How Can You Know If You Are A Follower of Jesus?

It’s been almost 50 years ago that I went from being a cultural Christian to getting serious about being a true follower of Jesus. Hundreds of times since I’ve been asked not only how that happened but how did I come to the conclusion I was not a true Christian? This is going to be one of the shortest blogs I’ve ever written because the answer is so simple.

Until I was 31 years old I believed the Bible and I believed in God. I just didn’t live for him. That is the difference!

I was raised in a great Christian family, attended church twice a Sunday, Christian schools all the way through college and I believed every word of the Bible was true. I was generous with others, served on ministry boards and loved my family passionately.

But I lived for me, for my pleasure — our pleasure. Jesus got my church attendance, some volunteer time, offerings but mostly lip service after that. That’s what I thought being a Christian was. There’s a question I’ve asked tens of thousands of Christians over the last nearly 50 years to get them thinking about their own life:

Would the people who know you best consider you a Christian or a follower of Jesus?

When they ask me what the difference is between the two here’s what I tell them. There was a time in the first few hundred years of Christianity when most Christians were also true followers of Jesus because they not only believed the gospel but “lived the gospel.” They were willing to live radically different lives not out of guilt or legalism. They just loved Jesus and others more than themselves. Today all followers of Jesus can rightly claim to be Christians. But not all Christians are his followers if the driving force in their lives isn’t living for God.

So today when someone asks me how they can have assurance of their salvation and know they are born again here are my questions: Do you or are you ready to live for God? Do you know the difference between being religious and living for Jesus? Would the people who know you best, your family, the people you work with and your closest friends describe you as someone who doesn’t just believe in God and the Bible but who lives for God? Do you talk about your personal love for Jesus with non-Christian friends? More importantly does Jesus think you live for him?

“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15

“Teacher, which is the greatest command in the Law?” Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… The second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matt 22:37-39

True Christians make those two teachings the priorities of their lives. We should be very reluctant to consider ourselves or others to be “born-again” unless there’s strong evidence in our lives or their lives of a passion for God!

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8