According to the word of God, a Christian is one who, as a sinner in the presence of God, has learned and bowed to the truth of his lost condition by nature and by practice (Eph. 2:3-12; Luke 5:8, but who has learned also through grace, and believed, that his sins are forever blotted out through the blood of Christ, (Heb. 9:14; Rom. 3:24, never more to be remembered. (Heb. 10:17, 18) That he is reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18, justified from all things (Acts 13:39,), cleared from every charge, (Rom. 8:33, 34), and now made meet for glory, (Col. 1:12), having met God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:19 j, he is at peace with God, and happy in His presence, (Rom. 5:9, 11), no longer looked upon as being in the flesh, but in the Spirit (Rom. 8:9; 2 Cor. 5:17), he is sealed with the Holy Ghost (Eph. 1:13; 2 Cor. 5:5), a member of Christ’s body (1 Cor. 12:13), a child of God (Gal. 3:26; 1 John 3:1), an heir of God, and joint-heir with Christ (Gal. 4:7; Rom. 8:16, 17), and having died with Christ, he is brought into present association with Him, risen in glory (Eph. 2:6), now in possession of a life (eternal life) secure (John 10:28, 29), and beyond the reach of every hostile power (Col. 3:3); he is a priest separated unto God to serve now as a worshipper in the heavenly sanctuary, which the Lord hath pitched and not man (Rev. 1:6; Heb. 10:19; 8:2); delivered from the world (Gal. 1:4), to be separated practically from it (John 17:16, 17; Rom. 12:2), he is a citizen of, and belonging to heaven (Phil. 3:20); he has a bright future—eternal glory with God’s Son (John 17:24); the present object of his heart—Christ in glory (Philippians 3:14); the purpose of his present life—Christ (chap. 1:21); his present hope—waiting for Him (1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Cor. 1:7), soon to see Him (1 John 3:2), and to be like Him. (Philippians 3:21.)
Is it not then a wonderful thing to be a Christian? and is it not a poor thing to be anything else, even in this world? But, “What manner of person ought such to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” 1 John 2:6; 4:17. W.