Ask Pastor Jonathan: How Do I Spot a False Convert?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Continuing our summer Ask Pastor Jonathan series with difficult questions, I was given another tough question.
How Do I Spot a False Convert?
This is an incredibly difficult question to answer. There are two ditches that we can fall into if we are not careful. I pray that as we go through studying this difficult theological question, that you spend time not looking externally as much as looking internally.
Let’s pray and jump into the question.
Prayer.
As far as what makes up a true Christian, we discussed the fundamental, or essential doctrines of the faith and what it truly means to repent and follow Jesus Christ in our second session. I would refer you back to that short session to get a good foundation of what it means to be a Christ follower. We will briefly address it here as well, but that previous session was important for a good Biblical foundation for a true believer.
The asker of this particular question really wanted some advice on how to deal with those who claim Christ but they don’t seem live it out. Some sub-questions that they asked were what is necessary for salvation and how do you tell if someone is a genuine or false convert. And maybe even more pressing in these subquestions was this - can you be a Christian and not seek out sanctification?
So let’s start with…
What is Required for Salvation?
If you recall a couple of sessions ago - we discussed the thief on the cross from Luke 23:42-43.
1 - He recognized that he was a sinner.
This is the first requirement for one to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The very phrase ‘to be saved’ understands that there is something to be saved from. One must understand that he is a sinner and needs saved from the judgment of hell in order to be saved.
2- He repented of his sin.
We see in the parallel Gospel accounts that both men had hurled insults upon Jesus early on. This man turned from his sin, however.
3 - He believed in Jesus Christ for salvation.
After repenting, he placed his faith and trust in Christ as evidenced by his assurance that Christ had the power to save him.
His understanding of Christ was likely not perfect. However, above Jesus read a sign that He was the King of the Jews. This thief would have likely understood Jesus’s claim of deity - that He was God and the Son of God.
So in summary, this short interchange lets us know the essentials necessary for salvation.
You must recognize that you are a sinner. You must repent, or turn from your sin. And you must place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord.
Note that work is not a part of the salvation process. We do not work to be saved and we don’t work in order to stay saved. We work because we are saved and love Jesus Christ. This is an incredibly important aspect of understanding the free gift of salvation. We need to be sure to understand that the foundation of our salvation fully relies on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly shows that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works.
The question that has been asked really wants to focus on the integrity of one’s confession of faith. In essence, the questioner asks…
How do we know that someone has truly repented and believed?
The short answer is we cannot know someone else’s heart. However, we will discuss some signs of a true believer verses a false convert in a few moments
Before diving into some of these signs, we must know that our number one focus needs to be on our own salvation before considering whether someone else is saved.
So as we discuss these signs of a false convert, consider whether any of these are true of yourself first and repent.
I have included some reflection questions after each sign of a false convert.
Please note, this is not meant to make true believers doubt their salvation. This is meant to test your faith and be sure that you are truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). I pray that this is helpful.
1 - False Converts Live for Their Own Glory
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one 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 workers of lawlessness.’
In this difficult Scripture we see some who claimed Christ and even did amazing works in Christ’s name. Yet, they were not doing the will of God. They clearly were working for their own will and glory and the not the will of God. And they were rejected by Christ at the judgement.
True believers will struggle with pride as well. Yet, their heart’s desire will be that Christ is magnified and glorified.
Some questions to ask yourself in reflection:
Do I live for my own glory?
Do I seek to do my will or the will of God?
2 - False Converts Do Not Obey God’s Word
Jesus says in John 14:15:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
False converts do not seek to obey God. The follow their own ways and refuse to respond to Biblical correction. They usually have a low view of the Scriptures. They may even deny the inerrancy or sufficiency. They see the Bible not a source of life but as a source of burden.
False converts often try to add Jesus into their life. They want to do what they want to do but still have their “fire insurance.” They want to do what they want to do and then ask God to bless it. They don’t seek the will of God - they seek their own will.
Their lives are marked by Biblically unwise decisions, devoid of Biblical truth and wisdom. They do not seek godly counsel. They look to the world for their wisdom and knowledge.
True converts will not perfectly obey. They are certain to fail at times. But they repent and seek to obey moving forward. They understand that God’s Word is true and hold it in high regard. Their heart’s desire is to obey their Lord.
Some questions to ask yourself in reflection:
Do I go the Bible first or to other sources?
Do I truly seek to obey the Lord in all areas of my life?
3 - False Converts Are Choked by the Cares of the World
Jesus, in Matthew 13, presents the Parable of the Sower. The third soil is a soil with thorns. Verse 7 asserts that the thorns grew up and choked the plant. In describing this further, Jesus says in verse 22 that the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Paul speaks of a false convert in Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10 - who in love with this present world deserted Paul.
Although even believers can be tempted and tested by the cares of this world, false converts are ensnared by these cares. They are proven unfruitful in the end. This doesn’t mean that some of their fruit won’t appear good. Demas certainly did mission work with Paul for quite some time and was referred to as a brother. Judas appeared to be doing good work alongside Jesus as well. Yet, their hearts were not for God. They cared about wealth, comfort, and the things of this world instead of their Lord and Savior.
Some questions to ask yourself in reflection:
Do I think more of my money than of my Master - namely Jesus Christ?
Do I care more about my possessions than prayer?
4 - False Converts Will Attend Our Local Churches
Jesus tells us in Matthew 13, right after the Parable of the Sower, that the enemy (namely the Devil) will plant weeds among the wheat. In the end, we are told that Jesus will throw the weeds into the fiery furnace while the righteous will be taken into God’s kingdom.
Wheat and weeds (or tares as we see in other translations) look identical from a distance. Yet, tares produce no fruit.
Many in our churches will sit week after week and appear like legitimate believers. Yet, their fruit will not be present.
An important question to ask yourself in reflection:
Do I truly exhibit the fruit of the Spirit as seen in Galatians 5:22-23?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
5 - False Converts Will Not Persevere
True believers will persevere until the end. Philippians 1:6 shows us the promise that God will bring to completion what He has started in us who are true believers. John 10:28 tells us that no one can pluck true believers from Christ’s hand.
Yet, false converts will not persevere.
Like Demas that we mentioned earlier, they will fall away.
1 John 2:19 mentions such false converts…
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
These false converts may look much like a true believer for some time. Yet, their lack of fruit and their lack of perseverance when things get difficult will show their true allegiance is to themselves and not to God.
Some questions to ask yourself in reflection:
Am I continuing in the faith despite difficulties?
Does my faith waiver a lot when things get tough?
6 - False Converts Will Not Grow in Sanctification
Finally, we can know whether someone is truly in Christ by their sanctification. Sanctification is becoming more like Christ. It is done by the Holy Spirit in and through a true believer and requires the active work of the believer alongside the work of the Holy Spirit in and through them.
I often speak of sanctification like the stock market. There are ups and downs in the believer’s life. However, a true believer will be closer to Christ over the long term. Over the long haul, spiritual gains and godliness will be undeniabally present.
God will continue working in and through the true believer.
False converts may have spurts of seeming growth. These times of reformation may appear like true repentance. Yet, these changes do not last. Reformation changes are temporary and man-driven. Only what the Holy Spirit does in and through us lasts.
Some questions to ask yourself in reflection:
Am I closer to Christ now than a few years ago?
Do I myself, as well as others, see the Lord working in and through me over time?
As we come to a close, I pray that this has been helpful to consider. We need to be sure to discern, from the Scriptures first and foremost whether our own hearts are truly for the Lord.
And in the local church, we need to vet others by the Word of God. We need to be wise as we put people in leadership positions in our churches. We must use the Scriptures to wisely discern who we trust with the Lord’s work.
May we do this with grace, love, and truth.
Thanks for listening and I pray that this has been helpful. Have a wonderful day.
