1 John 1:6
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Regardless of our words, it is the conduct of our lives that tells the true story. Many can speak eloquently, and have a strong knowledge of the faith. They are able to discuss and debate issues and doctrines with ease. To listen to them speak, we might assume they are saved. Yet, as God’s Word tells us: no matter what we say, it is what we do that defines us.

Think of a husband who vows on his wedding day to love, honor, and cherish his wife. As their marriage begins, he often says the words “I love you” to his bride, expressing his devotion. Yet just a short time later, the new wife is shocked to discover that her husband has been cheating on her. She confronts him about it, and he replies by saying “I love you. Haven’t you heard me say it all those times?”  Of course she’s heard those words, but they carry no weight apart from his actions. The evidence of his life negates his words. He may have said them, he may have even wanted them to be true, but his adultery reveals the absence of his love for his wife.

In the same manner, John writes, there are some who claim to be in Christ, yet an examination of their lives reveals that they are walking in darkness. People who fall into this category are liars, according to the Scripture, and they do not practice the truth.

May our desire be to let the love of Jesus be in us and work through us, seeking to “not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” [1 John 3:18]