How do you tell a real follower of Jesus from a fake?
… some people had put their trust in Jesus – John 8:30.
Test #1
To the Jews who believed him Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:31
People’s faith can be fickle.
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. John 2:23-25
unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe. John 4:48
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:66
Test #2
If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. John 8:42
If you are a follower of God you will love Jesus.
For us today
- Does this passage lead us to think we need to earn our own salvation by loving Jesus and obeying what the Bible says?
- When we find a passage hard to understand or hard to obey… should this cause us to question if we are really a Christian?
- Is it wrong to question if people are really following Jesus and how should we do this?
- Do people who claim to follow Jesus today still openly reject God’s word like they do in this passage?
A question for morning tea – Is it OK to reject parts of the Bible and still be a Christian?