A lot of declarations fly around about whether or not so-and-so is “really” a Christian. I mean, if they voted THAT way… If they hang out with THOSE people… if they didn’t go to THIS specific event or speak out against THAT obvious evil…if they posted THAT meme… If they donated to THOSE organizations or refused to boycott… Well, how do you know they’re Christians?

The answer is: You don’t. But you can. But maybe it’s none of our business. Oh, but it is!

This is another one of those questions that swims in seas of nuance. I believe context always matters and very few things are as straight-forward, black-and-white, and binary as people want them to be.

I’ve lost a lot of friends over conversations that, at one point or another, claim “you can’t be a Christian if you __________.” I’ve even been shunned for standing outside of their definitions. That’s not a brag. It’s a lament. 

So, what does the Bible say about this? How can we know who is a Christian and who isn’t? Let’s look at Matthew 7.

I don’t know if other languages do this, but English Bibles add paragraphs and headings to the text. Sometimes these are really helpful, but sometimes they mess with the flow and even interrupt the meaning. This is one of those passages where I wish they’d left the headings out.

Matthew 7: What Jesus said about who’s in and who’s not

Matthew 7 comes at the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The whole sermon (Matt. 5—7) is amazing, and I highly recommend reading it on a regular basis. It starts with the Beatitudes and ends with this powerful passage that just might help us with our big question.

Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use.”

— Matthew 7:1-2

The chapter kicks off with a healthy admonition to mind your own business. Don’t worry about others. Take care of your own issues first. Avoid hypocrisy.

From there Jesus transitioned to a short bit about God’s kind provision and the famous Golden Rule: “whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them.” (I don’t want people judging and making assumptions about me, so I shouldn’t do that to them.)

Starting in verse 13, it gets really interesting. Jesus talked about wide roads and narrow gates and how few find the path that leads to life. He then talked about false prophets before launching into a metaphor about fruit trees. You can read the whole chapter here.

The point is: Not everyone who THINKS they’re on the right path actually is. And not everyone who LOOKS like they’re serving Jesus actually is.

Jesus said: “You’ll recognize them by their fruit.” (v.20)

The passage continues in detail. Some people rejected by God will have prophesied in his name, driven out demons, and done many miracles. 

Those sound like really good proofs to me! But Jesus said he will tell these people: “I never knew you.”

Immediately after this, Jesus told the parable of the two builders. One built his house on sand and the other built on the rock. We all know this parable. It stands on its own just fine. But when you put it together with the rest of the chapter, we might have a slightly expanded understanding.

The people on the broad path who missed that narrow gate thought they were going the right way. The teachers who prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles believed they were tight with God and serving him well. The homeowner must have worked really hard to build that house on the sand.

Being a “Christian” isn’t about being right. 
It’s not about what we do. 
It’s not about how hard we work.

It’s about trusting the Rock. It’s about humility. It’s about being connected to Jesus and letting God the Spirit grow the right fruit in us.

So now we need to talk about fruit. What fruit grows in true Christians?

Recognizing The Fruit of the Spirit

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

– Galatians 5:22-23

None of this fruit is something we DO. It’s not about visible, quantifiable productivity.

If what Jesus said is true and his followers will be known by this Spirit-grown fruit, then that means we will NOT be known by church attendance, Scripture memorization, political affiliation, bumper stickers, yard signs, or even emotional displays during worship service. That’s not the proof.

Neither is this a list of stuff we DON’T DO. Proof of faith is not found in how adamantly we avoid alcohol or swearing or “secular” music and entertainment, and it’s not determined by whether or not we let our kids play sports on Sunday.

The fruit of the Spirit is not a checklist of activity, but a reflection of God’s character. It’s not what we DO (or don’t do) but who we ARE.

If I am a hateful, rude, contentious, angry, spiteful, abrasive, bully, I am not connected to Jesus. If I am behaving in selfish ways that harm my neighbors, I’m not living in the Spirit. If my character does not show righteous fruit, I need to reconsider my relationship with God. 

Something very interesting about this passage in Galatians: It doesn’t say FRUITS (plural) of the Spirit. It says FRUIT (singular). These attributes do not grow independently. They are a collective. You can’t say: “Well, God gave me joy, so someone else can grow self-control!” Nope. It’s a package. A singular, delicious, multi-faceted fruit.

What’s more— (and I alluded to this before) – we can’t grow it ourselves. I can practice patience. I can create habits of kindness. But it is GOD who grows the fruit in us. Without being connected to him, we’re just working hard, and we already learned righteousness is not about our own efforts.

So how do we know who’s a Christian and who’s not?

1. Let us mind our own business.
   It is not our job to judge but to love.
   
2. Remember that outward performances do not equal righteousness.
   Only God can see the heart and motives. He will decide who and what is righteous.
   
3. Look for fruit – in ourselves and others.
   If we’re not rooted in the Spirit, we will grow rotten fruit.