A profligate young man liked to wear a ring on which his godly father's name was engraved. While in the midst of his wickedness one day, a friend of his departed father observed the ring on the son's finger, and said: "You should take off that ring, or make your life conform to the worthy name it bears.”
Simple words; but how they condemned the young man! From that day the ring with his father's name was removed, but the words of his father's friend searched his soul. How could he conform to the worthiness of his dead father? Only by coming as a penitent soul to Christ, his father's Savior, and by faith in Him and by His power and grace, to seek no longer to be conformed to this world. This he did, to the glory of Him who died for him.
There are many who bear the name of Jesus, who call themselves Christians; but they live in sin and serve the devil. They plainly show by their speech and manner of life that they are merely professors of Christianity who have never been saved. By professing the name of Christ, and denying Him in their lives, they dishonor Him.
To all such we would say, Give up your false profession, and dishonor Christ's name no longer. To live as a Christian ought, you must first be a Christian. This is not done by mere Christian profession, but by coming as a lost sinner, and receiving Christ as your Savior.