What Does a REAL Christian Look Like?

A major problem today with "Christianity" is that the term "Christian" has become a catch all for anyone who claims to be a "Christian."  Every type of group imaginable claims to be Christian even though their beliefs are completely different from the next group which claims to be "Christian."  As an example, you have groups today that say they accept the deity of Christ and others who reject the deity of Christ yet both say they are “Christians.”  Another example is the “Christians” who say good works must be a part of salvation while other Christians claim grace alone saves.

It is no wonder why the unsaved world around us is so confused and even rejecting at times of the Christian faith as they are not convinced WE even know what it means to be “Christian.”

This is not a new problem as even in the New Testament there were those who claimed to follow Christ but where not true "Christians."   Jesus tells of this struggle in John 10:25-27, “Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

But the confusion did not end there as the early churches had the same issue such as Paul points out in Romans 16:17-18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ…”

Even later in early Christianity John writes that there were those who were among the believers for a time but then they left because they were not really part of them.  1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

So what does a REAL Christians look like?

1. Faith in God’s true doctrine - 2 John 1:9 “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”  Look up the word doctrines in Scripture and you will see that EVERY TIME doctrines is plural it is speaking false doctrines being taught.  You cannot have multiple doctrines being accepted and still be “Christian.”  There is NO WAY that all the various doctrines being taught today in the name of Christ can be true and thus it is crucial to believe in sound true doctrine. (John 7:17; Acts 2:42, 5:28; Romans 16:17; Ephesians 4:14; 1 Timothy 1:3-10; Titus 1:9, 2:1)
2. Love for other believers - John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  When a person spends all their time and energy tearing down other “Christians” they are either saying those they are tearing down are not Christian or they themselves are not walking as Jesus said a Christian should walk. (Romans 15:30; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 6:23; 1 Peter 1:22, 3:8; 1 John 3:14-16)

Going to church does not make a person a Christian…just as sleeping in a garage makes one a car!  You are not a Christian because you CLAIM to be one, but because God has redeemed you and thus your life is showing what He has done within you!  

Acts 11:26 “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

Acts 26:27-29 “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.”