John 10:38
“But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”
In a world where many voices claim validity in the Christian realm, how do you know which one is real and which one is not? Jesus answered this question by saying, “…though ye believe not me, believe the works…” Jesus encountered many people who questioned whether or not He was the Son of God. They constantly challenged His validity, but He countered their challenges by telling people not only to look at Who He said He was, but also to look at what He had done. I believe in this brief statement you will find the test you can use to validate whether or not a person is real.
First, who are they? Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. When He made this proclamation, He was declaring Who He was by telling the people from whence He came. You can learn a lot about a person by learning from where they came. Be wary of people who don’t like to be branded with a group. Jesus wasn’t afraid of a branding, and you shouldn’t be either. If someone wants others to listen to them and follow them, they need to tell who they are by telling whom they identify with.
Second, validate a person by what they say. Every word that Jesus spoke agreed with Scripture. One of the best ways to validate whether you should listen or follow someone is by what they say. Does everything they say agree with the Scriptures? Do they explain the Scriptures away to prop up their opinions? Watch out for anyone who downplays the inerrancy and inspiration of the Scriptures.
Third, validate a person by what they do. Jesus told the people that if they didn’t believe who He said He was, they were to believe Him because of His works. What a person produces says a lot about them. First, do their works agree with the Scriptures? Second, do their works show they have the power of God? Works are the fruit of an individual. When a person claims they can do something, they have just put the test out to show whether or not God’s hand is upon them. This is one reason I always caution men of God about saying they are going to do something because if they don’t get it done, they are declaring their lack of God’s power. An individual validates God’s hand on them by their works. Moses validated God’s hand on him with the rod that became a serpent. Joshua validated God’s hand on him with the parting of the Jordan River. Elisha also showed God’s hand on his life when he was able to part the Jordan River. A person who has God’s hand on them will have works that validate them.
Finally, a person validates God’s hand on their life by their fruit. What a person produces will tell you if they have God’s hand on their life. Don’t just look at the immediate fruit, but look at the fruit of the lives in which they have invested. You probably shouldn’t follow the leadership of a person when their fruit is always going the way of the world. If they are walking the right way and have the power of God upon them, you will clearly see their fruit walking in the old paths.
Looking at a person’s works will help you to determine if they are real. Don’t be caught up in the crowd or smooth words, but let their works validate God’s hand upon them.