Am I a Christian? How can I know for sure if I'm a Christian?
Here's the answer:
The Bible says to test yourself to make sure you are a Christian (2 Corinthians 13:5).
You may go to church every week. You may have been baptized or confirmed. You may wear a cross necklace. You may try to be good. But all those things don't make you a Christian! Turning to Jesus in faith is the only way to be saved (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Maybe you're scared. You think, "I believed in Jesus to save me from my sin, but I still sometimes sin. Does that mean I'm not a Christian?"
Christians aren't perfect. But they do fight against sin. A Christian won't say, "I'm going to heaven because I believed Jesus died for my sin. So the rest of my life, I'm going to sin and do whatever I want."
If you're a true Christian, you'll keep turning from sin and trusting Jesus to help you overcome sin. You will want to obey the Lord Jesus and His Word, the Bible. That's because when God saves a sinner, He makes the person new from the inside out (2 Corinthians 5:17). He gives Christians the desire and power to glorify God. He gives them the Holy Spirit to help and teach them (John 14:26). Yes, Christians still sin, but sin no longer has to control them.
To test if you're a Christian, ask yourself these questions and read the Bible verses:
• Do I love God and seek to obey His Word, the Bible? Read Luke 10:27; 1 John 2:3.
• When I sin, do I feel sorry and turn away from my sin? Read 2 Corinthians 7:8–10; 1 John 3:9.
• Am I growing to be more like Jesus, showing good things like love, joy, patience, kindness, and self-control? Read Galatians 5:22–24; 2 Peter 1:3–8; 1 John 2:6.
If you answered, "Yes!" to those questions, you're showing signs that God has made you a Christian. God will never let you lose your salvation (for more information about that, click here).
If you answered "No," to those questions, you may not be a Christian. You can't become a Christian by trying to do better. Only Jesus can save you! Find out how to become a Christian by believing in the Lord Jesus: click here.
Bible Truth
"Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
"Take a good look at yourselves to see if you are really believers. Test yourselves. Don't you realize that Christ Jesus is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5).
"Those who are born again because of what God has done will not keep on sinning. God's very nature remains in them. They can't go on sinning. They have been born again because of what God has done" (1 John 3:9).
