The Signs of God’s People

 How do you know who God’s people are? How do you know who your true brethren in Christ are — and who they are not?

Are they members of a specific church or 501(c)(3) organization under the US tax code? Are they people who hold a specific set of beliefs? Are they people who simply believe in Jesus?

Fortunately, we don’t have to guess or make up our own standards. We don’t have to lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5). God’s Word is the measuring stick. It gives us guidelines.

In Mat. 7:15-20, Jesus Christ instructed us,

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

16 “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

So what, then, are the fruits, or the signs, that distinguish God’s people from the rest of the world?

The Book of Revelation gives us a brief description of God’s people, the people whom Satan seeks to destroy. In Rev. 12:17, we read, “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

We can conclude, then, that God’s people are those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” And by induction, those who don’t keep God’s commandments or believe in Jesus Christ are simply not His. It doesn’t mean they’re lost and gone forever, it just means they aren’t part of His flock at this time.

But let’s get a little more specific. Here, in the order we find them in the Bible, are some of the signs, markers, or fruits of God’s people.

Circumcision (of the Heart)

We find the first identifying mark in Gen. 17:9-11:

9 “And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

10 “This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;

11 “and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

Later, God commanded that one be circumcised before eating the Passover lamb: “And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you” (Ex. 12:48-49).

Under the New Covenant, this doesn’t mean Christian converts have to be physically circumcised. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Rom. 2:28-29).

In the Old Testament, God told Israel again and again that He desired circumcision of the heart more than circumcision of the flesh. Jer. 4:4 says, “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.”

Again, in Deut. 10:16, we find, “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.” And finally, Deut. 30:6 says, “And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

So circumcision of the heart is a sign of God’s covenant with us. But what does that mean?

We saw that, 1) circumcision is of the Spirit (Rom. 2:29), 2) circumcision takes away our pride and resistance to God’s instructions (Deut. 10:16), and 3) circumcision enables us to love our Creator with our entire being (Deut. 30:6). These things can only be accomplished through the Holy Spirit, “because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7).

The Apostle Peter preached, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). And the Book of Hebrews describes these things as the most basic, fundamental elements of God’s way: “Of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Heb. 6:1-2).

So this, then, is the circumcision of the heart: repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, and laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit. This is the first sign or mark of a true servant of God.

Passover / Unleavened Bread

The second sign of God’s people is found in Ex. 13:7-10, where God said,

7 “Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters.

8 “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.’

9 “It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.

10 ”You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.”

Jesus Christ fulfilled the Passover lambs when He died as our Passover Lamb, and we cannot be saved without accepting His sacrifice: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Every year at Passover, we still remember and partake of His sacrifice: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).

It also remains for us to keep, not only the Passover service itself, but the whole Feast of Unleavened Bread. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast” (1 Cor. 5:7-8).

So God commanded us to observe Passover and Unleavened Bread. Obedience to this command is the second sign of a true servant of God.

The Sabbath and Holy Days

The third sign of God’s people is found in Ex. 31:13, where God says, “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”

Now, a previous blog post covered this topic in detail and proved that God’s Sabbath isn’t just for Israelites, but for all mankind. It’s a sign between God and all His people.

But notice that “Sabbaths” is plural here in Ex. 31, although the primary one spoken of is the weekly Sabbath. Are there other Sabbaths besides the weekly Sabbath?

Yes indeed! All of God’s seven annual Holy Days, or “holy convocations,” listed in Lev. 23 and Num. 28-29 are also Sabbaths. Work is forbidden on these days.

Therefore, all of God’s Sabbaths are a sign between Him and His people. Observing the weekly Sabbath and the seven annual Holy Days is the third sign of a true servant of God.

God’s Laws

Earlier in this post, we saw that Rev. 12:17 identifies God’s people as those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” And indeed, God’s Word specifically describes God’s law as a sign.

Here’s Deut. 6:6-8: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

Again, Deut. 11:18 tells us, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

Now, these signs we’ve seen so far are pretty black and white. Pretty cut and dried. The signs of God’s people are acceptance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, baptism into His name, keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days, and obedience to His law.

But there’s a little more to it than this. These are simply the minimum requirements.

One could make a pretense of doing these things, and still be a wretched, evil scumbag. Yeshua/Jesus constantly rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for making a pretense of obeying God without obeying Him from the heart. He warned us that there would be tares among the wheat, evil among the righteous (Mat. 13). And, again, He warned us of wolves in sheep’s clothing (Mat. 7:15).

So there are some other factors to consider as well. Factors which require us to use a little more Godly judgment.

Bearing Good Fruit

If we’re truly walking in God’s ways and obeying His laws, then it should be obvious in our daily conduct. We should make no show of piety or try to draw attention to ourselves (Mat. 6:1-18). And yet, even if we say little or nothing of our faith, it should be apparent to everyone around us that we’re different from the rest of the world. As Yeshua said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Mat. 5:14).

So here are the fruits of God’s people. Or at least some of the fruits. You’ll notice that many of these correlate to one another, as well as to the signs we’ve already seen.

1. Repentance

Before we get baptized, what’s needed? Repentance. “REPENT, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).

Repentance requires a change of life. In both Mat. 3:8 and Luke 3:8, John the Baptist said, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.”

It’s not enough to say “I’m sorry,” and then continue walking in sin. If one repents of committing adultery, then he must also stop committing adultery. That’s the fruit of repentance.

So what do we repent of? Breaking God’s laws. And when we repent, what do we stop doing? Breaking God’s laws.

2. Hearing and Obeying God’s Word

In Mat. 4, Jesus told His parable of the sower sowing seed. And in v.:20, He explained, “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

So hearing God’s Word, accepting it, and obeying it is what it means to bear fruit. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified” (Rom. 2:13).

And in Isa. 66:2, God said, “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

Now, we will never be perfect in this life. As King Solomon prayed, “There is no one who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46; 2 Chron. 6:36).

So, as we study God’s Word, we will constantly see flaws in ourselves that we need to fix. When we see areas in which we fall short, and things that we need to change, then we must make these changes.

The Apostle James taught us, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (Jam. 1:23-25).

3. Casting Off the Works of the Flesh

These are some of the things we need to overcome. These are the works of the flesh, as Paul wrote in Gal. 5:19-21:

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

4. Bearing the Fruits of the Spirit

Casting off the works of the flesh — the things that God commanded us not to do — means that we must replace these bad fruits with good fruits. Here’s Gal. 5:22-25: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

To this list, Eph. 5:9 adds, “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.” Notice that truth and righteousness are fruits of God’s Spirit. Therefore, one must have at least a basic understanding of God’s Word and of His truth in order to be part of His flock.

5. Love

Here’s the greatest fruit of the Spirit, the one that sums up every other fruit: love. It also sums up every sign that we’ve seen in this study.

God’s law, His entire way of life, boils down to love. Jesus Christ said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Mat. 22:37-40).

Again, in John 13:35, Yeshua/Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

But what is love? Is it simply a warm, fuzzy feeling? No. If someone says “I love God” or “I love you,” does that automatically make it true? No.

The Apostle John wrote, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21). 

And here’s 1 John 5:2-3: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

Ah. Loving God and loving others, as He commanded, requires action. It requires obeying our Father in heaven.

Is it possible to truly love others without first loving God? No. Is it possible to love God without keeping His commandments? No. Is it possible to truly love others without keeping God’s commandments? No.

If you bear false witness against your neighbor, then you don’t love him. If you break the Sabbath, then you don’t love God.

But if you love your neighbor, then you won’t lie about him or do anything else to harm him. And if you love God, then you’ll keep the Sabbath and do everything else that He commanded you to do, including loving your neighbor.

God’s law IS love. The whole thing is summed up in loving God and loving one another.

Conclusion

So these are the signs that someone is a true Christian, a true servant of God. This is how you can distinguish those who have the light of God from those who still stumble in darkness:

1. Circumcision of the heart. Repenting, being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and having the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit.

2. Accepting Jesus Christ as our Passover Lamb. Commemorating His sacrifice and keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

3. Keeping the Sabbath and the seven annual Holy Days.

4. Obedience to God’s law.

5. Casting off the works of the flesh and bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

It’s all summed up in loving God and loving one another, not in the way of our own choosing, but in the way that God commanded us.

It’s summed up in accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and obeying His law of love, His law that He gave us for our own good (Deut. 10:13). Or, as Rev. 12:17 puts it, those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Again, if people don’t have these signs, it doesn’t mean they’re lost and gone forever. It doesn’t mean they will never be in Yeshua’s sheepfold. It simply means they aren’t there yet. God has a perfect plan for everyone, and He isn’t calling everyone yet! And not everyone whom He has called, or is calling, has heeded His call yet.

What are your thoughts? Any disagreements? Questions? Additions? Things I may have overlooked? Please comment below!