"Jesus gave the world the right to decide whether or not we are true Christians"

[whatever]

A year or so ago, my friend John Woodbridge and I published a book entitled The Mark of Jesus: Loving in a Way the World Can See. It is dedicated to the memory of Kenneth Kantzer and Francis Schaeffer, great evangelical leaders both of whom had a great influence on both of us. One of the last things Francis Schaeffer wrote before he died was a little book called, The Mark of the Christian. It was an exposition of Jesus’ words in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Dr. Schaeffer said that in that verse Jesus gave the world the right to decide whether or not we are true Christians based upon our observable love for one another. When I first read that, I thought “Surely this can’t be true?” But I read the text in John again, and I discovered that Dr. Schaeffer was exactly right. Jesus gives the world—unbelievers—the right to decide whether or not we belong to him based upon our observable love for one another. “By this shall all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” How else are they going to know? They cannot peer into our souls, or know what is in our hearts. But they can listen to our lips, and look at our walk, and see how we treat one another within the Body of Christ, including those brothers and sisters in the Lord with whom we do not see eye to eye.

From http://www.beesondivinity.com/templates/cusbeeson/details.asp?id=25215&PID=430520&Style=

What do you all think?

 

[npetreley]

Jesus said it. It must be true.

 

[canadyjd]

From http://www.beesondivinity.com/templates/cusbeeson/details.asp?id=25215&PID=430520&Style=

What do you all think?

Well, I don't think Jesus was "giving the world the right" to declare someone to be a Christian or not.

The sense I get from this verse, in context with the next few chapters, is that the world will identify Christians by their love for one another (and so revealing themselves to be true disciples of Christ) and that will lead to their persecution.

peace to youraying:

 

[rsr]

I have deleted off-topic comments and put them in another thread. Please do not turn this into another C v. A thread. There are plenty already.

rsr