How do we know if Someone Truly Believes in God?

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Jan 9, 2016
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#1
James 2:19
Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.
 
Sep 4, 2012
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#3
If you know that [Christ] is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness has been fathered by him. 1 John 2:29
 
W

WarriorForChrist

Guest
#4
Know God or Know of God? If you want to know how someone can tell if someone is a true believer in Christ then read 1 John.
 
W

wwjd_kilden

Guest
#5
We don't

God does
 
Dec 19, 2009
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#7
James 2:19
Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

[1] Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child.
[2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
[3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:1-3 RSV
 
B

BeyondET

Guest
#8
I agree totally, though

if they say they do who am i to say they don't thus i believe they do unless they say they don't.
 
Jan 9, 2016
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#9
[1] Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child.
[2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
[3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:1-3 RSV
Are you claiming from the scripture you posted above that people who choose to not obey the commandments of God are not His children?
 
P

PurerInHeart

Guest
#12
If they believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. 1 John 4:2

But there is a difference between believing in Jesus and believing into Jesus- which is the original meaning. Believing is the first step to getting into Christ (believe, repent, confess, be baptized). Like you said, even demons believe, and that belief alone won't get them to heaven. What hope is there then for the unbeliever? God counts disbelief the same as disobedience- for He says that His invisible qualities are clearly seen in nature, and therefore mankind is without excuse.
 

EarnestQ

Senior Member
Apr 28, 2016
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#13
Do you mean, do they believe in God to the extent of being saved, or, do they believe that there is a God of some kind?


In the second case, only they can answer that question. And, even devils know there is a God to which they are ultimately accountable. But that is not enough to grant them eternal life with Messiah Jesus.


In the first case, the question is do they accept (believe) that God loves them so much that He allowed His one and only human born Son to die in their place, and, that three days later God raised Him from the dead? (According to the Bible, this is “believing in Jesus” and only test for salvation.)


One can argue Christian doctrine through torture and death, but that is not what Jesus wants from us.


Mt 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'


Jn 5:22-24 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor (love) the Son just as they honor (love) the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.


Jn 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."


Jn 14:21-24 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.


Jn 16:27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.


I am convinced the most important question God asks of us is not whether or not we believe that He exists, but do we accept that He loves us beyond our imagining. Can “I” accept that He loves “me” so much that He allowed His one and only human born Son to die in “my” place, and, that three day later God raised Him from the dead?


I demonstrate my belief in His love for me by loving His Son, Messiah Jesus. The extent to which I live my life loving Messiah Jesus (and reflecting His love to others) is the extent to which I accept that He loves me that much.


For me, this is what “truly believing in God” means.
 
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Dec 19, 2009
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#14
Are you claiming from the scripture you posted above that people who choose to not obey the commandments of God are not His children?
No. The question was:

How do we know if Someone Truly Believes in God?

I was trying to shed light on the subject. It seems to me some church-goers are trying to obey the commandments, while others are just using the church to climb the social ladder.
 
J

JesusIsAll

Guest
#15
Yes, you meet them in the produce section of the cosmic supermarket and observe what they pick.

Matthew 7:13-20
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

They may have a decent act, some great lip service, but some things you just can't fake. Over time, you'll see the lies of the spiritually dead leaking out, vanity and the flesh showing its fang. Often, on message boards, it's somebody who begins to sound like a corpse, as if the word of God is talking points on a printed page, but not in their hearts.

Galatians 5:17-26 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.


 
G

Gr8grace

Guest
#16
James 2:19
Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.
We can believe in God and even believe in the one true God and not be saved. The Jew, he believes in the true God of heaven and is NOT saved.

There is only ONE name for our salvation.
New American Standard Bible
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."


ONLY belief in the Work of the unique person of the Lord Jesus Christ will save. And none of us truly know who really believes or not, Only God knows without a doubt.
 

trofimus

Senior Member
Aug 17, 2015
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#17
James 2:19
How do we know if Someone Truly Believes in God?.
By his words and by his life. This is the best shot you have, deeper things and his motivations inside his heart are visible only to God.