
Huh? :AMR:
See:
Church
We are repeating like Israel...
Response to comment [from a Christian]: [Tares]
"Tares. A
poisonous grass resembling wheat,
but with smaller seeds. The tares
were usually left in the fields
until harvest time, then separated
from the wheat during winnowing.
Jesus used tares growing with wheat
as a parable to illustrate evil in
the world (Matt. 13:25–30, 36–40).
Tares is translated weeds in the
NRSV and NIV, and darnel in the REB."
Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., &
Harrison, R. K., Thomas Nelson
Publishers (Eds.). (1995). In
Nelson’s new illustrated Bible
dictionary. Nashville, TN: Thomas
Nelson, Inc.
Parable of the Wheat and Tares
Another parable He put forth to
them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven
is like a man who sowed good seed in
his field; but while men slept, his
enemy came and sowed tares among the
wheat and went his way. But when the
grain had sprouted and produced a
crop, then the tares also appeared.
So the servants of the owner came
and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not
sow good seed in your field? How
then does it have tares?’ He said to
them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The
servants said to him, ‘Do you want
us then to go and gather them up?’
But he said, ‘No, lest while you
gather up the tares you also uproot
the wheat with them. Let both grow
together until the harvest, and at
the time of harvest I will say to
the reapers, “First gather together
the tares and bind them in bundles
to burn them, but gather the wheat
into my barn.”’” The New King James
Version. (1982). (Mt 13:24–30).
Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "Ezekiel 18:24...Genuine worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth."
Yes.
"Eze 18:24 a righteous man turns.
The next scenario is a righteous man
turning to a life of sin. His
former, apparent righteousness was
not genuine (cf. 1 John 2:19), and
God did not remember it as a valid
expression of faith." MacArthur, J.,
Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur
Study Bible (electronic ed., p.
1175). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
