Are those who believe Jesus is the Christ of God?

See also: I John 4:15; 5:1; and Mark 3:11; 5:2-7; and James 2:19.

Response

Actually, the Bible never says that all who believe that Jesus is the Christ are of God. Rather, it says that “Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God”.

First, the confession must be made with the spirit, not simply with empty words. The demons in Mark 1:23-24 verbally acknowledged that Jesus Christ was “the Holy One of God”, but they did not obey Him, and so this confession was not from a pure heart or spirit. They may have also been stating this truth in a mocking way in an attempt to scare others away from Jesus Christ, which may be why He often told the evil spirits to hold their peace.

Second, it must be a “confession,” not just an empty statement. Many false Christians today may state the words, “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”, but this does not make them “of God.” It must be a confession, something seriously stated from a deeply rooted personal belief. A confession is not fake, it is natural; it is not only intellectual, it is from the heart. Thus, merely stating the words “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” does not mean that someone is “of God.”

Finally, the confession must be that “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”. The demons did not state this; they merely stated that Jesus was “the Holy One of God”.