“Oh my friends, we are loaded with countless church activities, while the real work of the church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost is almost entirely neglected.”
Oswald J. Smith

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What does it mean for a person to claim to be a Christian? How are we to know whether or not they are a true Believer? I ask you this because a person who claims to be a Christian do not always turn out to be a Christian.  A bum could claim all day that he knows where food is and end up starving.  Anyone could claim they know the president but never have been invited to the Oval office.  Even I could claim that I know somebody rich, famous, and powerful, but may never have actually spoken to this person, or interacted with them in any way.  Claims can be shallow, so make sure yours is based on a solid Truth or reality.  In the Gospel of 1 John 2:19, the Bible tells us, “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”  Will this be you in the end?  Is this you now? Do you struggle to obey the Scriptures, or even read the Scriptures?  Do you love those who hate you? If you read the Bible, then you realize that these are all of the very basics that Jesus commanded us to do the very foundation of our faith. 

What is a solid foundation? What is a tried and true belief? When you start to call on Christ as Lord and Savior, then you leave those things (sins) that separate you from Him.  You will love those things He loves and hate the things He hates.  Being a true Christian means being like-minded in all things pertaining to Christ, and may even require sacrificing those things which make us individually struggle with sin in our lives.  But while only the Holy Spirit can verify a true change of heart, there is a certain measuring rod by which one can examine their own heart as to whether or not they are a true believer.  The things that we have talked about previously form the foundation by which one can claim to be a Christian, and the Bible contains everything a person needs to truly live rightly by that claim.”  Know this, that the only way you can claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is if He has claimed you as His own.  How do you know He has done this?  Read the book of 1 John several times until you understand it.  Then you should pray for His mercy and grace on your life.  God’s Spirit will bear witness with yours.  A good time to start is now.