TESTS OF LIFE
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be
reprobates?”
(2 Cor 13:5)
Perhaps, the singular, most important question that every professing Christian
must ask himself is whether he is “in the faith.” For if he is not “in the
faith,” then he is still heading towards damnation whatever his outward estate
may be. But what does it mean to know if we are “in the faith”? Quite
obviously, it does not,—at least not directly,—mean knowing if we are the elect
of Christ or justified in Christ. Election is part of the secret will of God.
Justification is a legal declaration of God, which, by itself, leaves no
detectable imprints on us. Yes, a Christian is “in the faith” only if he is
justified by grace through faith, but to know if one is justified, we must look
at ourselves from another angle. We must look at a work of God, which leaves
some marks in the souls of every true believer. What is this work but
regeneration?
In the night when Nicodemus came to the Lord Jesus to ask Him about His
ministry, the first thing that the Lord said to him was: “Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God” (Jn 3:3). He
could not have stated it clearer. If you are not born again or regenerate, you
cannot see the kingdom of God, not to mention enter it. The blind man cannot
see where he is going, how can he find the door to enter in?
There is no question then, that regeneration distinguishes a true believer from
a mere professor. But how can we know we are regenerate since it is a work of
God in our inner man? The Lord gave Nicodemus an answer: “The wind bloweth
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence
it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit”
(Jn 3:8).
That is to say that we can know if we are regenerate by the effects of it in
the lives of those born again. The Apostle John, who alone recorded the
encounter of the Lord with Nicodemus, must have had a most profound impression
on the implication of the Lord’s doctrine, for he wrote an entire epistle to
work out personal implications of what the Lord said. This epistle, the first
letter of John, is sometimes known today as the “Epistle of Love.” But
actually, its older name, “the Epistle of Life,” is a more accurate description
of what the letter is about. John himself tells us the purpose of the letter:
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;
that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name
of the Son of God” (1 Jn 5:13).
That is to say: This letter is written that you,—who profess the name of
Christ,—may know for certain if you are born again and spiritually alive. Or,
in other words, this letter is written that you may either be assured of your
salvation, or brought to conviction of your sin that you may truly trust in the
Son of God for your salvation.
To accomplish his purpose, John gives us at least five different principal
tests in his letter. These tests provide an excellent way of examining
ourselves and proving if we are in the faith. Therefore every child of God
ought to diligently and honestly consider them. We shall list them in a
didactic order rather than in the order it appears in the letter.
Faith Test
The Apostle John says: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten
of him” (1 Jn 5:1).
In the days when John wrote his letter, there were the incipient Gnostics or
Docetists, who did not believe that the Messiah (i.e., Christ) is God who “is
come in the flesh” (1 Jn 4:2). Well, since it is undeniable that the Lord Jesus
lived, they had to deny that Jesus is the Christ in order to sustain their
heresy. John points out that all who are born again will truly believe that
Jesus is the Christ, and by implication believe that He is fully man and fully
God. Note, however, that we must not take this test in isolation so that we are
ready to say that so long as a person claims to believe that Jesus is the
Christ, he is born again. The demons also believe that He is the Christ and
they tremble at that thought (cf. Mt 8:29; Jas 2:19).
The Apostle, rather, must be viewed as referring to true saving faith, or faith
that has all three elements of knowing (notitia), agreeing (assensus)
and trusting (fiducia). It is this last element that the devils do not
possess and men by nature cannot have (cf. Jn 1:13; 1 Cor 2:12, 14). Matthew
Henry puts it well:
He that believeth that Jesus
is the Christ—that He is Messiah the prince, that He is the Son of God by
nature and office, that He is the chief of all the anointed world, chief of all
the priests, prophets, or kings, who were ever anointed by God or for Him, that
He is perfectly prepared and furnished for the whole work of the eternal
salvation, [and] accordingly yields himself up to His care and direction;…—is
born of God (comm. in loc.).
By this test, we would have the assurance that we are born again if we are
fully convicted of the doctrine of Christ and we love Him (1 Jn 5:2b) and can
say with the Apostle Paul: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”
(Phil 1:21). On the other hand, we can have no certainty that we are born again
if either we do not wholeheartedly believe the doctrines of Christ or we find
ourselves not trusting in Christ for our salvation. No, we are not saying that
all who are born again will have great faith. But we are saying that a born
again person will trust the Lord and seek his faith even if his faith is small
and at times wavering (cf. Mk 9:24).
Discipleship Test
John says, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments” (1 Jn 2:3).
This test complements the first test very well. Everyone can claim to know the
Lord Jesus Christ, or even to love Him and trust Him. But how many are truly
obedient to Him? How many are truly His disciples? The born again child of God
has a new heart and the Spirit of Christ indwells him (Ezk 36:26–27; Jer
31:33). He, therefore, finds it in his heart a constraining love of Christ
which compels him to obey Christ and to live according to His commandments. And
he does not find Christ’s commandments, which are the same as the commandments
of God, grievous (1 Jn 5:3). Conversely, one who truly loves the Lord will keep
His commandments (cf. Jn 14:15), for as John says: “He that saith, I know him,
and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 Jn
2:4).
It is sad that many modern Christians have imbibe the dispensational idea that
all Christ commanded is to “have love one to another” (Jn 13:35). And so they
think they are Christians just because they have some loving affections towards
their fellow men. We need not at this place enter into the debate but to point
out that “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Heb
13:8), and that Jesus Christ was “God… manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim 3:16). The
commandments of Christ are the commandments of God. Let not those who know not
the commandments of God,—especially the perpetual, moral, universal law as
expressed in the Ten Commandments,—claim to love or know Christ, for the Lord
will at the last day say unto them: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that
work iniquity” (Mt 7:23).
A born again believer ought to be able to say with the Psalmist: “Oh how love I
thy law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps 119:97). And he says so with
equivocation, and if he does not keep any of the Old Testament laws, it must be
only if he is persuaded that they are fulfilled in Christ (e.g., the Ceremonial
Laws), or there is a indisputable abrogation of it in the New Testament (e.g.,
the Civil Laws).
When we find in our hearts such a desire to obey God, and that it is not a legal
obedience but a loving obedience, we can have the assurance that God has begun
a good work in us (Phil 1:6). On the other hand, if you find it burdensome to
obey God’s commandments or are constantly finding excuses to avoid obedience,
you must suspect that you may not be born again.
Moral Test
John puts it this way: “Every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (1
Jn 2:29b); “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not
seen him, neither known him” (1 Jn 3:6); and “Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is
born of God” (1 Jn 3:9). Quite obviously, this does not mean that a true
Christian will not sin at all. John had already made it clear: “If we say that
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8).
If it is true that Christians have no sin, then even the Apostle Paul was not a
Christian, for he spoke about his struggles against sin in Romans 7, and he
called himself the chief of sinners in 1 Timothy 1:15.
What John must mean, then, is that a true Christian must hate sin, especially
personal sin, and will not habitually practise sin or lawlessness. A regenerate
believer, indwelt with the Holy Spirit, mourns for his sin (Mt 5:4), and is
much grieved that he has sinned against God. He trembles at the thought that he
has a corrupt nature ready to break forth into all sorts of wickedness (cf. Ps
19:12–13). And if he does fall into sin, his attitude will be like that of
David when he is confronted or made aware of his transgression, and so he will
cry out like David:
Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot
out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that
thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest
(Ps 51:1–4).
What about you, dear reader, how do you react to the knowledge of your own
sins? Do you feel a sense of grief even when the sin is not known to any person
but yourself? When confronted with known or proven sin, is your immediate
reaction that of humble repentance rather than justifying yourself? Do you
grieve when you sin, knowing that God is displeased with you, rather than
feeling sorry,—like Esau and Judas,—only when there are dire consequences and
implications for you in this present life? Furthermore, do you genuinely repent
of your sin and resolve not to repeat the same sin? Does your conscience prick
you when you are tempted to commit the same sin? If you can answer positively
to these questions, you have good reasons to be assured that you truly belong
to Christ, otherwise, you ought to re-examine your foundations rather than
being complacent about your spiritual state.
Holiness Test
To be holy is not only to be pure, but to be set apart unto God. As such to be
holy is not only to live righteously, though without righteousness there is no
holiness. To be holy requires that we do not fashion ourselves according to the
lusts of the world (cf. 1 Pet 1:14–16). Thus, John is essentially speaking of
holiness as a mark of the regenerate soul when he says: “For whatsoever is born
of God overcometh the world…” (1 Jn 5:4a); and exhorts us:
Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father
is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the
will of God abideth for ever (1 Jn 2:15–17).
The writer of Hebrews affirms the necessity of holiness in a true child of God
when he teaches us that “without [holiness] no man shall see the Lord” (Heb
12:14). The Apostle Peter explains that we must be holy “in all manner of
conversation” because God who has called us is holy (1 Pet 1:15–16). Now, if
God has called us only by the voice of preaching, it would be impossible for us
to obey His command to be holy, but the fact is that all regenerate children of
God are called with an effectual calling, which attends the indwelling of the
Spirit of Christ. For this reason, the Apostle Paul says: “If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new” (2 Cor 5:17; cf. Eph 4:24).
The genuine child of God no longer lives for his own carnal pleasure. Neither
does he live to please man. He lives instead to glorify God and to please God
in every aspect of his life (cf. 1 Cor 10:31; Gal 2:20). While the unregenerate
man is motivated by how much money, status and pleasure he can get, the
regenerate man is motivated by how much eternal good can be obtained (cf. Mt
6:24). While the unregenerate man may continue to enjoy the immoral
entertainments of the world, the regenerate man finds these things more and
more loathsome (cf. 1 Pet 1:14). While the unregenerate man may have no qualms
about being found in drinking clubs, casinos, dance halls and cinemas, the
regenerate man avoids these places and finds himself in much vexation of spirit
if he were required to be in such places (cf. 2 Pet 2:8). While the
unregenerate man may enjoy the company of worldly persons, the regenerate man
desires to be a testimony to these and yet at the same time feels increasing
discomfort to be in their company for any length of time (Ps 1:1). While the
unregenerate man may engage on conversation centred on the pursuit of wealth
and pleasure without any pinch of conscience, the regenerate man not only find
these talks unedifying but frustrating (cf. Eph 5:4).
Familial Test
The Church of Christ is a family. Christians as such must love one another.
John puts it this way: “We know that we have passed from death unto life,
because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death”
(1 Jn 3:14). No one will dispute that a love for God is an indispensable
evidence of salvation. No one will dare claim to be Christian if he has no love
for Christ and no love for God. Yet, experience teaches us that many who
portray themselves as fervent believers have little love for fellow believers,
or even entertain hatred towards individuals who name the name of Christ. John
notes this fact and warns of its contradiction:
If a man say, I love God, and hateth
his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 Jn 4:20).
John’s logic is very simple: If we say we love God whom we have not seen, and
yet not love they for whom Christ laid down His life, whom we can see (1 Jn
3:16), then obviously our love for God is not genuine.
Every true Christian, as such, must love other believers because all believers
are in the same family, same body in Christ. Now, this does not mean that we
have no duty to love unbelievers, for the Lord teaches us to love our
neighbours as ourselves. But our love for the brethren must be an especial love
(cf. Gal 6:10). Again, this does not mean that we must necessarily have this
especial love for anyone who claims to be a Christian, for there are many today
who hate Christ, who call themselves Christians. To love these enemies of the
Cross in the same way we love the brethren would be to despise the name of
Christ.
This test of John is therefore not so straightforward when we look beyond the
boundary of the local congregation. But we may say this: a true child of God
will be able to honestly say he loves every member in his local congregation,
at least.
What about brethren outside the communion? Well, no individual believer ought
to take it upon himself to declare who is a believer and who is not, and
therefore chooses whom he would love and whom he would not. The true child of
God should therefore love any Christian who is a member of any communion which
we can to some degree recognise as a true church of Christ. Indeed, we can put
aside the case-by-case scenarios, and safely declare that an unforgiving or
quarrelsome disposition is a sure mark of an unregenerate heart.
Now, it is true that one man differs from another so that some of us are more
affectionate and some of us less. Some of us feel more keenly than others. As such,
we must not think that if we cannot shed an empathising tear for someone, that
we are therefore unregenerate. John makes it clear: Love is not just a feeling,
it is also an act of the will. This is why we can be commanded to love one
another (1 Jn 3:23). The affection of love is necessary, that acts of love be
not hypocritical, but the will to love will be in every regenerate heart so
that there is a desire to do good to another even if the feeling of affection
is not obvious. So John urges us: “My little children, let us not love in word,
neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 Jn 3:18).
Conclusion
We have seen the five Johannine tests of life. This list is not necessarily
exhaustive, but it does give an indication as to whether you are truly born
again. A failure in any of these tests may indicate unregeneracy. On the other
hand, an honest assessment that indicates a renewed mind and transformed life
base on these tests can give us good assurance that we belong to Christ, for
man by nature are dead in trespasses and sin, and so cannot measure up to any
of these tests.
Bearing in mind the existence of a remnant of corruption within us, we know
that no one of us can measure up perfectly. As such you must be very suspicious
of yourself if you can read these tests without a great sense of unworthiness
and failure, for in all probability if you can do so, it would indicate either
unregeneracy or serious backsliding. Then I would urge you not to continue
deceiving yourself, and I would urge you to restudy the list diligently and
honestly, but this time bearing in mind that Satan may be deceiving you and you
may just be hanging over the precipice of hell by a thin thread. May you, in
this way, be spurred to “strive to enter in at the strait gate” knowing that
“many… will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Lk 13:24). But if you are
struck by your failures as you test yourself, there is great hope. Do not
despair. Acknowledge your sin and shortfalls, and cry out to the Lord
importunately until you are certain that Christ is formed in you (Gal 4:19).
—J.J. Lim
24 February 2002
