The Proof Is In The Pudding

Source: 1 John 2-3

I enjoy looking into the etymology of words and phrases to find out how they developed overtime. We are all familiar with the phrase, “the proof is in the pudding” right? Did you know that it was originally, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”? Or did you know that “pudding” originally did not refer to a sweat custard desert but to more of a sausage? I did not!

Even with the changes in our language over time, and the development of the phrase, the meaning still follows. You only know if something is good by tasting it, or the final product will prove the process.

In many ways, I think the Apostle John was calling out the early Christians with a message we need to hear today. “You say you are a Christian? Well the proof is in the pudding!” Or, “what your life is characterized is evident of what you truly believe.”

Listen to his words:

“By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10)

That’s a tough phrase, and John isn’t holding back any punches here. He’s serious, and so should we. John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is saying that we need to be certain of our faith for the glory of God and the salvation of our souls.

Who Do You Belong To?

Are you a child of God or of the devil?

Unlike the popular expression that Oprah uses, we are not all children of God. To be clear, we are all made in the image of God, but we are not all children of God. John writes,

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)

And Luke writes,

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

And Jesus said,

 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

The New Testament makes it very clear, that only those who believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him are the children of God and have the right to call Him, “Abba Father.”

But there is a big difference between a “possessor” and a “professor” of belief in Christ. There are some who claim to be Christians, but one day Jesus will say, “depart from me, I never knew you!” (Matthew 7:23). That verse is a very frightening verse. It should cause us to pause, think and examine our hearts and lives to be certain we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

The book of 1 John was not written to cause to fear our salvation, but give us assurance that we are saved. And John gives us two ways we can be certain that we truly believe in Jesus and are children of God.

The Proofs

First, the proofs are evident of genuine faith, not a way to earn God. What we talk about in this section is not a way to become a Christian, but evidences of being a Christian. For one to come to Christ, he must repent and believe in Jesus. This is an acknowledgement of sin and your own inability to earn God’s favor, belief that Jesus is the Son of God who lived a perfect life and was the perfect sacrifice for our sins, that He died and rose again. He is the only way to God.

Those who truly believe in Christ and are His follows display this by:

Doing what is Right

“Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:4-6)

It’s hard to be clearer than this. If you say you are a Christian but you don’t obey Jesus, you are a liar. Ouch. That is bold, straightforward truth and it might hurt. Genuine faith is walking the way Jesus walked and abiding in Him, that means doing what He did.

Abiding means to “dwell with”, it’s a relational term meaning to spend time together. This means that as we love Jesus, and spend time with Him, we will become more like Him and do what He tells us to.

Truth: you can’t do what He wants if you don’t know what He says…you have to read your Bible if you are a Christian.

Now, this does not mean that a true Christian doesn’t sin, it does mean that a true Christian’s life will not be characterized by sin. The Bible is clear that we struggle with an old sin nature that is passing away, but our new life in Christ should continue to get stronger (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Think of your old sin nature like a chicken. Before Christ it was alive and in control. But in Christ, the chicken’s, or sin nature, head is chopped off. You ever seen a chicken with it’s head cut off? It still runs around and flops around for a while, but eventually it quiets down and finally dies.

You may still be wrestling with a dead chicken, but you are learning to say “no to ungodliness and yes to righteousness” (Titus 2:12). 

Not only is righteous living a proof of true faith, but the second proof is love for fellow believers.

Loving the Church

Church can be a term we get mixed up often. Church is not a building, but a “called out people.” The “Church” is all the believers in Jesus Christ, everywhere, at all times. Also known as the “Universal Church.” If you are a Christian you are part of The Church.

But it’s hard to practically love the Church Universal, and the commandments Christ has given is on a much more practical level. God calls all believers to be a part of a local church, a local gathering of fellow believers, brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.” (1 John 2:9)

“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” (1 John 3:14)

Loving fellow believers is important because we are a new community, rescued from death unto life. We are a new family that supersedes earthly relationships. Believers are part of a new Body of Christ and need each other. Jesus said people will know we are His followers by our love for each other.

We need to be a community that treats each other with love and respect in such a way that we are a light for Christ. How’s your love for your church? Your youth group? Do you talk about it in a way that would cause others to desire to be a part of it? Do you long to be with fellow believers?

These are attitudes that will develop from genuine faith in Christ.

Living Proof

There are certainly other proofs we could say, The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, but we don’t have time to unpack more. John calls us out to examine our lives and our relationships. Am I living is such a way that my faith is evident to others? Is sin or Christ reigning in my decisions?

“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” (1 John 3:23-24)

You claim to be a Christian? The evidence will be in the life you live, or the proof is in the pudding!