What Is A True Christian?

by John E. Mahan


Graphical Sidebar

A Christian is one who has faith in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for our redemption from our sins to eternal life and is not saved as a result of works.

  • "Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast - unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures," - 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, RSV.
  • "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9, RSV.
  • "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16, RSV.
  • "You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace." - Galatians 5:4, RSV.
  • "...but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - John 4:14, RSV.


A Christian in one who shows his faith is real through his repent heart and deeds which come as a result from that and the Holy Spirit. His faith is shown by his deeds.

  • "Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and the scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness'; and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." - James 2:20-24, RSV.
  • "Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." - Ephesians 5:5, RSV.
  • "But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber - not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. 'Drive out the wicked person from among you.'" - 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, RSV.
  • "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." - 1 John 1:8, RSV.
  • "No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother." - 1 John 3:9-10, RSV.
  • "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." - Galatians 5:24, RSV.
  • "And he said to all, 'If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.'" - Luke 9:23-24, RSV.
  • "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.'" - John 3:5, RSV.
  • "...he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit." - Titus 3:5, RSV.
  • "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent." - Revelation 3:16-19, RSV.


A Christian is one who keeps the commandments of Jesus.

  • "He who says 'I know him' but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." - 1 John 2:4-6, RSV.
  • "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'" - Matthew 7:13-23, RSV.
  • "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" - Luke 6:46, RSV.

"Those who think that repentance precedes faith instead of flowing from, or being produced by it, as the fruit by the tree, have never understood its nature, and are moved to adopt that view on very insufficient grounds." - John CalvintheJESUSpage dingbat