How to Know If You Are a Christian

Many people profess to be Christians but their actions are far from what you would expect from a Christian. This gives rise to this question- how will you know a Christian? Also, many teachings in the world now make people to wonder if they are really Christians. This article is to answer these questions.
The apostles were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because they were like Jesus Christ. Therefore, to become a Christian you have to be like Jesus Christ, that is, receiving Him as your personal Lord and saviour. There are 2 major ways of knowing if you are a Christian- internal witness and external witness.
Internal witness
When you give your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit bears you witness within you that you are a child of God, a Christian (Romans 8:16). Though doubtful thoughts may come through your mind, if you listen deep down within, you will perceive the confirmation that you are a Christian.
External witness
Jesus explained in Mathew 7:20 that we can identify children of God by their fruits, by their character, actions and way of life. What are these fruits? Galatians 5:22-23 gives us these traits: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Read more...