Are You Truly A Christian? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) March 3, 2026

During a discussion with some of His fellow Jews in John 8, Jesus challenged their sense of who they were. They called themselves the children of Abraham, but Jesus pointed out that while they were Abraham's genetic descendants, they were nowhere near him spiritually. He instead told them that they were more like their real father, satan.

He explained His assessment in John 8:37-39 - I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. /I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” /“Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did.

He pointed out that they wanted to kill Him for saying what God instructed Him to say. Things that didn't please them and indeed angered them. To be fair, this attitude toward prophets who'd said things that offended the people wasn't new. Prophet Elijah spoke of this in 1 Kings 19:10. Prophet Jeremiah was also almost stoned to death because the people didn't like being called out by him. They wanted to tear him to pieces in the Temple of God.

Why does any of this matter to us, the followers of Jesus? After all, we aren't the Jews the Savior was speaking to. Well, the issue at hand is, who do we resemble spiritually? As believers in Jesus, we've been grafted onto the vine of Abraham, which means we should be more like him than the Jews Jesus was speaking to in John 8. The question becomes, is that true? Do we submit to God the way Abraham did?​

We can sometimes be no different than those Jesus and Jeremiah were speaking to. When we hear a word that cuts like a knife at our heart, we may seek to silence God's messenger because of anger and offense. This should not be. We have to measure what is said by the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to minister its truth, or falsehood, to us. Emotionality will not help. This requires humility and patience as God allows a word to sieve us or calls us to discard it because it isn't applicable.

It is also crucial to realize that Christianity is not about whether we call ourselves Christians. It is not just about reading the Bible and going to church. What matters is what Spirit we submit to. Look at those Jesus spoke to in John 8. Their pride puffed them up, and in so doing, they submitted to the devil, rejecting what the Lord had sent His servant to say. They exhibited an antichrist spirit, and we are not in a position to do this. When we gave our lives to Jesus, we became His, and our behavior and thinking must follow the pattern of the family to which we belong.

Many people call themselves Christians, and may indeed have been born into Christian families or have chosen to follow the Christian faith. However, if they don't obey Jesus and aren't allowing the Holy Spirit to transform them, then are they really Christians? Are they true disciples of Jesus who have remained in Him instead of backsliding? If not, then they do not have the right to call themselves by His name or use it as a cloak. The devil knows this - it knows who truly belongs to Christ and who doesn't. It uses this knowledge against people. But those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High will receive His constant protection.

If you are reading this message, it is not too late to repent and tell Jesus you want to fully and truly belong to Him. It is not too late to turn away from the disobedience that stands as a wedge between yourself and the Lord. Jesus is committed to helping you walk in the light of God. And the Holy Spirit will teach you so you can navigate this earth as a child of God and a true disciple of Jesus who eventually enters Heaven's Gates victoriously. This is what the Lord wants for you. All of heaven is waiting to cheer and celebrate your submission to Jesus. Please don't delay.​

As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

1. Will He Know You?

2. Dear Peppers 1: God isn't a burden

3. Give God What He Wants To Get What You Want

4. Praise God That You Bear His Name

5. On Godly Friendships: Jesus & the Disciples

6. Is Your Name Written In Heaven?

7. Spirit-Filled But Worldly?

8. Stop Living Like A Pagan

9. Is God Unfair?

10. What Would God See When He Looks At Your Heart?

11. Be About The Father's Business

12. Why Did You Choose God?

13. Is God Really To Blame?

14. A Pathway To Answered Prayers

15. Don't Backslide

16. Topic: Hypocrites & Hypocrisy

17. Topic: Pride