Not too long after my divorce, I had a defining theological moment, a profound realization, that my ex-husband wasn’t saved despite him claiming to be saved. Years prior, I had wrestled with the passage in Matthew 7:21-23 in regard to my former Word of Faith Pastor, but for some reason or another I hadn’t made that correlation with my ex-husband in the same regard. It was a bit of a shock to me honestly to realize that not everyone who says that they are a Christian actually are. Of course, I knew that those who are in cults aren’t Christians. I’d been taught that much, so I knew that Jehovah’s witnesses and Mormons weren’t Christians; they served a false Jesus. I also knew, because of my grappling years earlier, that False teachers weren’t true believers. But when it came to the average non-leader “Christian”, I really don’t know why I just didn’t put two and two together that there would be false converts. No one had ever discipled or taught me to discern whether someone was a true believer or not. As I sat on my living room floor, building an art canvas, for a commission, the realization just broadsided me and immediately I began to weep. A song had been playing on the radio as I was working, and the lyrics were about repentance and the saving work of Christ. It was in that moment, that I realized that my ex-husband had never really repented of anything in his life, ever. Repentance is a mark of a true believer and in that moment, scripture after scripture was running through my head and it explained so much of what had transpired in my marriage. No wonder my ex-husband had an adultery, drinking, pornography, and violence problem! It’s because he was a slave to sin, an unbeliever! The evidence of his life was overwhelming; he said one thing, but did another.

The Book of 1 John is probably one of my favorite books of the Bible because of the realization that I had that day. The book itself lays out a very black and white, this or that, clear guideline to judge whether or not someone is, or is not, a true believer. Actually, the Apostle John is my favorite of the Apostles because of his very black and white personality. I appreciate his directness because my own personality is much the same. It is the clear guidelines laid out in the book of 1 John that helped me make judgment calls in regard to other believers and the validity of their profession in comparison with their actions that would help me in the future and even today. This is one topic that I teach on regularly with those I disciple as it safeguards against false teaching and spiritual abuse.

The book of 1 John is full of mirror opposites. There are four marks of the true believer and there are five marks of the false believer. The True Believer has clear evidence which are: Righteous living, keeping the commandments of God, love of the brethren, and orthodox belief in the deity of Christ. The five marks of the false believer are: living in unrepentant practiced sin, does not follow the commandments of God, hates the brethren, wordly in their philosophies and practices, and they have false professions about who Jesus is. If we were to break down those five characteristics of the false believer and take a look at each one, not only will we be able to identify false teachers easily, but probably a bunch of false believers as well. It is possible that some people that you may identify with these five characteristics may be infants in their faith, but it always comes back to repentance. As Christians, we still sin, but never should we have a practice of unrepentant sin. There is no such thing as an alcoholic Christian, homosexual Christian, Christian Witch, Adulterous Christian, Violent abusive Christian, Conman Christian. If we identify as followers of Christ, we cannot identify with past sins that have been buried with Christ. We are to walk in newness of life and the old things have passed away. Romans 6.
Quickly, I wanted to just break down the five Characteristics and provide you, dear reader, with appropriate scripture references. Of course, I encourage you to read through the book of 1 John. It is only five chapters, and you will see every point that I’m referencing and be able to see it all in its context.

1. The False believer lives in unrepentant practiced sin. 1 John 1 deals with that right off the bat in verses six and seven. “If we say”, John makes that statement three times in the chapter. Notice how there’s a clear difference between the profession and the action in these verses.
   6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
   Just notice the contrast between the true believer who acknowledges their sin and repents, and the false believer who believes they are justified or without sin. Justifying sinful behavior should never be the practice of a true believer.
   1 John 3:10
   In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
2. The False believer does not keep the commandments of God.
   1 John 2:4-6
   He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
   These verses are pretty self-explanitory. This one is reminiscent of the first one, but it encompasses more things other than sin, but being Christ like in our actions. The false believer is a great pretender, but they cannot hide their true natures forever.
3. The False believer hates the brethren.
   1 John 2:9-11
   He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
   1 John 3:14,15
   We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
   1 John 4:20
   If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
   These sciptures are pretty harsh and extremely clear that those who hate the brethren will not inherit the kingdom of God. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard a “believer” say that they don’t need, and can’t stand, to go to church because they can’t stomach all the hypocrites there. They literally despise the gathering of believers. Then there’s the false brothers who defraud believers. I saw a testimony the other day about a man who went into business with his Pastor to do some construction projects, only for the “Pastor” to defraud him and withold all payment from him causing the man to almost lose his home. My husband and I have had our own instances with so called brothers and sisters in Christ spreading falsehoods about us. None of that is loving the brethren.
4. The False believer is wordly in their philosophies and practices.
   1 John 2:15,16
   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
   I have noticed the False believer is caught up in all things wordly. They are more concerned with their own prosperity than about others. Health, wealth and prosperity is their goal and they get easily ensnared by every wind of false doctrine. They tend to have a lot of idols in their lives as well.
5. False believers have a false Jesus and make false professions about who Jesus is.
   1 John 4:1-6
   Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
   4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
   False believers always twist and distort the true nature of Jesus. It is not just Jesus’ deity that they attack, or distort, it is that they make their “Jesus”, their god, into a wordly god. A god that is in the image of a corruptible man (Romans 1:22). Their “Jesus” may say things like “love is love” and only “whisper” about homosexuality. Or their god wants them to be happy so he excuses their adultery. Their god forgives their sins and allows for continued unrepentant sin without consequence. Their god is a powerless subservient god, dependent upon them to decree or declare something into existence before he has legal authority to work upon the earth. Their god is not the God of the Bible, nor is He the Soveriegn, Holy three in one.
   1 John 5:7
   For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
   There are many more scriptures apart from the book of 1 John, but this book just gives such a clear guideline for us, as believers, to follow so we can be discerning. I wish that I had been discipled earlier in life and learned these things so that I would not have been so easily decieved. I definitely would have made different choices in my life had I known how to discern between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. I’m just forever grateful that God pulled me out of false teaching and continues to grow and mature me in my walk with Him. Here’s a few other references for you to consider. God Bless.
   Galatians 5:19-21
   1 Corinthians 6:9-11
   Ephesians 5:5