Monthly Bible Study Outline

God is Our
Helmsman;
His Word
is Our Compass

The Helmsman Institute

Disciple-Making is the Goal——Mentoring is the Process

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE CHRISTIANS

1 John 1.1-4 / Temple /09-20-2009

W. L. Owens, Th.D.

Introduction – Through forty five plus years of Gospel ministry, I have become concerned on occasions for the souls of my people and on occasions for my own soul. The reason for my concern is at least two-fold: First; I have witnessed far too often a lack of concern for holy living in my own life and in the lives of those whom I have served. Second; I also noticed a tendency by great numbers of professing Christians to rely on a “decision” for Jesus to save them. (Salvation in the past tense is not Biblical.) This type confession concerns me because the Bible knows nothing of a past tense salvation but rather a present on-going experience with God. We are never told to rest on our “decision” for Christ. Believing on Christ means trusting Him for Who He is and what He has done for us.

 

We are admonished by the writers of the New Testament to examine ourselves and to live our “faith” by biblical standards.

Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV) We are to live holy
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
1 Cor. 11.27, 28 We are to examine ourselves

(NKJV) 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV) We are to live separate lives
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
Titus 1:16 (NKJV) We are to be Obedient
16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

How then may we know that we are truly trusting Jesus Christ as savior and Lord? In 1 John there are at least six characteristics that revel the nature of true Christians.

 

I       TRUE BELIEVERS PRACTICE RIGHTEOUS LIVING

1 John 2:29 (NKJV)  29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
A. They are not self-righteous but righteous! They act like their Father.

B. His righteousness in us produces righteousness in our life's.

C. I tell people that any good that they see in me is from God. All that is negative and sinful comes from me as carnal man.

 

II      TRUE BELIEVERS ACVTIVELY AVOID SIN

1 John 3:9 (NKJV) 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

A. The “new man” is an absolutely perfect new creation. (“new self”; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10)

B. John was seeking to refute a false conception about sin. Sin is not, nor ever can be, anything but satanic.

 

III    TRUE BELIEVERS LOVE OTHER BELIEVERS

1 John 3:14 (NKJV) 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

A. We “love,” because, we are justified and regenerated. We do not love in order to be accepted of God.

 

IV    TRUE BELIEVERS CONTINUELY TRUST CHRIST

1 John 5:1 (NKJV) 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

A. To trust in Christ means to trust Who He is as well as what He did for you.

         B. True believers continue to trust Him through the “good” times and the “bad” times. (Illustration: The Rev. Foreman Miles in tractor accident.)

 

V      TRUE BELIEVERS EXERCISE VICTORY OVER SIN
1 John 5:4 (NKJV) 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith.

A.  What is it that overcomes the world? It is our faith. It is faith that saves us, and it is faith that keeps us. We are saved by faith; we walk by faith. We are born children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, and faith is the only way in which you and I will be able to overcome this world around us.

         B. If we are not overcoming sin then we are not the children of God.

VI    TRUE BELIEVERS REST IN GOD’S KEEPING

1 John 5:18 (NKJV) 18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
A. God must keep us, if we are to keep ourselves from evil Compare
John 17:15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

Conclusion: Are you a true believer or are you merely a professor?