There is a report going around the internet that Donald Trump has recently been genuinely saved. I know many Christians who are super excited about this. I know more who are cautiously hopeful. And then there are those who are downright skeptical.
I probably tend towards the skeptical, although I admit that I am also a bit hopeful. It would be wonderful for a worldly, ungodly man who is so well-known to be transformed by Christ. With such a large platform, he would have incredible opportunities to share the Gospel and attest to the power of God in the life of a sinner that turns to Him for salvation. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
But before we get too excited, let’s talk about who Donald Trump has been. Here are a few quick facts from Trump’s life “before Christ”—
→He has been married three times. He cheated on his first wife with his second wife. His current (third) wife is a Slovenian model who poses nude (read more here and here).
→Trump has been responsible for building and establishing several casinos, several of which he named after himself. He no longer owns any of them due to financial difficulties, the most recent being sold to Icahn Enterprises in February of this year. He experienced several bankruptcies connected to these casinos (read more here).
→He has regularly made crude and unseemly jokes about his private parts (read more here or just watch one of the debates).
→According to this article, Donald Trump is a chronic liar and told an average of one lie every five minutes during the debates.
→One of the things this man is know for best is his very direct and often cruel comments directed towards others. Here is an article that features 19 of his meanest tweets, but, honestly, just hearing some of his comments during the debates also gives us evidence of this.
This is what I was able to find within a matter of minutes by doing a quick search. There is no dearth of information about this charismatic and outspoken man and he has given the gossip magazines lots to write about over the past twenty or more years.
(Quick note here: Since a few people have been upset with me for focusing on Trump’s past, let me assure you I do this only to demonstrate how his changed life will show such a marked and vast contrast to his former life, if he truly has repented and turned from his sin. It is not to berate or criticize him but, instead, to draw our attention to the wonder-working power of the blood of Jesus, should Trump’s faith be genuine. Let’s face it– we are all sinners. Most of us just don’t have the whole world watching and talking about it!)
Of course, most of us don’t change instantly when we come to Christ. It would very nice if we did, but we don’t. However there are some things we can look for in the life of Donald Trump over the course of the next few months and years to confirm if this report is true or not. In fact, we should look for these signs in any new believer, not just a famous one—
Transformation (2 Corinthians 5:17) –There will be a change in the desires of the heart and outward actions and behavior. It may be instant or it may be slow and steady–but it will occur.
Sensitivity to Sin (Romans 6:1-2)–While the new believer does still sin (as all believers do), they recognize that it is wrong and will be convicted by the Holy Spirit.
Desire to Follow the Commands of Jesus (I John 3:24; John 15:9-10)–A baby believer, once focused only on selfish goals and lusts, now has a passion and desire to obey Christ and His commands.
They Will Not Be Popular With Everyone (John 15:18-19)–Jesus makes it pretty clear that true believers will not be favorites of the world and its godless agenda. Decisions to stop partying, to be honest in business, to keep ourselves pure, etc. can really irritate old friends and unsaved family, who desires the new believer to continue joining them in their debauchery and ungodly living. Speaking the truth of God’s Word in response makes them even more angry.
Pride Will Be Replaced by Humility (Colossians 3:12-13)–Unforgiveness will be replaced by forgiveness; a mean, critical spirit will be replaced by kindness. Oh, it won’t happen instantly but there will be a gradual change.
Trials and Temptations Will Not Pull Them Away (Luke 8:13)–Many claim to follow Christ but when testing and trials come, when peer pressure becomes too much to bear, they turn their backs on Christ and fall away.
You may be thinking that you know some professing Christians who don’t exhibit these signs of true faith. While all of us may have a blind spot or two, true believers will exhibit most of the above. They are the evidence of true salvation and are given to us by God in His Word.
So is Donald Trump really a new believer?
I don’t think there is any way we can possibly answer that yet. Only God knows.
But here is what we do know–
This election coming up is a big deal. A very big deal.
I have my opinions about it, as do you, I am sure. It is incredibly important that we give great prayer and thought to how we are going to vote.
Honestly, I still find myself perplexed and not a little dismayed that we have two pathological liars as our candidates. It is so indicative of where we are as a nation that we would support such people.
Did Donald Trump recently accept Jesus as His Lord and Savior? I hope so. I truly do hope so.
HI there, I would like to respond to the act of becoming a Christian, is this not a time that, our past is not to what we should address but our future in being in Christ. Knowing the Bible then begins to allow us to walk the walk with Christ in our hearts, our past is not for public judgment, only God does this. I did not see the need of my past to be judged or spoke of in relationship of being a Christian. I felt that I had to be dealt with as to what I was now, a professor in my belief. Sometimes as a Christian, when we hear of someone that brings doubt to us, we should pray that we accept this and do not allow judgement to cease the new Christian, but in support of them. Only God knows our hearts. I feel this article is a poor article in that it places such emphasis on Mr Trump’s past and his wife, that are not factors in becoming a Christian and becoming a Christian is a future for a person. The people that brought this to light are highly respected men, and thus give me thoughts that this is a good news thought. We must pray for our Country as it is really at a time of destruction if it continues on the present line of government.
I am so sorry if you didn’t understand my intent. I had no intention of casting Mr. Trump in a bad light but to show, instead, just how brightly he will shine as believer if his profession of faith is genuine, given his past. Maybe I am just different than most –I have no problems talking about my sinful past and the power of Christ that has changed me! This gives such great evidence of God’s working. I was truly not trying to criticize or be unkind.
Leslie,
Yes, as the others say, the article is well written, but I stand on my comment. Your intent is what you feel and you have the right to say, but I know of not one Christian that has publicly had their past addressed when they become a Christian. I understand we all share our experiences, but not others do this for us. This whole political thing we are facing is atrocious to say the least with the innuendos that are of little value. I just do not want Christians to feel that this is a great topic to discuss when there is a multitude of other things to evaluate in this election. We should be praying for our Country. We must not loose the focus of what is being done to everyone within this election. If we continue to judge Mr Trump, then will we loose site of the election and cause others to vote for the other person, I would hope not. At this point, I am thankful that he is believing, or at least trying to as the important people are reporting, then again, I could not vote otherwise, so I have to pray for a change. No need to go on further as I feel this whole letter you write is about our Lord. I do feel I have a question as to the intent, when I read to my husband, he also felt this way.
This was a post about what it means to be a Christian and NOT about who to vote for. I am very sorry you took it the wrong way and don’t seem to understand my intentions. Thanks, though, for your candor :) we will have to disagree on this point.
Leslie, I feel your post was very well written, non-judgemental considering the subject matter, and most of all it was discerning. Thank-you for your point of view; it is appreciated by this reader.
Thank you, Cathy!
I don’t know what the man’s private beliefs are. I do sincerely hope that he has learned that the blood of Christ alone has taken care of his sins just as they have all the sins of the world. I hope he has accepted that and moved into the Body of Christ. I also am pretty skeptical but greater sinners have been saved (think the Apostle Paul)! :) That being said, as I think about the election, I really am thinking of voting for the person who will mostly likely keep the most freedoms for my family: the ability to home school, the ability to share Christ with others, the ability to teach my boys what is true from scripture, the ability to own guns to protect myself and my community & the ability to NOT be taxed until there is no middle class. Saved or not, I still believe (though I am sad that there are not better folks in the running) that Trump will indeed allow us more of our freedoms over the next 4 years than have been taken from us over the last 7. Think of how our country has changed in just the last 7 years. It is already a different world for our children: animals over children, preference to anyone who yells “discrimination,” preference over those outside the US instead of inside, preference for those who don’t want to follow the rules, out and out refusal to be able to speak the truths of God’s word about family, marriage, children, life. YIKES! I can hardly think about this more. I am surely praying for the folks in the US as I do believe this election will have consequences for the true Christians in the US.
You wrote exactly what I have been thinking. I’m not a huge fan but I do think Trump is by far the lesser of the two evils. Thanks for wording it so perfectly :)
One of the same men that just declared Donald Trump to be a Christian, also endowed role model status for young Christian women to a woman who paraded herself in front of millions in a skimpy swimsuit and spent her entire life trying to win beauty pageants, going as far as plastic surgery. The only reason he had for this is that she gave an answer in one of these beauty pageants that marriage should be between a man and a woman. It seems that we are often so desperate to have famous people endorse or profess Christianity, that we are often way too quick to declare, “so and so is a Christian” when we have no idea what their personal, spiritual life is whatsoever. We are called to judge people by their fruits so we at least need to observe someone for a while before making any kind of declaration. Also, I fear that we do people a disservice when we do declare them saved. We have no right to declare someone saved. Even if this someone prays a prayer in front of us and seems excited to become a Christian, we cannot declare them saved. Only Jesus Christ can do this. If I declare someone a Christian, but they are in fact not, I give them a false sense of security that they should not have. Much of the evangelical right got excited about other candidates this last year that I have no idea if they are saved or not. I know some of their associations do not inspire confidence to me that they are truly born again. I fear that declaring someone like Donald Trump a Christian could put one more stumbling block in front of an already very self-confident man who most likely needs to humble and submit himself to Jesus. Anyway, while I do not have any confidence in every declaration of faith, I do have faith that God can and will use anyone in anyway He wills. We should not put our faith and hope in any man but only in the One that can actually help us.
Amen!! I whole-heartedly agree with you! I also just found out that it was Paula White who supposedly led him to the Lord. She is a false teacher who doesn’t even preach the true gospel. This puts another damper on this declaration. You got it right–our faith and trust needs to be in God and certainly not in ANY man–Christian or Non-Christian.
I enjoy reading your perspective. It’s good. Thanks for writing!
Thank you :)
Judge not lest you be judged ! I understand what you SAY you mean, however the Word of God is as always, the best way to be SURE you are on the right path ! For as you judge others, you will be judged ! A solemn thought on this subject ! In view of the state of disgrace our great country is in, it seems that it would be much wiser to agree with the many Evangelicials who say YES Mr Trump is a fairly new Christian and DO GIVE HIM SOME SLACK !! And also, i might add, be thankful that God in His Soverign grace can use anyone He desires to use and BE THANKFUL there is hope with this man as our president and thus hope for our nation with someone God can use. Many are learning to humble yourselves and pray and seek His face knowing He will forgive their sin and as He said heal their land ! Praise Him !
While I agree that judging is a very dangerous sin if done with a spirit of arrogance and conceit (as we are taught in Matthew 7), we are told in many other places that we are to be discerning and testing those who claim to belong to Christ but do not show fruit. See Romans 16:17-18; Matthew 7:15; I John 4:1; 2 John 1:10-11; Matthew 7:16; and 2 John 1:10. We are told very clearly in scripture to look for the fruit of the Spirit in someone’s life as evidence that they have been born again. If they do not show it, we are to avoid them. We can do this without a spirit of condemnation or unkindness, which I certainly hoped to do on this post. If it came across in any way prideful or arrogant, for that I certainly apologize. I am just as wicked of a sinner as Mr. Trump. We all are. Only because of the grace and mercy of God, through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, am I able to be reconciled to my heavenly Father.