You cannot tell if a person has been born-again by how they walk down the street, it is possible to a degree to tell that someone is saved or not by their attire, for women of God dress modestly, and men of God do not wear shirts with foul sayings on them, but for the most part when it comes to the clothing that someone is wearing, it is impossible to determine if they are saved.
I recently had a very short conversation with an older man who was wearing a shirt with a Scripture verse on it, yet seeing how I have met this person many times in my life I believe I can rest assured that he is not saved, and as it turned out, that particular shirt had been borrowed to him. Clothes my friends, do not make a Christian.
As I have mentioned many times before, the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 can be portrayed by an individual who is not saved, they are known as good people, and by the world are recognized and even esteemed as such, yet they do not have a heart for Jesus Christ. And again, I say, attending a church does not ensure that a person has been saved by the grace of God, not all wolves in sheep’s clothing are ravenous, they simply want to be with the sheep, it helps them to feel as if they are not what they are, lost sinners looking for a side door into heaven.
It is impossible to tell if a person is truly a child of God, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ from a few blocks away, from a photograph, how they dress, or the demeanor they normally hold, in public or in private, unless they open their mouth and begin to speak.
I would ask you to contemplate this, deeply and in earnest, the people that you know, those you know in a fairly personal way that say they are Christians, do they speak of Christ? Do they initiate conversations about the things of the Lord, do you hear praise for His Holy name from their lips, do they love Jesus Christ? “Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Cor. 11:15) These are not just those who stand behind the pulpits of churches, whether they are wearing a suit and tie, a Hawaiian shirt or robes and a big, pointed hat, they sit in the pews beside you, they are employed at the same place you are, you shop at their stores, they are part of your circle of friends, and even your immediate family. They may live lives that the world can find little fault with, they may even be leaders within the community, in fact, many times you may hear them say, “I believe in God.”
There is quite a simple way to “test the Spirits” in this matter, just look them in the eye and ask them, “Who do you say Jesus Christ is?”
I have never yet met a person who claims to be born-again who does not desire to speak of Jesus Christ, who does not find joy in seeking the will of God with another brother or sister in Christ, He is their joy, and that joy is expressed in words spoken to others, in fact, to all that will listen.
I use an analogy quite often when I meet people that is akin to fishing, which is apropos seeing that the Lord called fishermen to walk by His side. The hook is baited with a few simple words that should be quite easy for those who are saved to say in these instances, when the initial familiarities of greetings have been completed. “Praise God” or perhaps, “The Lord is in control,” “We are safe in His hands,” are just a few. Those who love the Lord Jesus will respond in kind, and if indeed they are His servant, the conversation will begin to revolve around the only One that matters, our Savior.
Now, all you need to do is look at your past and ask yourself this question, is that me? Does my life revolve around glorifying God and lifting up the name of Jesus, and do my words in public prove that?
