Can You Tell Whether Some One is Saved or Not?

Many people call themselves Christian, but how can you tell whether someone actually is saved or just a false convert?

The Fruits and the Roots

You can tell that our pecan tree’s roots are pecan because they produce pecans every fall. Similarly, a person is known by their fruits or by their actions in life. People build reputations by their choices, either good or bad. The evidence of what the root is, is what the fruit is. Pear tree roots do not produce pecans, and pecans can never produce pears. It is the fruit which reveals the root, but the seed determines the root. If that seed is the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will produce fruit in the believer’s life, some more than others (Matt 13:8). Their fruits will be a natural byproduct of the Holy Spirit. Often, by looking at a person’s fruit, you can tell the person’s root (Matt 7:15-20).

False Converts

Many people will receive the greatest shock and heartbreak in their lives someday, and it will come at a time when it will be too late for them to repent and trust in Christ. Tragically, they will believe they are saved, but will discover they never really had a personal relationship with Christ nor with His church, the Body of Christ. They will be turned away forever by Christ into eternal punishment. What will that look and sound like? Jesus tells us, saying, “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” (Matt 7:21). They think they know Christ but they are not doing the will of His Father or Jesus’ commands (i.e., Matt 25:34-40, 28:18-20; Eph 2:10). The greatest question is not whether they know Christ but does Christ know them (John 10:14-15).

I’m a Christian

Many who never really pray much, read the Bible, attend a church, do any ministering for others, and pretty much live like the rest of the world, really believe they are going to heaven, but they will suddenly find themselves being judged by God as a false convert. They have deceived themselves, which sin can easily do (Heb 3:13). When Jesus said, on that “day,” He was referring to the judgment day for sinners, so this makes sense when the Lord says, “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” (Matt 7:22-23). It wasn’t that He didn’t know them better or He didn’t know them well enough; He didn’t know them at all! They were not part of the Church that He promised the “gates of hell (or death) shall not prevail against” (Matt 16:18) and the Lord’s Supper is not just a suggestion, but an imperative command from the King of kings, Jesus Christ (Mark 14:22; Luke 22:18; 1 Cor 11:23-26).

Does this lifestyle resemble yours? Have you ever truly repented and trusted in Christ or are you playing church or living out “Churchianity?” Are you forsaking the assembling of the saints in the church (Heb 10:24-25)? If so, you are among those who Jesus called the “workers of lawlessness” (Matt 7:23), and lukewarm Christians whom Jesus will vomit out of His mouth (Rev 3:16)? That news is as bad as it ever gets. Make today the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2) and today, while you can still hear the Spirit’s voice, do not harden your heart (Heb 3:18). The more times you refuse the gospel, the higher the risk of your heart becoming hardened and falling away forever.

False Conversions

I hear a lot of testimonials and many sound like they were false conversions. For example, I have been told, “I was baptized when I was young” or “I went forward at the altar call” or “I filled out a decision card” or I did this or I did that, but if conviction of sin and repentance is missing from their conversion story, they may be missing in heaven. Far too many depend on something they did. They think just because they were baptized, they have it made and don’t have to attend church or do anything, even though Jesus said the saints will be serving Him (Matt 25:34-40; Eph 2:10), and those who do nothing for Him are not really His anyway and will be sent to eternal punishment (Matt 25:41-46). Still others think they are good enough to go to heaven, despite the fact that the Bible teaches that none are good; not even one (Rom 3:10-12, 23)! If good works could get us to heaven, then grace is no longer grace (Rom 11:6), and if we could get to heaven by our good deeds, Jesus died for nothing. Of course He did not die for nothing, but He died for a lot of nobodies…me included! In dying on the cross for me, I think He overpaid. But that’s why grace is so amazing (Eph 2:8-9).

Fruits of the Spirit

Wax fruit looks good, but it melts under heat and is not true spiritual fruit from the Holy Spirit, but rather, it is a weak attempt to produce godly fruit by human fleshly efforts. Of course, that won’t work! Real fruit is peace, love, joy, and such things as these which are attributes of God. Why shouldn’t the sons and daughters of God resemble their Father in heaven? Real genuine fruit from the Holy Spirit makes the Christian winsome and can draw people to ask them about their faith. When believers endure great suffering and trials and yet keep their joy, the world takes notice. There’s something that believers have that the world doesn’t have; peace in the storm. Just like Jesus told the disciples to meet him over on the other side, He knew they would make it, storm or not. Remember, He said they were to “go over” (Mark 4:25), not “go under.” The late Adrian Rogers once said, “What is over out head is under His feet.” So true.

Conclusion

The Apostle Paul’s advice is critically important for all of us, and it is, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test” (2 Cor 13:5)! Don’t find out you’ve failed the test too late! That’s why I pray that whoever reads this has already put their trust in the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If that has not happened yet, my friend, you are in real danger of hell fire. And I mean, in immediate danger. You’re one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. Today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) since tomorrow is no guarantee. If Jesus Christ came today, here is your fate (Matt 7:21-23). This is why I plead with you as you read this, repent today…and I mean right now. Put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after death guaranteed (Heb 9:27) or at Jesus Christ’s appearance (Rev 20:12-15), which could happen at any moment.

Here is some related reading for you: 7 Signs of a True Conversion

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: carnal Christians, False Converts, Salvation, tares