Evidence

Could you be mistaking a moment in your past for genuine spiritual life?

Before you answer, explore what the apostle John and some of history’s greatest theologians say about the unmistakable evidence of salvation.

“Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). From beginning to end, salvation is the work of God in the heart and life of the individual.

Let’s clarify a few essential terms.

Salvation is a broad term that encompasses many elements and processes. These elements include election, predestination, justification, and glorification. One of the processes included in salvation is sanctification. These are deep theological words, and it’s understandable if they feel unfamiliar.

In essence, salvation means God’s comprehensive work to bring fallen humanity back into relationship with Himself. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Salvation is all of grace. God is the Alpha and the Omega of it.”

In many Baptist circles, the moment of spiritual rebirth—what the Bible calls “regeneration”—is often referred to by various phrases, including “accepting Christ,” “being saved,” and “trusting Jesus,” among others. Sometimes, these words can be helpful—but they can also be dangerous, reducing profound truths to mere catchphrases.

If you were asked, “How do you know you are a Christian?”—how would you answer? Or, even more searching, “What evidence is there in your life that would convict you of being a follower of Christ?”

Often, people reply by pointing to a past event, such as praying a “sinner’s prayer,” having a religious experience, feeling emotional after a church service, being baptized as a child, or attending church regularly. While these experiences are not without meaning, they are insufficient alone as evidence of a present spiritual life.

Imagine a historian seeking proof for the existence of a historical figure. If all the historian had was a birth date, but no other details—no stories, no relationships, no actions—would that be convincing? Of course not. The more information available, the stronger the case.

So, is there enough evidence in your life to prove the reality of your spiritual birth? In 1 John, the apostle John offers us several tests so “that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

1. What You Believe About Jesus Matters
Who Jesus is cannot be defined by personal preference. As John Calvin stated, “We cannot have any knowledge of Christ except what is given in the Scriptures.” John affirms in his opening words that Jesus is eternal (1 John 1:1), the Son of God (1 John 1:2), and invites us into fellowship with Him (1 John 1:3). At the close of his letter, John cautions readers: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21)—a reminder not to reshape Jesus to fit our desires, but to accept Him as He is revealed in Scripture.

2. Desire for Righteous Living
True believers desire to live rightly and turn away from sin. John puts it bluntly: “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). We are not made perfect overnight, but genuine salvation produces a longing for godliness. As Martin Luther said, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”

3. Obedience to God’s Word
Obedience is a sign of new life. “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3). Obedience doesn’t earn salvation—it reveals it. As theologian J.C. Ryle wrote, “Obedience is the only sound evidence of saving faith.”

4. Love for Fellow Believers
John says, “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness” (1 John 2:9). Regeneration transforms our hearts, giving us genuine love for other Christians. Without this love, John says plainly: “You never left the darkness of sin.”

5. Separation from the World
“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” (1 John 2:15). Love for God will dominate our lives, crowding out rival affections. Jesus Himself said, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).

If you are genuinely born again, evidence of spiritual life will show in your beliefs, desires, actions, and relationships. If not, John warns us to take heed.

So, what evidence in your life would convict you of being a Christian?