Sometimes even Christians can be deceived into believing that a particular person or “ministry” has God’s stamp of approval. Here are some deceptions to be aware of:
1. True Christianity is not about ceasing to be sinners. In Romans 7 the Apostle Paul laments the fact that he continued to sin. In 1 John, we are told that if we claim to be without sin, then we are liars, and 1 John was written to Christians.
Thus the claim that a person is an ex-sinner is not a sign that the person is a Christian.
2. During the time of the ancient Roman Empire, the Oracle at Delphi was an international celebrity known for prophesying by speaking in unknown tongues. The accuracy of the Oracle’s prophesies is not known, but it is known that the Oracle was neither a God-fearing Jew nor a Christian. Instead the Oracle was a pagan.
Thus the act of someone prophesying by speaking in unknown tongues is not a sign that the person is a Christian.
3. In Acts 16 we read the account of a slave girl in Philippi who had the gift of prophecy. The girl accurately proclaimed that Paul and Silas were God’s servants sent to teach the way of salvation. However, the girl’s ability to prophesy came from an unclean spirit, not from the Holy Spirit.
Thus the ability to give accurate prophesies is not a sign that a person is a Christian.
4. In Revelation 13 we read about a beast from Satan who has the ability to perform signs and wonders. According to Revelation 13, the Beast’s ability to perform signs and wonders causes people to be deceived.
Thus the ability to perform signs and wonders is not a sign that a person is a Christian.
5. In Matthew 7:21-23 Christ Himself gives this warning:
Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers!”
Thus the fact that a person does something “in the name of the Lord” is not a sign that the person is a Christian.
Although the above actions are not signs of Christianity, it would be dangerous to judge whether or not a person actually is a Christian. In Matthew 13 Christ gives His parable of the weeds (a.k.a. tares). In the parable Christ tells His servants not to try to separate the weeds (tares) from the wheat because some wheat may get damaged in the process. The job of separating the weeds from the wheat is to take place during the harvest. The message here is that we are not to attempt to judge who is and isn’t a Christian.
Still it is reasonable to expect Christians to stand out somehow from non-Christians. In Galatians 5 the Apostle Paul lists the spiritual fruit that Christians are expected to bear.
Paul’s list is comprised of abstractions. However Christ Himself gives a concrete description of what actions are expected from Christians. In His parable of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25), Christ describes His sheep as being those people who take care of the poorest and weakest members of society.
According to early Church history, Christians were famous for their acts of charity given to people who were outcasts, regardless whether or not the outcasts were Christians, too. Indeed the Lord’s description of His sheep (Matthew 25) is what the non-Christians noticed about the early Christians.
Notice, however, what is missing in the Lord’s description of His sheep. The Lord makes no mention of the sheep attending church every Sunday, or of the sheep giving 10% of their income, or of the sheep preaching to masses, or of the sheep attempting to proselytize. Instead the sheep demonstrate the reality of a life that is abundant and eternal.
That is what “true Christianity” is about – demonstrating the reality of a life that is abundant and eternal.