The old shopkeeper bounced the coin on the counter. It had not the right ring. He weighed it in his hand. It seemed light. He looked at it carefully. It was not quite the correct color. It had passed muster as a good coin for a long time, but at last it was Found Out.
Now it would be nailed down on his counter as a warning that there were counterfeits about.
ARE YOU REAL OR COUNTERFEIT?
Some years ago a friend of mine was visiting a town where he was a stranger. He asked a young lady in a shop if there were any Christians in the town. Her reply was, "Oh, we are all Christians here!"
"All Christians?"
She meant that all bore that name. And perhaps she thought that this was all that being a Christian meant. But being a Christian means far more than having a Christian name.
In Revelation 3:11And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (Revelation 3:1) we read of those who have a name to live, but are dead. They are mere shams. They are counterfeits. They are not genuine. As a bad coin is a worthless imitation of a real one, so those who are only Christian in name are of no value as Christians. The bad coin will sooner or later be found out, and probably broken in pieces, so that it will not deceive any longer. The mere professor of religion will be found out too. He will be judged and banished from God's holy presence for eternity.
What, then, is a true Christian?
He is cleansed: by the precious blood of Christ. Having come as a sinner to the Savior, he is made by Him whiter than snow in God's holy sight.
He is healed: Christ was wounded for him, bruised for him, stricken for him, and with His stripes he is healed.
He is redeemed: "Christ has redeemed us." He has bought us back from our slavery to sin and brought us to God.
He is illuminated: he was in darkness. He did not know what he was as a sinner. He did not know what Christ was as a Savior. Now he has light and can see clearly.
He is sanctified: set apart from all his former associations. He no longer belongs to the world. He belongs to Christ, and is called to walk so as to glorify Him.
He is trustful: he confides in Christ, and depends upon Him day by day for needed grace, strength, and wisdom for every step of his pilgrimage here.
He is instructed: sitting at Christ's feet he learns of Him, as Mary of Bethany did when she chose the good part and listened to His teaching.
He is accepted: God has put him in Christ's place, before His face. God's thoughts of the Christian are measured by God's thoughts of Christ.
He is new-made: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." He has been born again—born of God. Now he has new tastes and thoughts from those he had when unconverted.
So a true Christian is:
CLEANSED,
HEALED,
REDEEMED,
ILLUMINATED,
SANCTIFIED,
TRUSTFUL,
INSTRUCTED,
ACCEPTED,
NEW-MADE.
Are you a Christian?
Do not be content with having had a Christian name and a Christian training given to you! You must be born again. You need to come to Christ for salvation. He will receive and bless you if you come to Him now. Then you will have the joy and peace which belong to the true Christian. Your fears of being found out will all be removed. You will know that when He comes you will be caught up to meet Him in the air, and be forever with Him in His glory.
If you are only a sham—a professor, not a possessor—the day is coming when the fraud will be FOUND OUT.