A Genuine Christian

“This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.” (1 John 2:5b-6)

How can someone know for certain that he or she is genuinely a Christian? And how can we know that about another? Clearly, it cannot be based purely on someone’s word. Saying you are a Christians does not make it so. John says that the confirmation is in the life that is actually lived. To paraphrase what John said, “We know someone is a genuine Christian who says that he or she is abiding in Christ and who then lives his or her life in the same manner as Christ did.” In today’s vernacular: We walk the talk. What we say we believe is what we do.

True Christians “walk just as He walked.” A statement like this could unnerve some: “You mean, to show I am a Christian I have to give up everything and become an itinerant preacher or missionary?” That probably is not quite what John was suggesting. He seems rather to be talking about the quality of the life Jesus lived: 1) He obeyed the Father, 2) He was faithful in everything, 3) He ministered to the needs of others, 4) He was committed to the will of the Father above all else.

Today, we can give thanks to God for the example Christ set in the life He lived that shows us the way to demonstrate genuine faith. We can give thanks as well that we can know that we are genuine Christians when we back up our testimony with a life well lived, a life that follows His example.

Lord, Today we are forever grateful to You for showing us the way. May we also be faithful in our walk with You. Amen.