How to discern whether or not a self-proclaimed Christian is really born again:

 

 

1. Examine their language.

 

Ez. 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."

 

Matt. 12:34-35 "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."

 

When you TRULY encounter the King of the Universe, He changes your heart. You actual and in reality become a new person. Not just figuritively, but in actuality. And this newness is evidenced by your speech. For whatever is in your heart, comes out of your mouth. And when a person is born again and given a new heart, this new heart is FULL of AWE, REVERANCE, and LOVE for Jesus Christ. And that pours forth from your mouth. You cannot help but speak of Jesus and how much you love Him! For that is what is in your new heart! If a person is not consummed by Jesus Christ, they are not born again.

 

 

2.  Examine how they deal with the Word of God.
 

John 8:31 "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;"

 

Job 23:12 "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

 

Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

 

A born again person is spiritually alive! And as such, their spiritual life needs food. The same way that our physical lives need food. And spiritual food is the Word of God. The person that has been born again CRAVES the Word of God. For in it, they KNOW they have the Words of Life. The Word of God is ALIVE with the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Through it, He speaks to us, He ministers to us, He communes with us, He guides us, leads us, teaches us, conforms us. It is our actual LIFE! WE NEED TO HAVE IT. If a person is not in love with the Word and seeking to be in it on a regular basis, they are not born again.

 

 

3.  Look at their friends.

 

Ephesians 5:11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

 

1^st Corinthians 15:33 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”

 

John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

 

When a person is truly born again, they have the living Spirit of God in them.  The Spirit of righteousness and holiness.  They do not like to be around sin.  It grieves them.  If a person can hang out with those who are drinking, cussing, taking the Lord’s name in vain, etc., and they are not so grieved that they cannot tolerate it, there is no evidence that person is born again.  The born again person loves to be around those who love Christ!  They love to hear people speaking of the character of Jesus.  They love to hear others talking of what God is doing in their lives!  They cannot handle hearing and seeing sinful behaviors.  For it is an offense to their beloved God and therefore an offense to the Spirit of God dwelling in them.  If a person is hanging around wicked people, and/or avoiding hanging out with saved “Jesus freaks,” they are not born again.

 

4.  Do they love truth?

 

John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

2^nd Thessalonians 2:10 “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

 

A born again person is in love with truth.  For Jesus IS the truth.  And His Word is the truth.  Therefore, those who have the Spirit of God in them, desire truth above all else!  They couldn't care less about their own emotional preferences.  Their feelings don’t matter.  Their preconceived world-views are irrelevant.  They only want what is true.  And so they will forsake their preconceived world-views when they conflict with the truth of Scriptures.  They will set aside their emotions and feelings.  They will cast away their preferences for the sake of truth.  They will continually submit their own understanding to the Light of the Word of God.  And when what they desire comes into conflict with the Word, they won’t twist the Word or ignore it.  They will CHANGE their desires and beliefs.  Because TRUTH is of utmost importance to them.  If  a person clings to their own desires and emotional preferences even when in opposition to the Scriptures, they are not born again. 

 

5.  Do they hate their own sin?

 

A born again person is not perfect.  They still sin.  But the identifying mark of a Christian is that they are NOT OK with their sin.  They hate it!  They don’t justify it or pretend that it is ok.  They struggle against it.  They weep over it.  They plead with God to remove it.  They beg others to pray for them in the fight against it.  They despise it with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.  If a person continually celebrates, or justifies their own sin, they are not born again.

 

This is by no means an extensive list.  There are other identifying marks.  True joy that springs from knowing Christ.  A deep prayer life.  A desire to share the Gospel with others.  A hatred of every false way.  Peace and contentment.  Freedom from complaining and grumbling.  A desire to show others mercy.  A forsaking of vengeance.  A willingness to be trampled on rather than fight back.  Servitude.  Meekness.  Gentleness.  Boldness for truth.  Godly Zeal.  Unwavering hope.  The list goes on and on.  But I think these 5 mentioned are clearly visible in a persons life and can help us to easily distinguish those who are truly born-again, and those who are merely Christian in name only.  Those who will hear those terrifying words on judgment day, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”  We need to be careful to not comfort those types.  Don’t welcome them into the fold with open arms, assuring them that everything is going to be ok.  They need to be warned with tears!!  They need to be cautioned to examine themselves.  They need to be told that they are NOT born again and are in serious danger of hell fire!