24 Ways to Identify a Genuinely Born-again Christian Believer | How to discern a believer in Christ | - 1

 

I felt in my spirit the Holy Spirit telling me to write this important article. In one of my articles, a Christian writer commented that the article is good but boring because I kept repeating the word, Christian believers.

As I thought through that comment, I had a confirmation in my spirit to write and publish this article. I have laid the foundation of several articles and books to write and publish. However, the comment received has confirmed the timing of this article.

Before I share with you twenty-four ways to identify a Christian believer, I will briefly explain the meaning of Christ and Jesus. I will further explain some truths about Christianity to help you understand the faith.

First of all, Christianity did not begin from Judaism. That’s a half-truth. Real Christianity took place before the creation of the world. Christ Jesus was fellowshipping and relating with the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit before creation (Meditate on Proverbs 8:22-31).

Real Christianity is a consistent relationship and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. As I wrote at the beginning of the article, I will share with you twenty-four ways to identify born-again Christian believers; keep in touch with me.

Take your time to read this article because you will learn a lot. To save a life, I encourage you to share the link to this article with your loved ones on social media platforms, email, and other available platforms. First of all, I will briefly explain these keywords because they will broaden your understanding of this article.

 

Who is Christ?

Christ means the anointed one or the consecrated vessel. Several people have come into the world claiming to be anointed and Saviours. As time passes, these religious “leaders” and groups are perishing.

Christ Jesus is the only anointed one of the Almighty God. His ministry, anointing, and purpose were prophesied by genuine prophets thousand years ago before he came to the earth (See Isaiah 53:1-12). He was anointed in virgin Mary’s womb, and after his birth, he was anointed. In summary, Christ is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

 

Who is Jesus?

I will write into details on this topic in one of my upcoming articles, so keep calm. Jesus means the Saviour of the world. Several people are claiming to be the Saviours of the world. As time passes, these self-acclaimed saviors depreciate and disappear from the mind of people.

Some people even name their children Jesus. In the Holy Bible, the name Jesus appears in several books. The real Saviour and Judge of the world is Christ Jesus. Some people write the word and mention name in this way, Jesus Christ.

Christ Jesus means the anointed Saviour of the world or the anointed Messiah. If I write the name Jesus Christ correctly, it should be Jesus the Christ. 

 

Who is a Christian believer?

Very simple, a Christian believer is a human being who believes in Christ Jesus, follows Christ Jesus, and walks on his path all the days of his life. A real Christian believer follows, believes, and obeys the teachings of Christ Jesus.

A believer has faith in something or someone, so calling yourself a believer or a disciple is incomplete. The proper name should be a Christian believer, someone who believes in Christ Jesus.

The word Christian is derived from the word Christ. People who have the nature of Christ Jesus are called Christian believers. Some people do not believe in God, but they believe in Christ Jesus.

These people are not genuine Christian believers because it breaks the mysteries of the trinity. Some people too believe Christ Jesus as a philosopher, moralist, socialist, grandmaster, one of the ancient figures, religious leader, good man, humanist, and historical personality.

Others, too, do not believe that Christ Jesus existed. In the Holy Scriptures, the people of Antioch were the first to be called Christians because the unbelievers saw the nature of Christ Jesus in them.

 

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 11:26 KJV

The fact that Luke records that the people in Antioch were the first to be called Christians do not mean Christianity began at the time. As stated at the beginning of the article, Christianity started in the soul of the Trinity (Meditate on Proverbs 8:22-31).

Before creation took place, Christianity existed. God Almighty (Yahweh) took on the form of a human being and lived with His creation (Meditate on 1 Timothy 3:16, John 1:1-14). God Almighty became a human being or took on the image of a man and walked on earth to reconcile the world unto himself.

Christ Jesus came to this world to show us how we can practice Christianity. Christianity was around before the world came into being. With this short introduction, let me share the twenty-four ways to identify Christian believers.

I will not share all the biblical keys in this article. I will share seven keys in this article and continue in the next article. Check out my series of articles, the forty types of Christian believers, for more profound revelations. Become a blessing by sharing the link to this article with your loved ones and ignorant enemies.

 

1. A real Christian takes his cross and follows Christ Jesus all the days of his life.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23 KJV

Christ Jesus alerted his disciples that to become genuine followers, they must prioritize Him and the kingdom of God on earth (the church) above themselves and anything in their lives. Check out my book, keep quiet and let me follow Jesus Christ for more revelations.

A true Christian believer is sold out for Christ Jesus and the church. You will not find a born-again Christian believer who does not engage in the things of God. When you identify someone claiming to be a Christian believer yet hates and ignores the church, question that person.

Either the person is a baby in the Spirit or is not born again. A born-again Christian believer is one with the Holy Spirit. He is more concerned about the progress of the church than his ambition.

A real Christian believer lays his burdens on Christ Jesus and carries the responsibilities of God’s kingdom with a sincere heart. If you love your life more than Christ Jesus and his kingdom, you are either not born again or immature in the Spirit.

• Are you born again?
• Are you a disciple of Christ Jesus?
• Are you a real Christian believer?

Examine yourself and amend because Christ Jesus is coming soon. Let me share a vision (a prophetic dream) I recently had. I was on water fasting and prayers for three days and three nights. On the second day of the fasting and prayers, I had a prophetic dream in the night.

I saw a famous Ghanaian gospel minister left behind with most of his church members in the dream. The rapture took place while he was ministering in his church. After the rapture, I felt total evil about to take over the earth!

In the dream, I was left behind during the rapture! I saw people been taken into heaven. They ascended into the sky in a whitish form. They looked like shadows as they went straight into the skies.

It looks like a magnet lifted them from the earth. In the dream, the rapture took place in the evening. After the dream, I felt uncomfortable for some minutes because I thought it had happened in reality!

I became a little comfort when I realized it was a dream. I felt in my heart the Holy Spirit telling me that I was left behind because of unforgiveness. I prayed for divine mercies on my bed. Occasionally examine yourself because the rapture can take place any moment from now.

 

2. A genuine Christian believer participates in the Lord’s communion all the days of his life.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  

For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

John 6:53-56 KJV 

One of the signs to identify a born-again Christian believer is that he participates in holy communion. Christ Jesus commanded us (Christian believers) to remember him by taking bread and the “wine” to affirm our faith in him.

 

And he [Christ Jesus] took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Luke 22:17-19 KJV (Emphasis added)

 

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 KJV

Taking part in the Lord’s communion in the church validates your citizenship in the kingdom of God. You can also take the Lord’s communion in your home or chambers to seal your covenant with Christ Jesus.

Anyone that claims to be a Christian believer and fails or rejects the flesh and blood of Christ Jesus in the church during communion is not born again. That person is faking Christianity. You will embrace the Lord’s communion with gladness if you are born again.

 

3. There is evidence in the life of the person who calls himself a Christian believer.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

One of the ways to identify a born-again Christian believer is a new character, personality, and attitude. When one becomes born again, a transformation takes place in the spirit. The old nature (sinful nature) of the person begins to diminish.

The individual begins to walk on the path of Christ Jesus. If the person had a hostile attitude, the person’s bad nature gradually changes to the image of Christ Jesus. Anyone claiming to be born again, yet you see nothing new about the person's personality, temperament, character, and attitude is not born again.

If the person is born again, you should see some changes in the person’s life and surrounding. A new presence must come on the person if he is born again. If the person were a hardened criminal, you would see a change.

If the person was a thief, harlot, womanizer, abuser, or had a bad attitude, those Adamic nature gradually depreciates. Although the Holy Spirit works in the person's spirit, soul, and body to validate these changes, the greater responsibility lies in the vessel.

If the person fails to feed on the Word of God, the new nature will take a long time to manifest. The new nature features in the born-again Christian believer when he consistently feeds on the Word of God, builds a consistent prayer and fasting life and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

There must be something unique about a person claiming to be born again with the above responsibilities. If you are born again, curses begin to break, demonic powers start to break, and every form of misery begins to fall from you in the Spirit.

The anger problem begins to lower because of the seed (Holy Spirit) residing in you. If we see nothing special or Christlike in you from the day you declared that you became born again, then you are not born again. Repent, repent, repent! 

 

4. True Christian believers walk and live in the Spirit

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:1 KJV

Real Christian believers are under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. They are not under the law of sin and the law of the flesh because they are under the law of the Holy Spirit. True Christian believers do not struggle to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit because they are one with him in the spirit, soul, and body.

Anyone that claims to be a Christian believer yet finds it difficult to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and live in the Spirit is either not born again or a baby in the Spirit (Meditate on John 10:27).

Most often, vessels that find it difficult to connect with the Holy Spirit are babies in the Spiritual realm. If you are born again, you do not feel condemned in your deeds because you have an assurance of salvation in your heart.

The joy, peace, love, faith, and other fruits of the Holy Spirit reign in your heart because you walk and live in the Spirit. Check out my book, how to walk and live in the Spirit, for more profound revelations.

 

5. Non-Christian believers or unbelievers do not have the Holy Spirit living in them

…ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Romans 8:9 KJV

In other words, Christian believers have the Holy Spirit living within, and they walk with Him. However, unbelievers do not have the Holy Spirit living in them. This is one reason why unbelievers sin with no sense of remorse, regret, or repentance.

You will hardly find a true Christian believer enjoying the pleasures of sin. Even if a Christian believer falls into sin, he repents quickly because the Holy Spirit alerts him of the impending danger.

However, unbelievers reject the voice of the Holy Spirit and the danger of sin because of their hardened hearts. The unbelievers enjoy the pleasures of sin because there is no seed (Holy Spirit) in them.

They do whatever pleases them irrespective of the warning. Unbelievers have no self-restraint because there is no seed to control their wicked hearts. However, Christian believers feel fear and become uncomfortable when sin tries to dominate them.

In life, you must know that we have creatures of God, children of God, children of the world, and children of the devil. God created the invisible and visible things, which includes human beings. God does not force himself on us because of our free will.

As we can see from the Holy Scriptures (see Romans 8:9), if any man (including woman) does not have the Spirit of Christ (the Holy Spirit), he does not belong to God Almighty. So, if you don’t have the Holy Spirit abiding in your heart, you are not a Christian believer, and one of the signs to know you have the Holy Spirit in you is the ability to express divine love, peace, patience, faith, joy, gentleness, longsuffering, goodness, temperance, and meekness (See Galatians 5:22-23, 1 John 4:7, ). If you cannot find these precious virtues in a vessel claiming to be a Christian believer, that person is not born again. By the way, are you born again?

 

6. Christian believers are dead to consistent and willful sin.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Romans 8:10 KJV

Genuine Christian believers have little or no desire to engage in sinful activities willfully, unlike unbelievers who swim in the ocean of sin. True Christian believers have crucified the lustful desires of the flesh and soul.

Unbelievers succumb to the lustful desires of the flesh because they have no self-control. If you are born again, sin will not be pleasurable because of the seed (Holy Spirit) abiding in you. You will hate sin with a passion because the Holy Spirit will empower you to resist it.

 

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 8:13 KJV

 

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 3:9 KJV

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

1 John 5:18 KJV

Although we (Christian believers) are tempted to sin, we walk in dominion because we have the Holy Spirit helping us to escape the trap of sin. The Holy Spirit has given us the grace to overcome the desires of sin (Meditate Romans 6:14).

I have been tempted several times to fornicate during evangelism, but the Holy Spirit empowers me to overcome the trap. I love evangelizing to university students and public places because it’s my passion.

I built an evangelism team with some tertiary students because winning souls for the kingdom of God is my duty as a Christian believer. As time passed, I realized that I had to dissolve the evangelism team and do it at God’s appointed time.

I often evangelize alone in the tertiary hostels, lecture halls, and apartments. In some hostels and apartments, it's only ladies. Sometimes I meet one lady in his room during evangelism. Whiles preaching the gospel to the lady in a room, she tries to seduce me, but I do not submit her seduction.

Some ladies can look at me with seductive body language and lustful eye (evil eye), but I concentrate on the Word of God while alone in the room. I believe if I should make a mistake to fornicate with some of these ladies I witness to, they will fall for me, but I have decided that I will not fornicate.

I am keeping myself because I respect the temple of the Holy Spirit (Meditate on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7). Secondly, I have to keep myself from defilement. Although I am tempted to sin, the Holy Spirit helps me overcome the desires of sin.

One-on-one evangelism is dangerous if you are not led by the Holy Spirit. One-one-evangelism is dangerous if you are not strong in the Lord. I advise you to evangelize in groups to save yourself from the enemy's trap.

So, what is my point here? The key is that a genuine Christian believer overcomes daily temptations because of his seed (accumulation of the Word, consistent watchfulness, and prayers). However, unbelievers have a strong desire to sin because the god of this world has power over them. True Christian believers have little or no desire to sin willfully. Are you born again?

 

7. Real Christian believers love righteousness with all their hearts.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.  

1 John 3:10 KJV

A true Christian believer desires to please God because of the seed (divine love) resting in him (See 1 Thessalonians 4:1, Romans 12:1-2, 1 John 3:22). You will hardly find an unbeliever pursuing the righteousness of God.

Genuine Christian believers find it easy to show true love because the Holy Spirit abides in them (Meditate on1 John 4:7-8; 5:2). As we can see from the Holy Scriptures (see 1 John 3:10), children of the devil reject the seeds of righteousness.

Non-Christian believers or unbelievers don’t have a love of Christ Jesus. Their love is corrupted, but genuine Christian believers' love emanates from the Holy Spirit, and it is unconditional.

• Do you love people unconditionally?
• Do you love righteousness, holiness, purity of life, and sanctification?
• Do you practice the righteousness of God’s kingdom?
• Do you have a right to stand with God without a sense of sin consciousness or guilt?
• Do you have a love of the Holy Spirit?
• If yes, then you are born again; if no, repent.

To be continued…

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